Obligatory End of Year/Decade Post

So every year I blog somewhere about how my year had gone and what I was hoping for next year. Since this is also the end of a decade, it only seems right that I go back little further and check out how far I've come.

2000 - I rang in the new year with my ex in Jacksonville, FL with friends. He was drunk (as usual). In late February we moved back to Wichita. We rented a house in S Wichita. I started working for KETCH with a big pay cut. I spent a lot of time with family getting caught up and meeting all the new babies in my life.

2001 - I started back to school at Butler. I kept working for KETCH. I started doing crafty stuff. My best friend moved a couple of miles away and we spent a lot of time hanging out.

2002 - Still in school, still working for KETCH. Life wasn't eventful other than the regular drinking parties that my ex threw at our house every weekend. We also bought that rental house (BIG MISTAKE!)

2003 - Still in school, still working for KETCH. Did a craft show, did some writing. Spent a lot of time with family and friends. Lost a lot of family and friends. Was a very sad year.

2004 - Graduated from Butler with AA. Started WSU. Still working for KETCH and hating it. Still married to the ex and hating it even more. Best friend gave birth to baby Tierra who had me at hello.

2005 - Divorced the ex, gave him the house (BIG MISTAKE). Moved in with my parents. Was completely and utterly depressed for a year straight. Left KETCH to start working for KOCH. Was excited about my new job. Struggled with school the entire year due to depression. Moved into my own place, started dating.

2006 - Working hard at school and work. Spending time with family and friends, focusing on me, me, me. And dating losers for the most part. I guess I did have a couple boyfriends in there.

2007 - Cousin Kari moved in and lighted my life. Promoted at work. Still going to school. Started dancing and going out all the time. Lots of shenanigans. Turned 30. Met a nice guy but it didn't work out. 2007 was a pretty good year.

2008 - Cousin Kari moved away. Kept working hard at work. Still going to school. Met new friends. Partied a little too hard. Met Josh. Slowed down. Fell in love with Josh. Met Tori and Penny. Fell in love with Tori and Penny. Started understanding that things DO happen for a reason.

January 2009 - Rang in the new year with Josh and some friends at a dance club. Started a new job. Prepared for my last year at WSU. Celebrated Tori's 4th birthday at ChuckECheese -- never again!

Febuary 2009 - Suprised Josh big time for Valentine's day. Spent tons of time doing family stuff.

March 2009 - Delivered first major project at work early and under budget.

April 2009 - Weekend getaway to KC courtesy of Josh ( I seriously needed it). Started a new project at work.

May 2009 - Turned 32. Saw Fleetwood Mac in concert for my birthday and spent the weekend in KC. Went to see my cousin get married in Hillsboro. My sister gets engaged.

June 2009 - Josh and the girls move in. It was a rocky start but we got it figured out. Summer classes. Celebrated our 1 year anniversary.

July 2009 - Put Josh's house on the market, thinking we are going to get married.

August 2009 - Went on vacation with Josh to Jacksonville, FL and Savannah, GA. It was such a great trip. Started final semester at WSU. Celebrated Penny's 2nd birthday.

September 2009 - Freaked out about final French class at WSU, this was harder than I thought it was going to be. Went to visit Janet and Jason in New Mexico (fun!). Josh's house gets burglarized (not so fun).

October 2009 - Josh proposes! The girls are Hannah Montana and Strawberry Shortcake for Halloween. I still struggle with school. Dude from the UK comes to Wichita and asks me about working for his team...what?

November 2009 - Find location for wedding and set a date. Spend Thanksgiving in Colorado with Josh's family, I finally got to meet them! Really start freaking out about school, am I going to graduate or what? Get a call at work requesting I apply for a new job listing. Interview for that UK dude's team and wait nervously to see if I got it.

December 2009 - Wait, and wait, and wait. Finally, I get a call about the job. And I got it! Pass french by the skin of my teeth and I graduate! Look forward to new job, no school, wedding planning, and spending time with my new family in 2010.

It's crazy how things change. But I've learned a lot along the way. Last year my resolutions were to 1) graduate and 2) get engaged (which seems silly but these things take some work).
I accomplished both and managed to score a new position at the same time. I am very lucky but I worked my behind off. So my resolutions for this year are:

1) get healthy -- cause I let a lot go to get everything accomplished this year
2) spend time focusing on my new family and making time for friends and family
3) GET MARRIED!

Christmas Recap

Obviously I've had to work these last few days following Christmas so I haven't had a chance to recap our holidays until now. I've also had major congestion which has left me only wanting to curl up with movies and read magazines the last week.

Christmas was very nice this year and felt a bit neverending because we had 4 Christmases in which the girls opened gifts. On the evening of the 23, Josh's stepmom, brother, and sister (& her boyfriend) came over. We had Popeye's chicken, opened gifts and chatted the evening away. I haven't gotten to hang out with them much and in this kind of setting at all so it was really nice to get to know them more. Tori and Penny cleaned up as usual. Highlights were homemade blankets by Grammy Tami and a karaoke machine. Josh and I got a DVD player for our bedroom which has come in handy with me feeling down the last few days. We've watched Julie & Julia, Paper Heart and Paranormal Activity on it so far. We also rented Sunshine Cleaning. All of the movies good but I especially liked Sunshine Cleaning & Paper Heart.

