My 5 Favorite Things about 2010

I'm a big fan of a blog/page called Operation NICE and this week's NICE Assignment (as seen here) is to list 5 of your favorite things from the past year.  I'm always looking for fun and creative ways to memorialize the year gone by, so I jumped at the chance.  But to pick only 5?!?!  Yikes!  That'll be the real challenge.  So here goes:

1.  My Trip to NYC to visit Tiffany in March.  To me, this trip stood for a whole heck of a lot more than just visiting one of my best friends on this planet.  To me, it was a challenge, a goal, and a success!!  I had serious anxiety over making that 6-hour drive, alone, in winter, with two boys under the age of 4.  I still remember seeing the City skyline come over the horizon and crying instantaneously.  A feeling of pride, accomplishment, and power surged over me when I realized I had done it.  And done it well!  We had a fabulous stay with Tiffany and Brielle that (blessed!) weekend!  The weather was horrible but the company was warm and inviting and the memories were priceless!!!

2.  My trip to Arizona with my sister to see my cousin get married in April.
Another trip of a lifetime was the plane ride I took with my sister to Arizona for my cousin, Todd's wedding.  We were both fortunate enough to leave our children home with our husbands to make the cross country trip as solo sisters.  What fun we had!  For 5 days, we shared a room, hung out with our cousin, Billy and his daughter, Clara, went shopping, took the hotel shuttle into town to sight see and bonded with family.  It was good to have that undistracted time away with my sister to reconnect.

3.  Moving to the new house.  While there was much stress and anxiety over making this move, I am so glad we did it!  We found a great house on 5 acres of beautiful land, in an area that has a great school for the boys, family nearby, and great neighbors!  I miss our old house and hold tight to the memories we made in the 6 years we lived there, but love where we are now.  It feels like home and is comfortable to just be here.

4.  My nephew, Ian, joining our family.  For a long time we thought my brother, Noah, would never agree to having children.  He was holding out for all the stars to align and finally, while on my trip to NYC, I got a call from him to announce they were having a baby!!!  I was so excited!  A few months later, we learned that they would be bringing a BOY into the ranks to grow up with my two and I was even more excited!  Then, when we found a house (literally) 42 seconds up the street from my brother and sister-in-law and moved in the month before my nephew was due, I was elated!  Now that Ian is here it feels like he's always been here and I don't know what we'd have done without him.  Wendy is the mother I always wish I had the time and patience to be so I knew she'd have this role down pat.  I can't wait for my boys to grow up with their cousin just up the street.  

5.  TIE - F-H-M Fire Department visit (and the outpouring of love from the whole FD Community) and Taking a Photoshop with my dear friend, Heidi.  I couldn't decide which was more profound in 2010 so I picked both for the individual, yet equally important meanings they held.

As for the Photoshop class, I chose it not so much for the class itself, I mean, yeah it was great stuff to learn and rounded out a whole slew of positive steps forward that I took in my photography in 2010, but i was thinking of it as my favorite more for the fantastic chain of events taking that class set off.  During this class, Heidi's husband, Joey, managed to single-handedly save my butt from the potential disaster of computer failure or data loss.  Not only did he volunteer to take all the kids (5 of them total!) while Heidi and I attended class 3 hours a week for 6 weeks, but while these weekly gatherings were taking place, Joey overhauled my entire computer and storage system and set me up with a permanent and secure copy of all my digital files - in one place!  Now it backs up automatically and is safe from all sorts of potential dangers!  The relief that brings me is indescribable!  I can't thank the Ciravola Family enough for all they have done for me, my boys, and my mental well being in 2010!

Regarding the fire department love Nathaniel received this year, you can read about it all here, but in summary, the single actions and grand gestures these firemen and women expressed the last few months has given me a whole new respect for people in their line of service and restored my faith in society as a whole.  It's truly remarkable and Nathaniel nor I will ever forget it!

Of course there were other moments in 2010 I'd like not to forget.  We did some boating, camped with friends, spent a lot of time up North at Mom and Dad's new camp, attended a Stanton family reunion, went to State and County Fairs, spent a lot of time with friends, and I was proud to be asked to take photos for a few separate events through work and for friends.  2010 was very good for us.  As we settle into our new home and new routines, I look forward to ringing in 2011 with some of the best people I know and starting off the new year with a fresh spirit, renewed energy, and recharged motivations!  Stay tuned for some of my goals, aspirations, and plans for the coming year!  Happy new year!

Simple Woman's Daybook...September 21, 2010

FOR TODAY...September 21, 2010

Outside my window...it's dark and the wind has picked up considerably.  It's still very warm out even with the breeze and the fact that it's 11:49 PM.

