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 I did this two years ago when I started blogging and I decided to write it again today, a reflection of my year. There's a lot of negativity about 2020, it being the worst year ever, but it's all perspective. I had some difficult moments and some hard days, but nothing worse than I've experienced in the past five years.
Photo 1, my birthday photoshoot For my 40th birthday, my daughter, Sarah, did my hair and makeup and we went to my old middle school to take a few photos. I love the dress I wore, I broke my favorite shoes (must replace them in 2021), and I adore the photos Sarah captured, I used them often for profile pictures and my blog's bio. Photo 2, my camera I've been dreaming and wishing for this camera for a few years and Kirk got it for me in May. It is a beautiful pink Fujifilm X-A5 Mirrorless Camera Kit with XC 15-45mm Lens. Photo 3, my desk on May 17 It's a reminder to me that I was overwhelmed and I didn't reach out for help. I felt the world was ending (in my personal world) and I did not handle the situation properly and I suffered because of it. I had support afterwards as I was working with my fibromyalgia coach and taking the Fibromyalgia Advisor program. I put my focus onto myself. Things didn't seem so dark afterwards. Photo 4, 5, 6, Graduation My three children graduated from high school, middle school, and elementary school (respectively). Photo 7, Kirk + CeCe I fell in love with him, again. I don't know how it's even possible but I loved him even more this year. It was amazing that we were able to take a few days in August for an anniversary road trip around southern Ontario. That's when I fell in love, again. He's such an awesome, understanding partner. He believes in me even when I can't find the light in my darkest times. Photo 8, CeCe & Kate Probably the biggest highlight of the year for me, was that I was able to hug my best friend, Kate, for the first time in over 10 years. I missed her so badly and I am grateful that we were able to reunited for an afternoon. Anxious for vaccines to roll out and COVID restrictions to be lifted so I can travel to see her again. Photo 9, IFCI Grad It's now hanging on my office wall, my International Fibromyalgia Coaching Institute Fibromyalgia Advisor certificate. Around the time I earned my certification, I started mapping my plan and goals for the next few years to achieve my dream job. It's a longer road but I know it all will be worth the hard work when I am able to display my certifications and diplomas on my wall. I created a professional Instagram account this evening, nothing posted just yet. This account will be attached to my journey, education path(s), and my work towards becoming a Fibromyalgia Coach. I will keep my original account, ceceLashbrook, it has such a great archive of my time with Girl Guides of Canada and my life with my family. I don't know how often posting will be done at this time, I barely used my ceceLashbrook account this year, but I wanted to make sure there was two separate accounts for the changes that are coming in my professional career. As always, you can follow me on Facebook and you are welcome to check out cute family videos on YouTube. Links are posted in the bio section of my blog and in the footers of my website.
As I am writing this post, I am days away from completing my first semester in the IWAP program. Thus far, my grades are looking good and I believe I had a successful school term this fall. I have one paper left to complete and one quiz on Tuesday.
I have struggled a lot this month, my fatigue and pain is overpowering me. I am looking forward to having a break from school and really excited for next month to begin. I have appointments booked in January with a naturopathic doctor, I will start my intake paperwork next week and plan out what tests need to get covered to help me get my energy and strength back, and I restart physiotherapy for my knee. I need to make a plan for my eating habits in the new year as I feel completely drained and unable to prepare healthy meals for myself. In January this year, on facebook, I created an album called Kirk + CeCe, the first few photos were of Kirk opening an anniversary gift I couldn't wait until March for him to open. I gifted him a LOVEBOOK. I created the book during my school break last December and it was so fun to make a book about how I love Kirk.  I recently added more lovely photos of us together in that facebook album and I started to think back that I had created a website once upon a time for about our wedding. I remember the site had something extra special, a missing piece of our history. In 2009, I was interviewed by an intern at Offbeat Bride to be a featured story on their website. I was so thrilled that we were being featured. I adore Offbeat Bride book and website, it was so helpful and encouraging to able to connect and relate with other couples who do their own thing instead of "traditional". We were featured, our interview was posted in May 2009... then I don't know WHEN exactly, but I made a terrible decision to delete my flickr account and restart a new bride flickr account, and since I broke the link from the flickr to the bride tribe, my interview article was deleted. It is 100% my fault this happened. I hurt myself doing this careless thing. I am still upset about it. I believe that I had printed it and posted a copy of the work on my wedding website. As of this date, I do not have the printed copy and I have no access to the website, I typed in the address as I remember it, and I got a webpage that stated "This website is frozen". Then I remembered, that email account I deleted a few years ago, that's the email account that would have had access to that website; AND it would have had the communications for the interview with the intern at Offbeat Bride. Dang. UPDATE: 11/12/2020I guess with inquiring about the website from support of that company, they reactivated the site, and I jumped at the chance to recover the materials and post them to a website (linked to an active and future active email address). I was not able to find a full copy of my Offbeat Bride article but I have the link (not that it's helpful, it just makes me happy that it existed once).
On my website, I had links to things like my personal business page and vendors I used planning my wedding. I found out that someone stole my business platform and my business website. Ouf. I hope they found success in the business I started up and had marketing strategies completed by a friend. At least I had a cute logo and business merch. I will post the website dedicated to our wedding once it's ready to relaunch. I have more photos to post and have some touch ups to take care of. |
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Chantal \shahn~ TAHL\
A devastating beauty with a fiery personality. Part lover, part fighter. Chantals know how to make it rain. Your life is incomplete if you lack a Chantal. A completely magical girl. - Urban Dictionary 
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