Thoughts on New Year's Eve

I know I haven't posted anything about our Christmas yet, but I haven't gotten around to uploading my pictures, so this post is a bit out of order. However, I'm sitting here at 10:20 on New Year's Eve (lame, I know...there are hundreds of more exciting ways to be spending time right now and I'm parked in front of the computer in my PJs waiting a few more minutes to give my turkey more time to thaw downstairs b/c we are having our official Christmas dinner with my parents tomorrow since they weren't able to be here on the actual Christmas day...I digress) thinking about the year, and the decade.

10 years ago at this moment I was having a GREAT time at my dear friend Penny's wedding (shout out to Penny and Chris if you are reading this - Happy Anniversary!!) dancing and having a blast with all of my friends and Ben, whom I had been dating for about 2.5 years. To quickly recap the decade, Ben and I graduated from Truman in May of 2000 and did the long distance thing for 2 years - him in Columbia, MO at law school, me in Kansas City working for Cerner. My sister married Jarrett on January 13, 2001. My Grandpa Henry passed away. Ben and I came really close to calling it quits at one point in those two years apart, but we made one of the best decisions of our lives and decided we wanted to stay together. Not too long after that Ben proposed in a park on a beautiful sunny day while visiting in KC. September 11th happened. My dear Grandma Helen passed away a month or so later. Ben and I were married on August 10th, 2002. I moved to Columbia and worked from home while Ben completed his law degree. We got our dog Simon 3 days after returning from our honeymoon in Kauai, Hawaii (paradise on Earth). Our family dog Gunther passed away. Ben and I bought our first house here in Edwardsville and moved in in June of 2003. Allie and I ran a half marathon. We decided to begin training for a marathon. Allie surprised me one morning when we met for a run and told me she was pregnant! So much for the marathon...Welcome beautiful Kaila Grace Marshall on March 30, 2005. A few weeks later Heaven got a little brighter when my Grandma Flo walked through the gates. She lived with us for the vast majority of my life and I miss her dearly. Sometimes I feel her spirit with me when I attempt to bake some cookies or make a pot of her soup. A few months later I get my first glimpse of Owen when a digital pregnancy test displays the word "Pregnant". Owen Carter is born March 26, 2006 and life as I know it is changed forever, but in the best way possible. We take a trip to the mountains. We take a trip to the beach. December 12, 2007 my sister's "tiny miracle" Mia Caroline is born. May 2008 Ben and I send up a little angel that God had plans of His own for. That summer Owen breaks his arm and I pretty much lose my mind for a while. The cast comes off in time for our trip to Wisconsin. That brings us to 2009...

A year ago at this time I was 13 weeks pregnant and very unsure about the pregnancy thanks to something known as a "subchorionic hemmorhage." Although the year started off rocky, it turned out to be wonderful. In May, my sister and her family moved 7 minutes away. I love it that my kids are going to grow up with their cousins. I love it that we have dinner together 1-2 times a week! On June 7th, Sydney Elizabeth joined the family and has been nothing but a blessing. In October we got to go to the beach again and spend some great time with Ben's parents and grandparents.

It's been a good year. It's been a good decade. While it's had it's share of struggles, sadness, and loss, it has been filled mostly with happiness, family and hope. I couldn't have asked for life to take me to any better place than where I'm at right now.

Time to go put the turkey in the fridge and go to bed. Welcome 2010 and the next decade! Happy New Year to you all, if anyone made it this far!