What a year!

It's hard for me to believe that not only has another year wrapped up, but another DECADE! This past decade saw many exciting things:

-graduating college

-starting my first teaching job

-building and moving into my first home

-adopting my first rescue dog (Harley)

-meeting the man of my dreams at a book store

-getting engaged in a hot-air balloon

-getting married, selling a house, buying a house, moving to a new state, celebrating Mat's

graduation from medical school, finishing my masters - all within 2 weeks

-adopting our second rescue dog (Dirvey)

-becoming avid KU fans

-running 2 marathons and 3 half-marathons

-expanding our family

This past year has been especially fun:

Rang in 2009 in Vail with some dear friends.

Trained for the Big Sur marathon in the dead of winter.

Traveled to Denver for spring break.

Headed to California with some good friends to run Big Sur.

Coached my elementary running team,

Enjoyed a girls' weekend in OK.

Celebrated with several friends as they added to their family.

Mat started his cardiology fellowship

Found out our little family was growing.

Enjoyed season season football and basketball tickets at KU.

Celebrated Christmas with our whole family in Denver.

What a year! God has blessed us in so many ways. We are incredibly grateful for blessings both big and small. We look forward to not only this new year, but this new decade to see what God has in store for us.

Looking toward this new year, I've made several resolutions: not let the laundry sit in the

basket for days (weeks), keep my house cleaner, not text when I drive (I know! I know! - its my multi-tasking side!) eat healthier, run a half marathon this fall, enjoy a weekly date night with Mat.... I could go on and on. I love setting goals. I've found that being a goal oriented person means that I am not always focused on the present and enjoying it for what it is. So overall this

year - I want to be present. I want to be in each moment of the day that God gives me. I don't want to live in the future - waiting for the next big thing. As I look back at all the blessings of last year - I realize I was constantly saying, "after the marathon...., after school lets out...., after Mat starts fellowship...., after we get pregnant...." This year I want to be in the moments for what they are - good or bad. I want to be present in conversations with friends and family. I want to take time to enjoy the small things in life: a lazy afternoon, a coffee date with a friend,

my kids at school, watching a basketball game with Mat. I want to be THERE this year.

Here's to 2010 and a great new year and the start of a fantastic new decade!!

Ringing in 2010 with our good friends, the Santas and the Kellers

Including #10 in our celebration

Drew teaching Mat about how to take care of babies.

Here's to 2010 and a great new year and the start of a fantastic new decade!!