2009 is upon us so I thought I should take a moment to reflect back on 2008 and the highlights for me and my family.
I think as I grow older I will look back on 2008 as "my year"...why you ask? Well, I think finally I found myself and I became 100% comfortable in my own skin. I sought out solutions and they made me a stronger person for myself, my family and hopefully my friends. In some respects I could call this my "ah ha" year and I am grateful.
2008 was the turning point for my career I was given the green light in February to start moving forward with new ideas at work which have lead to a more enriching a fulfilling work life. I am not going to say it hasn't been hard but at least I am secure in my job and enjoying what I am doing.
2008 has been a big year for the kids, Lauren is a big first grader learning and speaking Spanish daily and growing before my eyes. This year it has become clear that he next 10 to 11 year before she goes off to college are going to go by in a flash, so I am trying to enjoy them and her infectious smile as much as I can each day. Jackson has become quite the young man, he is my old soul child, wise beyond his years and his words of wisdom makes me smile each an everyday.
2008 has been a big year for Dan, first he had many surgeries to repair the beating that the Army has provided his body over the last 20 years and we believe that he is on the mend. However 2008 will be remembered as the year that Dan retired from the military after 20 years of service. I am so proud of him and his accomplishments, he tends to downplay the good things that he does and I for one like to be his cheerleader and remind him of how wonderful he is as a solider, father and husband.
2008 brought household change for me, I have always worked outside the home and relied on Daycare specifically a daycare center for my children, to me it felt more reliable and stable. After many ups and down in the au pair/daycare world I decided to make the jump to in home care which would allow for my children to be home in the summer as well as allow them to have play dates and other great fun instead of being in daycare. I must say I wish I had made the move long ago. I was able to find a preschool for Jackson which I adore and the kids really couldn't be happier. As a matter of fact just yesterday Jackson asked when Ms Celia (know to some of you as Rosa) was coming back. That tells me that he is fond of her or that she is not as strict as I am and he wants her back :) LOL
2008 also brought me the love of writing and a place to release my thoughts and talk to those who have like interests and those that don't. Blogging has been a sort of therapy for me and each of you have played a roll in that and for that I thank you for the bottom of my heart!
In 2008 I decided it was time to get back in shape, so in January I set out on the journey that most do that time of year and I am a happy to say I stuck with it and lost 25lbs. Then on a bit of a challenge I set a goal of running my first ever 10K (6.2 miles). I did that in Oct and I then did 2 more times turning in my best time of the year in my last race. Who knows the years ahead may hold a marathon for me!
Yes, 2008 has been a great year.....so is it possible for 2009 to be better...in a word YES! There are big things coming in 2009 I can feel it. For those of you that have ever had the opportunity to see rolling thunder here in DC on Memorial Day weekend you will relate to the this...2009 feels to me as though I can hear it roaring just like the roar of the motorcycles before they take off for their rolling thunder ride. There is a certain rumbling in my life right now and it all feels good and I look forward to sharing it with all of you over the coming year!
Happy New Year may 2009 be your best year ever!
***Don’t forget to enter my Giveaway you have till Friday at midnight eastern!
I think as I grow older I will look back on 2008 as "my year"...why you ask? Well, I think finally I found myself and I became 100% comfortable in my own skin. I sought out solutions and they made me a stronger person for myself, my family and hopefully my friends. In some respects I could call this my "ah ha" year and I am grateful.
2008 was the turning point for my career I was given the green light in February to start moving forward with new ideas at work which have lead to a more enriching a fulfilling work life. I am not going to say it hasn't been hard but at least I am secure in my job and enjoying what I am doing.
2008 has been a big year for the kids, Lauren is a big first grader learning and speaking Spanish daily and growing before my eyes. This year it has become clear that he next 10 to 11 year before she goes off to college are going to go by in a flash, so I am trying to enjoy them and her infectious smile as much as I can each day. Jackson has become quite the young man, he is my old soul child, wise beyond his years and his words of wisdom makes me smile each an everyday.
2008 has been a big year for Dan, first he had many surgeries to repair the beating that the Army has provided his body over the last 20 years and we believe that he is on the mend. However 2008 will be remembered as the year that Dan retired from the military after 20 years of service. I am so proud of him and his accomplishments, he tends to downplay the good things that he does and I for one like to be his cheerleader and remind him of how wonderful he is as a solider, father and husband.