I am thinking...about work tomorrow.  I hate to bring work home, but I have two grants due in the next week that kind of got "restarted" for me today.  Now I feel a little bit like I have to start over on both of them, but if I get to work tomorrow and hunker down, I think I can hammer them both out again before the week is out (if not tomorrow!)  

I am thankful for...a healthy new nephew!  My brother and sister-in-law had their baby this morning and he is BEAUTIFUL!  Welcome, Ian Joseph (6lbs, 4oz. 19 1/4 inches, born @ 6:02AM on 9/21/10)!!!  I'm so glad to have you in our family and super excited for my boys to grow up with their cousin so close by!

From the kitchen...I am trying desperately to stick to my Weight Watchers.  I seem to do smashingly all day long, keeping my points to a minimum, only to blow it when I'm home and faced with a kitchen full of food.  I've kept better options on hand this week though so that helps.  But I'm still weak.  

I am wearing...my "pjs", which consist of comfy capris and a t-shirt.  

I am remembering...my Grandpa Earl.  His birthday was today (so fitting for Ian to be born today, seeing as he is the next line of Yousey men!).  He would have been 103.  He was a great man, with great stories to tell, and wisdom to share.  I only wish I had sat more, listened more intently, and soaked him up more before he died.  I was (not quite) 16 when he died so I was right in the middle of that "me, me, me" stage and missed out on a great gift.  My father still quotes him to this day.  Some day I'll have to do a post of my grandfather's "Earl-isms" - he was a a great man!  

I am creating...a list of things to buy/do before Alex's birthday party this weekend.  We usually have just a few select people over for cake/ice cream due to space constraints, but with a large yard, bigger house, and a forecasted nice weekend, we've extended an invite to both sides of the family and stand to have a lot of people here.  I have A LOT to do before Saturday!  This house is so far from settled!

I am going...to my second Photoshop class with Heidi tomorrow.  I'm excited to get into the nitty gritty tomorrow.  We're bringing our cameras and will be setting some manual settings and taking some basic images to start working with in Photoshop.  I still haven't figured out what/how I'm going to use Photoshop at home.  I'll have to see what I learn and decide if I want to invest the big bucks or stick to a free-share version for now.  

I am hoping...to get the boys bedtime routine back on schedule.  We got rid of Alex's pacifier (cold turkey) three weeks ago and it went relatively smoothly...at first.  Now and for the past week or so, he's been unbearable at nap/bedtime.  He simply won't go to bed/stay in bed unless you lay with him or he wants to sit with me in the dark living room until he or I (or both) fall asleep.  It's been a ridiculous battle.  And the madder I get about the situation, the cuter he is and the more heartbroken he seems.  It's killing me!  It wipes me out and has eaten up many an otherwise useful evening.

I am hearing...the clock on my wall just struck midnight.  I really wanted to get this up before Tuesday was officially over, but the wee hours of Wednesday will have to do.

Around the house...ugh.  So much to do, so many things to clean and settle before Alex's birthday party on Saturday.  Yet here I am, at midnight, trying to get this post up.  Settling the boys down for bed each night has proven to kill my productivity.  I usually am so relaxed, comfy, etc, that I'm useless and fall asleep SO early lately!  It's awful!

On my mind...so much more than I can share here.  I hope to be able to spew some of my random thoughts into blog posts this week.  Specifically, I can't believe my oldest started pre-k (like he's been doing this his whole life!) and my "baby" turns two in a few days.  *sniff*  Where does the time go?!?!  He's such an adorable little man with a personality twice as big as his tiny frame.

Noticing that...my house is so quiet I can hear my cable box humming.  I love silence.  It's golden.  My brain functions better in silence.  I can think, I'm less distracted, life just feels less chaotic.  *sigh*

One of my favorite things...babies.  There's something so new and promising about babies.  They're fresh and untouched.  They come into this world knowing only what we teach them and there's so much possibility there.  Their innocence, unconditional view on the world, and endless capacity to love, learn, and grow is amazing.

A few plans for the rest of the week:  Photoshop class with Heidi, dinner with her amazing family, birthday for my youngest stepson who's turning 20 on Friday (!), birthday shindig for Alex (who turns 2!  next week!), sleepover with my sister (so excited!!!), snuggling my newborn nephew some more!

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

My big brother's a daddy!  And the role seems to fit him like a glove!  

Welcome, Ian Joseph!  We love you so much already!!  

(Sorry for the quality of these photos, I didn't have my camera with me when I got "the call" so I had to resort to my cell phone!)