As 2009 comes to a close...

2009 was such an up and down year. It was the year that I trained really hard for something and actually completed it. It was also the year I gained back most of what I had lost. It was a year of strengthening friendships, testing bonds, and letting some things go that just don't matter.

A big portion of the first of this year was wrapped up in health issues for D. He had his surgery, then the hell of the months with the sponge up in his sinuses. Countless doctor visits and another surgery for tubes and to clean all that out, as well as lots of worry over if his hearing would be permanently affected, were to follow. I am happy to say that the second half of 2009 has been great for him for that. Aside from minor allergies still, he's been healthy enough (aside from a bout of bronchitis we both had).

Then, my little man started kindergarten. He looked so grown up and I was so nervous for him. I'm very fortunate that so far they seem to be handling him wonderfully. They've made modifications in the classroom to help him out, and he's not just being set aside. I'm very grateful for that. You can tell he's learning so much, new letters ALL the time. And lately he's been spelling things constantly. He might actually read before middle school! lol

It was also a big birthday year. I turned the Dirty 30 this year and enjoyed an amazing trip with one of my best friends to New Orleans, with no D! I will never forget that trip.

I learned a lot about myself this year, and have grown immensely. We started training in May for the half marathon. Training for that, which I completed in September, was rigorous. We had lots of early morning weekend walks (that I want to get back into). I found out that I could definitely do that once I put my mind to it. It was one of the biggest mental challenges I'd ever faced. Sure, a lot of it WAS a physical challenge. But at mile 9ish when my feet were killing me, and I didn't think I could go a bit further, somehow I managed to stand up and keep going. I want to feel that again, I want to experience that again. But more on that in my 2010 post. I think finishing the half was very anticlimactic for me afterward and I lost a lot of my vision for it. Because I had such awful shoe/foot problems that I had not been having before, it was a bit of a letdown. And I let that kill my determination. But no longer. I'm bringing that back!

So here I am, half way through my 30th year on this earth. Someone on DAM asked us to rate 2009 on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best. I put 4 at the time I answered. And after thinkin about it, I stand by that. 2009 has definitely had plenty of crap happen, lots of stuff that I'd rather never see again, but...we do have a roof over our head, food in our tummies, and I have one sweet kiddo who drives me nuts half the time, but whom I wouldn't trade for the world. I am blessed.

This will be my last post of 2009, so stay tuned for a post on Jan 1st about my goals/thoughts/and plans for 2010. I'm excited about the possibilities! I pray that all of you had a wonderful Christmas, and have a marvelous New Years! Stay safe, stay happy, stay healthy, and most of all, stay in prayer!!!