2008 brought household change for me, I have always worked outside the home and relied on Daycare specifically a daycare center for my children, to me it felt more reliable and stable. After many ups and down in the au pair/daycare world I decided to make the jump to in home care which would allow for my children to be home in the summer as well as allow them to have play dates and other great fun instead of being in daycare. I must say I wish I had made the move long ago. I was able to find a preschool for Jackson which I adore and the kids really couldn't be happier. As a matter of fact just yesterday Jackson asked when Ms Celia (know to some of you as Rosa) was coming back. That tells me that he is fond of her or that she is not as strict as I am and he wants her back :) LOL
2008 also brought me the love of writing and a place to release my thoughts and talk to those who have like interests and those that don't. Blogging has been a sort of therapy for me and each of you have played a roll in that and for that I thank you for the bottom of my heart!
In 2008 I decided it was time to get back in shape, so in January I set out on the journey that most do that time of year and I am a happy to say I stuck with it and lost 25lbs. Then on a bit of a challenge I set a goal of running my first ever 10K (6.2 miles). I did that in Oct and I then did 2 more times turning in my best time of the year in my last race. Who knows the years ahead may hold a marathon for me!
Yes, 2008 has been a great year.....so is it possible for 2009 to be better...in a word YES! There are big things coming in 2009 I can feel it. For those of you that have ever had the opportunity to see rolling thunder here in DC on Memorial Day weekend you will relate to the this...2009 feels to me as though I can hear it roaring just like the roar of the motorcycles before they take off for their rolling thunder ride. There is a certain rumbling in my life right now and it all feels good and I look forward to sharing it with all of you over the coming year!
Happy New Year may 2009 be your best year ever!
***Don’t forget to enter my Giveaway you have till Friday at midnight eastern!
Then we went back to my mom and dad's to hang out and spend the night. The sleeping part was a little tricky, with a small bed and two LARGE people :) We were woken up by the kids and opened presents. Adam got a Rotozip and router table to use in his woodshop, and a fly-tying book so he can learn some new fly-fishing flies. I got new cowgirl boots, a cute dress, and an OLD Nintendo Adam found in his parents basement that I've wanted forever! Best Christmas Ever!
This was a sibling gift exchange for us. We love this flag and have already hung it up at home :)
After dinner, we went back to Mom and Dad's to play games with everyone. We stayed until 11 and got ready to leave, our car packed full of presents! It was so windy, but we only had to drive 5 minutes.....or so we thought. The road to Suncrest was a white-out and after about 35 seconds, we found ourselves suddenly stuck in a snowdrift! Couldn't even see it! After trying to get out, I called my dad to come rescue us. Adam made me stay in the car, it was so cold and windy, while him and my dad tried to see and get us out. There is no tow hook on my car, so they finally got down in the snow and hooked it to my axle. Then I started freaking out because I had to steer while my dad pulled me backwards out of the snow and I could see out of my windows. Luckily, I rolled down the window an inch and Adam guided me (took a lot of trust). We got out of the drift, but as I pulled around to drive back to my parents house for the night, the wind pushed me into a snowdrift! Serious! So, Adam tried to push as I rocked the car, yelled at it a lot, and finally got through. I slowly drove the block to my family, didn't dare park in the driveway all of the way, but as I pulled in just enough to get out of the street, it started sliding towards my sister's van. I screamed out my now open window "I can't stop!" so my dad and Adam pushed the sliding car into a pile of snow before it hit the van. Finally, we were to shelter without any extra clothes or undies. Adam was freezing, standing in the wet snow blowing like crazy for 1 1/2 hours so we got him dry and went to bed around two. The next morning was another "shovel for an hour to get our car out" morning but we REALLY wanted to get home and shower. Oh, we need to get new tires after having to spin them to get out of the snow, and somehow the E-brake cable broke when my dad was pulling us out. But luckily, that's all! Wow, that's a long post and I'm exhausted just re-living it!
My husband then hands me a drink which I thought was diet coke, no that would be rum and coke!!!!...I knew I loved this man. Dan ushers us into the family room, where we have chit chat, I am sure my mouth is still hanging wide open. She is here in my house acting as though all is fine like she left under wonderful terms (trust me it was bad).
