December is Past and It's 2011 at Last!!

The last month of 2010 was a preparation for the coming year, with most of our focus centered on establishing ourselves here in Austin.  Interspersed, outside of taking care of our most basic and immediate necessities (like getting jobs), both Tom and I have been working hard towards making our dreams an absolute reality.  I've been organizing my own goals, and Tom has been contacting people to do both photo and film work with, and he just joined a band!  :)  We're getting there, slowly but surely.  I definitely can see 2011 as being a year of immense manifestation!  

Marty Mcfly wannabe ;)

On top of all of our hard work, we of course made time to relax and enjoy ourselves during this festive time of year.  First off was my birthday on December 5th.  We celebrated in simple fashion with Tom making dinner (vegan enchiladas!!), and getting drinks at South Austin Bar and Grill.  My parents sent me some birthday cash and I treated myself to a much needed haircut at Birds Barbershop, right down the street on South Lamar.  It made me very happy!!  

Birthday Dinner!!  

Happy Birthday to me!!  

Christmas, of course, was upon us before we knew it.  Our families blessed Tom and I with so much for the holidays!  Thanks to them, we now have the means to purchase some much needed furniture for our apartment.  We've already made one trip to Ikea!!  :)  I actually had to work Christmas evening, so most of our celebrating took place on Christmas Eve and then Christmas morning.  We made our favorite vegan brownies and watched "Die Hard", one of Tom's favorite Christmas movies.  We opened gifts in the A.M. and just enjoyed each other's company along with the company of Tiger and Brigitte.  They enjoyed all of the wrapping paper!!  

 Christmas Vegan Brownies!  YUM!

So many presents to unwrap!!  

 Brigitte guarding our gifts!

Tom got this great shot of Tiger!  So cute!

Last night was New Year's Eve.  I had to work, but lucky for me, I got out fairly early and was able to meet up with Tom and a few others for celebrations!  Fireworks greeted me as I left work and headed home. I changed clothes and promptly met up with friends at Paggi House, a really nice place in South Austin.  We had champagne, hefewiezen, and my first ever French 76 (YUMMY!)!!  It felt really good to laugh, be silly, and let loose a little bit.  With smiles on our faces we welcomed the new year.  I'm thankful for high spirits and the jolly souls I got to spend the evening with!! 

This was on my birthday....but I kissed him last night too.  ;)    

As I reflect on the past month, memories of 2010 flood my brain.  It was a powerful year, bound by hard work and determination.  I am incredibly grateful for all that has come to pass.  Now, it is officially 2011.  Today was marked as 1-1-11.  I read this posted somewhere with the remark that "We are all ONE".  I love that!  Such a great sentiment to start the new year with.  Wishing one and all a blessed new beginning as we move forward through endless cycles of time!  For me this will be a year of transformation and growth.  I welcome it!  

My Jesus Year - A Resurrection of the Soul

Today I welcome another birthday into my life!  I am entering my 33rd year, what I also refer to as my "Jesus year".  To some, this designation may sound offensive, but in actuality I think it's a wonderful tribute!!  I first heard this phrase coined about 5 years ago, when another friend entered her Jesus year at the age of 33.  I loved the wittiness of such a coining, and the idea has stuck with me.  I've been looking forward to my own Jesus year with excitement and anticipation ever since!  Now, here I am at 33 years old.  What does it mean to enter this year in my life?  

It is speculated that Jesus was 33 years old when he was crucified, brought to death, and then buried.  According to the stories of the christian faith, that would mean that he died and arose from the dead at that young age, becoming an archetypal symbol of Resurrection that has lasted about two thousand years.  (As a side note... The butterfly has often been used as a symbol depicting the resurrection of Jesus, as stated in my last blog entry!!)

The theme of Resurrection has had a strong presence in my life since I was born.  My name, "Stacey", comes from the greek "Anastasia", which simply means "resurrection".  Being born in December, there is also the pagan reflection on the winter solstice. Pagans believe in the "death" of the sun as the hours of daylight shorten, and then the "rebirth" of the sun as days are lengthened with more light.  (This belief ties in strongly with the stories of Jesus, God's "son", who died and then rose into the heavens.)  My life experience has gifted me with my own personal experiences of resurrection as well, having survived a life-threatening motor vehicle accident, and a house fire.  Both experiences had their ways of interrupting my life's path, so that I could begin anew.  For that I feel blessed!

With all of that said, the idea of growing into my 33rd year on this planet is quite exciting!  I see this year as a year of great transformation for myself (just like Jesus or the butterfly).  I am letting go of the old, and grasping onto the new.  I'm living in a new town, surrounded by new people.  I'm embarking on my Soul Coaching® career, which is an entirely new endeavor and adventure!!  Ultimately, I am reinventing myself, creating the life of my dreams.  As I look forward into my "Jesus year", I see a resurrection of my spirit and my soul!  Life is leading me to explore new horizons, pushing me beyond my own expectations.  Thirty three will be a life-changing year!!!  I can feel it!  Today, every moment, and specifically this year, I am being resurrected into a new way of being.  I am thankful for the awareness of this transformational time!!