the 365 of 2010

1. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Here are my resolutions from last year. Our year turned out not quite like we had pictured and I let a lot of those goals fell by the wayside pretty quick. Some I did well on; I did walk regularly with a friend for several months in the spring and I did get better about blogging the last couple of months, but other things like taking pictures, housekeeping and any other structured stuff went right out the window for most of the year.
I have one goal for this year: find a new (and better) normal and get our family and home running right as we really settle into our new life here.
Which I think boils down to most importantly...

Choosing how our time is spent.

Stepping back from the things that don't work for our family.

Stepping toward things that do.

2. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?

Moved from Missouri to Tennessee (Wait. I live in Tennessee?? that's still weird to me.)

3. What was the best thing that happened this past year?
Hmmm.... I guess maybe the way God allowed the selling and buying our houses (finally) in just such the right timing and getting the kids started in school easily.

4. What was the most challenging thing that happened?
Um, moving. The whole thing in general... the six months up to it waiting, the time we spent in limbo, the unknowns, the actual relocation and the few months after. So basically the whole year.

5. What was an unexpected joy this past year?
watching the kids both dive right into new schools with new friends and completely blossom and LOVE it. I love how much we love their schools.

6. What was an unexpected obstacle?
See #4

7. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Two new nephews and a few favorite friends. We got to meet Tate, Calvin and Ryder back home this fall, as well as Lydia this summer.

8. Did anyone close to you die?

A good friend from way back in middle school and high school... I hadn't seen her in 16 years, but she was a young mom and the news of her death hit me hard. She was an amazing person and I was blessed to have been a part of her world for a handful of years.

9. What states/countries did you visit?

Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Oregon and Washington

10. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
March 8th- Ryan started working (and interstate commuting) at Vandy.
Sept 3rd- closed on our new house

11. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?

new friends, a church family, a normal routine

12. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I don't think of it necessarily as an achievement as I know for so many people it's just life, but I'm happy that we made it through the long six months of living separately in two states, single parenting it (with an infant during the day) most of the time with a house on the market. It was a loooong six plus months. And we all came out relatively unscathed.

13. What was your biggest failure?
Living in limbo for so long this year, I let A LOT of things slide... engaging the kids, meal planning, pretty much all the mom jobs. We all probably picked up a lot of bad habits that haven't completely been eradicated yet.

14. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nope

15. What was the best thing you bought?
Our new(er) vehicle. I feel so grateful and honestly spoiled every single time I drive it. I feel silly loving a tangible thing so much, but I'm truly so thankful that we are fortunate enough to have such a nice, comfortable and dependable vehicle.

16. Who's behavior merited celebration?
My husband... such a trooper for living away from us for so long. I know he really missed the kids and was worried about us and the house situation, yet he started this whole new job with a new group and new projects and did an amazing job at juggling it all for so long.

17. Who's behavior made you appalled or depressed?
A few divorces this year (or before this year that were just confirmed to me this year) that were ugly circumstances with not pretty results. It's always so sad to me.

18. Where did most of your money go?
Double living expenses and traveling between STL and Nashville all year, losing some money on our house sale and buying a (unfortunately, more expensive) house.

19. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Craigslist finds, making them into something pretty!

20. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? I have to say a little sadder (is sadder even a word??) It's been a stressful, long and lonely year.
b) thinner or fatter? fatter. stress apparently equals more eating for me.
c) richer or poorer? poorer

21. What do you wish you’d done more of?
taking pictures, listening to music, reading, praying

22. What do you wish you’d done less of?
complaining, eating, driving, waiting

23. What was your biggest personal challenge in 2010?
Pretending to be a mostly single parent living without my husband for six months. I realized I'm not a very good single parent. Or single spouse.

24. Any new loves in 2010?
I fell in love with my not-so-little boy's passion for games, with my girl's bedtime notes, with our new car, with the color gray, and with pretzel M&M's.

25. With whom were your most valuable relationships?
My little family. Wherever we are together, that is home.

26. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Some dislikes were strongly reinforced.