On Christmas Eve, Wichita got hit with a snow storm, which made for an especially festive day. We headed over to Mary & Tony's (Tori & Penny's aunt and uncle) and opened gifts with them. The girls loved their Zhu Zhu pets and Playschool doll house. Josh and I got a bag of goodies which were super yummy. Next we headed over to my mom and dad's house. I had to take a separate load of gifts earlier that morning because we couldn't fit everything in the car! My sister and her fiancee, Jason, (and the two dogs) drove in through the snow storm from New Mexico so I was anxious to see them. We spent the afternoon doing some baking, watching tv, chatting, etc. Soon it was time to talk about dinner. We had made plans to go to Sal's for dinner but the weather was so bad we didn't want to get out. So Janet and Jason made homemade spaghetti for all of us. It was pretty good and the girls ate a ton of it. We also opened gifts with my family which was really just watching the girls open all their gifts. They really did score pretty big with a Splatster, Hannah Montana makeup head, Berry Cafe, Play Doh desk, pajamas, books, Ugly Dolls, etc. Josh got lots of games for this Wii and Xbox. I got a purse that I wanted pretty bad, pajamas, goodies from Harry & David, the Pioneer Woman's cookbook, crafty stuff, and lots of other stuff. Josh, the girls and I then headed home so Santa would know where we were when he came to deliver gifts. Josh and I stayed up late putting together a Vanity for the girls and getting all the stockings put together.

Christmas Day morning the girls were up earlier than usual and Josh, of course, was waiting for all of us to wake up. When we did, they ran downstairs to find their loot. The Vanity went over big. They immediately started doing their hair and each other's hair. Next came stockings and they ripped those apart pretty quickly. Lastly they opened their wrapped gifts which included Nintendo DS & Cyberpocket, games for the systems, movies, Baby Alive's and watches. They were very excited and got everything they wanted (I think!) We did go overboard this year but I reminded Josh that they lost a lot of their stuff do to the burglary back in September and it's not every year that we can deliver such a good Christmas to them. (And I have a really hard time stopping the Christmas shopping for them...sigh). We had to drop the girls off with their mom at 12 and afterwards we headed back to my parent's house for the extended family Christmas. It was a smaller crowd this year and the food was proof. To be honest, I can't wait till I have a house and can host Christmas myself. After dinner and presents we played Pictionary Man and a game called Psychologist. Both were fun and full of laughs. Next my cousins all came over to hangout, play Rockband and Super Mario Brother's for the Wii. We all had a nice time but I wish I would have felt better.

On Sunday my family suprised me with a graduation celebration at Red Lobster. I really wasn't expecting anything for graduation, since I wasn't walking, but it was nice. I had this drink that was like a strawberry dipped pina colada, sooooo good. I love it. I also love that it seems that most major events in my life are celebrated at Red Lobster, lol. I did get some cash and a gift card to Beau Monde for some pampering, which I really can't wait to do.

So that's it, the Christmas tree is still standing, the house has been a wreck for a month, and I don't know the last time I've cooked a meal at home (or Josh) but that's what the holidays are all about, right?

Just thought I would mention...

That I passed French and I am done with my English Degree!!!!!

Cozy Christmas in the making

The Christmas season has finally arrived at my house and I'm looking forward to the coziness of having a family of my own at Christmas. This will be the second Christmas that I spend with Josh and the girls. Last year was one of my best Christmas's ever and at the time, I couldn't imagine a better Christmas. Amazingly, I think this year could top it. Last year at this time, I was worried that I would be without a job and penniless. Shortly before Christmas, I found out that I my job went through and that was moving into a Business System's Analyst position. I was so stoked... all my hard work was going to pay off and I was going to actually be doing something that I loved. My sister and her boyfriend and his daughters drove in from NM and my parents had a house full. The 4 little girls made Christmas extra special and I felt so at peace. As I entered into 2009, I knew this year was going to be difficult. I knew that I could face possible cut backs at work (again), my last year of college, and potential changes to my day to day life. As Christmas arrives again, I can look back on the year and see all that I've accomplished and feel proud. 2009 has been a hard year for me -- but it's also been a great year for me. Josh (& girls) and I moved in together in June. In October, we got engaged. In November I met my future in-laws for Thanksgiving. This month, I received a job offer that will not only give me the opportunity to move away from my high-stress job (which I am thankful for but seriously ready to leave) and regain a personal life. I'm going to become a Global SAP Security Lead that will move me up the ladder, allow for SAP certification, and place me in more of a director role with decision rights. Next week, I take my last final and if all things go as planned, I will be done with my undergraduate degree. I will be the proud owner of BA in English. If things don't go as planned... I'm going to be proud of what I have accomplished and try again.