New Years Reflections

Well folks, we made it through the holiday season. Mia got lots of gifts from Santa. Her favorite being her new pink ice fishing tip ups! (Pictures of pink ice fishing escapades are coming soon!)

Now, a new year is upon us. While many people use this time of year to set resolutions, I use this time to reflect, and count my blessings. 2012 has been a busy and eventful year for us. And, an overall successful one as well.

The year began with a transition to a new living area, with a promise of better schooling to help Mia along in her battle against Autism. This move was planned for many months prior to the actual event. Mia flawlessly grew accustomed to our new surroundings. It was mom that had the harder of times. We now live in a city, with relatively few connections to nature. But, with some effort and searching, we've found that getting outdoors in the city is actually very manageable. And, it makes our further trips into the wild even more enjoyable.

After a few months, Mia transitioned to her new school. Again, flawlessly. She embraced this new setting and new people instantaneously, effortlessly, and courageously. She has made great progress in her new school, and continues to amaze me daily with new skills.

We also managed to get to some new outdoor places to adventure in, and accomplished some pretty great things. Mia experienced a bit of lobster boating when we boarded the Lucky Catch. We hiked to the top of Sabattus Mountain. We camped in White Mountain National Forest. We fished in many new lakes and streams, and visited several of the state parks.

Mia's progress is really what strikes me as astonishing though. This little girl takes triumph in jumping over some of her toughest hurdles. And once she's over them, she courageously takes on the next one. Potty training took her less time than I had assumed, with merely an accident a week at this point! And in the year of 2012, Mia has become increasingly interactive with not only adults and her favorite people, but with strangers we pass in the store, and with children of all ages. Just the other day, she walked up to a two year old boy sitting in the front of a grocery cart, and made her valiant attempt to say hello. She smiled at him, and gave him direct eye contact while doing so. His response of a smile and an outreached hand was more than accepted by little Mia, and she took his hand and giggled at him with pure joy in knowing that she was seen and accepted. This is truly an amazing feat in the world of Autism.

Now that 2012 has drawn to an end, we are looking forward to more adventures, and new experiences. We're setting our sights towards some upcoming ice fishing adventures, and planning our spring hikes.

2013 will be another year of progress and great adventure for Mia and I, and we wish you the happiest and most adventurous year of all!

Thanks for reading!