A Decade in Review

A tweet from Annabelle got me thinking about the New Year. Instead of recapping 2009, she looked back at the past decade, which got me to do the same. It has been a remarkable 10 years, full of major highs and lows. Here are the highlights in no particular order (for both good and bad):

• Graduated college, started college, graduated college, started college
• Moved 1 billion times up and down the west coast
• Visited 15 states: Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii, Utah, Arizona, Montana, Missouri, Colorado, Illinois, Texas, Minnesota, Maryland, and New York
• Traveled through 12 different countries: Canada, England, France (2x), Switzerland, Austria, Germany (2x), Italy (2x), Greece, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Spain, and Jamaica
• Saw the Pope on Easter
• Skied the Alps
• Maintained childhood friendships, rekindled ones of old, and created new lifelong ones
• Witnessed vows of love, and new baby blessings
• Ran countless miles, including two 1/2 marathons, 1 full marathon, and a triathlon
• Sent my grandfather Abel out to sea
• Said goodbye to the tough Norwegian bird that was my great-grandmother Olga
• Got to know my sister and brother
• Said a tearful, heart-wrenching farewell to the greatest person I have ever known: my grandfather Lyle
• Met and married the love of my life
• Laughed, loved, cried, danced, sang, played, praised, hugged, mourned, fished, swam, skied, biked, snorkeled, celebrated, cheered, indulged, humbled, and always was, and am, eternally grateful for every day on this earth
• Along with countless other things I am sure to recall later on.

I have never been a big resolution maker, but last New Year's eve, I made a new year's goal to run a marathon, which I made happen. I feel that goals are easier to strive to, so for the next decade my list of goals is great--none too overwhelming, and hopefully all accomplishable. I hope they are celebrated with you all.

Happy New Year!

Taking a break from finals

Yesterday I took a momentary break from finals, to go with Ben and get our Christmas tree. We ended up getting it from the same place as last year, but there was one big difference...oh about a mile. Last year, we hiked uphill to right about where we live now, and carried our tree home...1 mile. This doesn't sound like a long way...but with a Christmas tree, the mile is amplified.

Anyways, after our 2 block walk to the tree lot yesterday, we settled on what we thought was a Charlie Brown size noble fir. It was so small that Ben could carry it by himself. But once we got home we realized it was a lot bigger than it looked outside, and is absolutely perfect for our little place. Due to the unfortunatel incident that happened during the move, we only have 3 ornaments, but we've made do. There is also our dried red pepper making an appearance on the tree...and one of my new favorite ornaments (see below):

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree...

Ozzie, one of our new ornaments from Crate & Barrel

A perfect place for a NY marathon finisher's medal.

Happy Holidays!!