27. What did you really want in 2010 and get?
a Toyota Sequoia

28. What did you really want in 2010 and not get?
a job in STL or Portland

29. What was the most enjoyable area of managing your home?
Having a clean slate, decorating a new home.

30. What was your most challenging area of home management?
Having a clean slate, decorating a new home.

31. What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year?
So. Many. House. Showings.

32. What was the best way you used your time this past year?
Making all of our Christmas gifts.

33. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
adding to our family

34. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
Same old. I feel like there were actually lots and lots of days of not really getting dressed once we moved and I spent so much time painting and unpacking.

35. What kept you sane?
Facebook; keeping in touch with friends, hearing encouragement when I needed it, seeing old familiar faces, watching kids grow across the miles and miscellaneous statuses that made me smile. The internet is a marvelous thing.

36. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Jimmy Fallon. He kept me company many a late nights alone this past year and I have to admit I've developed a little crush. He always makes me laugh outloud.

37. What political issue stirred you the most?
Nada. I was probably a little self absorbed this year.

38. Who did you really miss?
>Sarah. I miss the amazing, albeit mostly fantasized, friendship we could have had if we had met earlier or not moved away from each other. We have crazy tons in common and seem awfully soul-mate like. Makes me sad we can't be everyday real life hang out and have drinks friends.
>Kasey. I really missed seeing her and her family this year... I felt like we were able to hang out a good amount considering we lived 90 miles apart but 2010 seemed to make them a ton busier and less flexible and our Laughlin time was greatly diminished. And then we went and moved 400 miles away...
>Caleb. Got to love on him every day for almost a year and now haven't seen him in almost 6 months and I'm sure he's like a whole 'nother kid at that age. 18 months old... crazy!

39. Who was the best new person you met?
The Daniels family. It's been absolutely invaluable having one family to go through the whole process this year with... relocating from St Louis, house hunting, getting settled here, having at least someone we know here. They've been a godsend.

40. A valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.
I got dished quite a few life lessons this year... don't even know where to start.

41. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Ryan played hooky from work and we had the day to ourselves, no kids. We went out for donuts and ran errands and did some Christmas shopping and after we picked the kids up from school we had dinner at Red Robin. I turned 35.

42. How did you spend Christmas?
Here at home, with my parents, in our jammies all day

43. How did you ring in the New Year?
We had dinner with the Daniels and played games before heading home by 10. The kids went to bed and Ryan and I stayed up, prepping some dishes for our New Years Dinner the next day. At midnight we were making fortune cookies (with resolutions instead of fortunes!) and watching the ball drop on tv.

44. What was the best book you read?
Is it odd that the book question has the same answer as last year? Well, it's a fabulous book and I can't get enough of it... Hold On To Your Kids by Dr. Gordon Neufeld. Amazing.

45. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Savannah enjoying piano lessons :)

46. What was your favorite TV program this year?
Big Love, How I Met Your Mother, Modern Family,

47. What were the best movies you saw this year?
I really liked The Book of Eli and Temple Grandin

48. What song will always remind you of 2010?
uh......

49. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Today is not a good day
Stranded in the heartache
Watching all the world race
And pass me by

Like a wave on the ocean
Comes a flood of emotion
And it can’t go unspoken
No it can’t go unspoken one more time

We fall apart just to come alive
A broken heart can renew all our lives
A brand new start and a goodbye
We fall apart just to come alive

Yeah but this is still a good life
Standing in the sunlight
Scattering the long line
Of fear and pain

Cause underneath the surface
There’s Your heart and Your purpose
And I swear that it’s worth it
Yeah I swear that it’s worth it, it’s not in vain

You save me, You save me
I’m alive, I’m alive
Cause You save me

and one that landed right on my heart and stuck with me every time I heard it on the radio...

I am not skilled to understand
What God has willed, what God has planned
I only know at His right hand
Stands one who is my Savior

Such a reminder that that's all I need to know.

50. Pick three words that describe 2010 for you:
Long
Lonely
New