2010 Wrap Up

It's been a whirlwind week of family, and friends, and presents, and cookies, and now we're settled back home, the bags are unpacked, the presents put away (or strewn across the playroom floor), and we're preparing for 2011.

Here's a month-by-month look back at 2010:

January
We started a new arrangement where I went back to "work" (internship) 2 days a week, and Kevin worked from home. It was the beginning of the end for my graduate degree. (How can I not have an archived post about this?!?)

February
SNOW! And more snow and more snow and more snow. And inside the house? We were busy practicing standing on our own two feet.

March
Standing quickly turned to walking. Meanwhile, our heads were spinning as we tried to wrap up one phase of our lives (both adults in graduate school), and figure out where we were headed next.

April
Celebrate! Mia had her first birthday, I had my 28th, we celebrated Easter, and I turned in my final portfolio. Phew!

May
We bought a house. After a crazy 9 months of trying to decide whether to stay in the area, whether Kevin was going to go to law school or join the corporate world, whether I was going to go back to work...buying this house (our first!) was not only exciting in the sense that we owned our own home, but also that all the worry and prayer and sleepless nights had been worth it.

June
Kevin had his last day of work for the Navy. The moment was bittersweet. It had provided us both with many opportunities over the last 6 years, but we were also looking forward to the change.

July
We officially moved in to our new house the first week in July. Kevin and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary. We took our first real family vacation. Very little of this is documented on ye ol' blog because mostly? We were digging out of boxes.

August
August began with a wedding that reminded me how much I love being me with my girlfriends. And Mia? She was learning and thriving and keeping us on our toes!

September
September brought fall weather and playdates with friends, but what stands out most is Mia's first real injury. *Sigh* I have no doubt that there will be more to come.

October
We flew cross-country for Kevin's brother's wedding. Nothing else happened that month because we were recovering from spending 5 1/2 hours each way on a plane with an 18 month old. Okay, kidding (sort of). We did do other things. We went to the pumpkin patch. And we passed out Halloween candy with our little Cindy Lou Who. But mostly, October was a month of sniffles, sneezes, and general crankiness and I was glad to see November arrive.

November
The month always kicks of with Kevin's birthday on the 1st. I started doing some writing on the side. We hosted Thanksgiving for both sides of the family at our house for the first time (which apparently, I never really blogged about either. Shame on me. But we did. I promise).

December
We had an impromptu party that turned into one of the best events we've ever hosted (at least in my opinion). I celebrated a weight loss victory (and then gained some of it back over the holidays, but I'm okay with that). And we celebrated Christmas in Pennyslvania with my side of the family.

And so here we are, another New Year's Eve. ALOT has changed since 2009. Even more since 2008. (For a real trip down memory lane, check out posts from 2007 and 2006 on the old blog!)

This year, we're keeping it quiet. Kevin has off tomorrow, which means I get the chance for a little alone time, and a trip to the mall to shop with a gift card at a favorite store. Mia will have her normal bedtime tomorrow night, and then we're planning to cuddle up with a variety of finger foods and movies and wait out the midnight hour, after which we will promptly go to sleep, because not only will Mia have a normal bedtime, she'll have a normal waking time, too. And lately? That time has been before 7:00am.

But lest you think that sounds like whining, it's really not. It's definitely not the fancy restaurants or funky drinks of past New Year's celebrations, but I'm really looking forward to this one at home with my little family. And I'm facing 2011 with more peace and optimism than I've had in a long time.

So what about you? What are your plans? Are they fancy and romantic? Cozy and homey? Whatever they are, best wishes for a happy, healthy, 2011- from our family to yours.