Happy New Year everyone!!!!!
Best wishes for lots of success, happiness and fun adventures for 2013!!
As we all ring in the New Year and make New Year’s resolutions…
…whether it be: to be more organized or maybe learn something new…
…not only is it important to strive to be ‘better’ in some way…
it’s also important to remember to enjoy the things in life that are already there, that sometimes we don’t need to try and ‘be out front’…..
… we need to enjoy the things that are in the ‘background’ of our lives….
…the parts of life that are there day-to-day….
Like our family, our children, our pets, our home,
what we achieve on a daily basis….
Sometimes the best surprises in life come to us not from striving to create something new, or be something new…..they come to us from the ‘background’ of life, when we see what was already there.
… so take a step back, celebrate and enjoy you and what you already have accomplished!
This lesson hit me right smack on the head a week ago when I was looking through some pictures that I had taken for a post I wrote last January….
You see, for the whole month of December I was determined to learn how to take Bokeh pictures; those uber-cool pictures of blurry lights (like in the pictures in this post above)…
I researched it, I googled it, I asked friends for tips…I changed my lens, changed my camera settings and played and played to finally get this picture:
I was so proud that I finally accomplished this photography technique!
But funnily enough, as I was looking at an old photo,
I looked in the background and noticed to my amazement that in spite of all of my hard efforts, time and research to conquer Bokeh in December….
I had already taken Bokeh pictures,
in January 2012 and didn’t even know it!! 
Look in the background!
Wow! Are you kidding me??
With some cropping, I have this:
How cool!!
Then it really hit me, as we begin a new year, that even though we try hard to accomplish something new, sometimes we just need to take a look at what we have around us to celebrate and appreciate…..
…and that sometimes in spite of reaching, striving, wishing and hoping….
…the best things in life already are there…
‘in the background’!!
* * * *
……Happy New Year!!……
Heather is a Designer, True Color Expert® and proud military wife at 
Happy New Year my friend!!! Love your Bokeh, that was a technique I was striving for in December and I got some really great shots. My family thought I had lost it, but we all had some really great laughs over it. All I can say is thank goodness for digital or I would have went to the poor house wondering if I got that perfect shot.
Haha!! That’s funny Lisa!! Happy New Year to you too sweetie!
So true! What a nice reminder. Happy New Year!
Happy New Year Jacque and Matt!!
In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy says something about when you look for happiness, don’t forget to look in your own back yard. I think this is a good reminder to be grateful for what we have. Thank you for sharing. By the way, your bokeh rocks. :o)
I did not even know there was a name for this. Bokeh. Thanks for teaching me something today. They are lovely photos. Inspiring me to want a new camera.
wonderful words! Thanks for the reminder. My plan is to ENJOY everything this year! Love your bokeh!
Heather, congrats on achieving bokeh both times and your words are so wise. Sometimes we are so unaware of what we have! Thanks for pointing that out!
Happy New Year! I can’t wait to see what you have in store for us in 2013!
Leslie
House on the Way
Thanks for the reminder to look back from where you came. Love the story on taking bokeh pictures. It’s like shopping everywhere for a beautiful blue scarf only to find the perfect one in the bottom of the dresser drawer. {I did that}
Haha! That’s happened to me too!
Lovely post, perfect for starting off the New Year. Happy New Year, Heather, all the best in 2013!
Debbie 🙂
Hugs Debbie – you too!
Beautiful pictures! I’ve yet to master bokeh, but sometimes I get lucky. Happy New Year!
Thanks for the compliments! Just keep trying or like me sometimes you take them without knowing you did!! 😉
This is so true Heather! I love your gorgeous pics and encouraging words! XO, Aimee