'Book of Happiness'

I was looking at my daughter's baby photographs the other night and it saddened me how long ago it seemed that they were taken yet had quickly she had grown up.  The reality then hit me that 2012 would see her 10th birthday. Yes, my little girl is going to be in double figures!  It upsets me that her childhood is slipping away and that we will never get that time back, yet when I look back it is all to easy to remember the numerous difficulties we have faced and continue to come across.  Being a mum to a child with additional needs certainly provides lots of these moments and can be a very scary and isolating place, it is all to easy to get caught up in the despair and anxiety of it all without looking back and appreciating the positives and fun times.

I wanted something that I can pick up and look at when times are hard or distressing and that will remind us of the good and happy times that we have amongst the rough.  Whilst looking through other blogs on here I came across Hanna's Verden where Hanna had documented her time in London with beautiful scrap books of her children and family holidays.  I am not sure if I could ever make anything as beautiful to live up to them, but I loved the idea.  I showed my daughter who also loved the idea (I thought she would as she loves anything to do with craft!), so this year we will be working together to create a scrap book of all our positive and happy moments! I think it will be called 'Our Book of Happiness' .

2012 is going to be a struggle both financially and with a fight to get my daughter the help and understanding that she needs and deserves.  However, I also think that it could be an amazing year. She has already thought of lots of things that could be included in the book: moving house, the Olympics, her 10th birthday and our family holiday to Florida.  I however, have to admit that I am looking forward to recording the little things I love about her: her imagination and beautiful smile and laughing with her friends, growing flowers and vegetables in our new garden and playing with her pets.

As in my earlier post, I want this year to be about 'going back to basics' and enjoying the simpler things in life.  This will mean tightening our belts financially although I am looking forward to a book full of happy memories to look back on by the end of the year. 

A x