Ten Things That Happened in 2010

**1/4/11... I can't believe I forgot to mention the kids' baptism in this list!  So I'm cheating and adding it here in this note.  :) **

Here are ten big things that happened in 2010.  Some are more exciting than others... but here we go! :)


1.  In January, my son turned 21.  Sniff sniff.  (And in ten days, he will turn 22!)


2.  On January 24, K&G's dad drank his last two beers... and has not had a drink since.  So on the 24th of this month, he will be alcohol-free for a year!!  This has made a huge difference in so many ways.  We are so thankful and so proud of him!


3. January was a big month. By January, the decision had already been made for me to quit my job in May in order to stay home and homeschool the kids. By the end of January, though, we had reached a breaking point, and pulled the kids out of school.  The following week we began a cooperative homeschool effort with our pastor and his wife. Their willingness to keep the kids during the day for us saved us from four more months of stress and unhappiness.  This was a big turning point in our lives, and I am so thankful for the way that God worked it all out for us!


4.  In March, I gave my official two month notice to my boss.  This was such an exciting time for me, but also a somewhat sad time, because of my attachment to my boss.  He hired me as an 18 year old (in a different job) and took me with him as he moved on to manage a brand new department.  I left for a better paying job at one point, and he worked for a long time to be able to create a position in his department so that he could bring me back.  It worked!  So we worked together off and on... mostly on... for 21 years.  We have the same sense of humor, and that resulted in 21 years of a fun work friendship.  


5.  In May, I quit my job and came home full time!  Words cannot even describe how excited I still am about this, 7-1/2 months later! 


6.  In July, I started homeschooling K&G.  Oh, and I turned 39...and holding!! Rik and I also celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary. 


7. August marked the one year anniversary since K and I stopped wearing pants.  This reminds me that I meant to write a blog post called "One Year in Skirts"... but that must have been filed away in my senility file.  Surprisingly, we made it a year without anyone ever commenting or asking about the change in our wardrobe... but soon after that one-year mark, the family comments started coming!


8.  In October, the kids and I went to Texas to visit my sister and her family!  This was the first time that G had ever been on an airplane, and the first time K could remember being on one.  It was also the first time that they were able to meet my sister and her family, and a great time was had by all!  xoxoxo 


9.  November came and brought with it an ongoing medical issue for my sister-in-law. We had all stopped speaking to each other about two months prior, due to some family "drama" that our household was no longer willing to participate in.  In early November, she was hospitalized for ten days, and then later in the month she was back in the hospital for about two weeks.  After losing a half of a lung, she is back home and probably on oxygen for the rest of her life.  Her being in a near-death situation has caused her to reflect on her life more, and at this point, we are now enjoying a less stressful relationship with her.  Please pray for her health and her salvation!


10.  I am happy to announce that as of December 31st (yesterday afternoon) K&G completed their 2010 Bible reading plan.  Before you congratulate them too much, I should mention that I know neither of them truly read every word of the Bible.  I know that some portions were skipped in an attempt to get through their daily reading more quickly. :( However, they definitely read more of the Bible than they ever have in their lives, and I would guesstimate that they DID read at least 90% of the Bible.


2010 was a life changing year for me... and I hope that in 2011 and all the years to come, I will never forget to be thankful for all that God has done in my life this year.  I never want to forget how much God blessed me this past year by allowing me to stay home full time!