Our Year in Review

First let me just say that

I DID IT!!!!!!

ONE THOUSAND MILES!!!!!!

I'm sure I'll talk about that more later. I know that you can't wait to read even MORE about running, right?

But first, I thought I'd give you our poor attempt at a Christmas card. You're not REALLY surprised that you didn't get one in the mail, are you? I mean, you know me a little too well by now to expect that I'll manage to get out Christmas cards on time. Or at all. Remember, I have half of last year's cards, all of the years' before, and most of 2005 and 2006 in a box in my yet-to-be-organized office closet. So this year, to save grief and guilt, I didn't even make one. So here you go: my virtual Christmas greetings. Please keep me on your mailing lists, though. I LOVE Christmas cards, and one year I may even manage to send one out to EVERYBODY I love.


JANUARY

The beginning of the new year found us at Aspen Grove with almost all of my family for a snowy getaway. Evy is blessed. I make some crazy goals and sign up to be team captain for the Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay. I also schedule my first solo recital in 13 years. And I decide I'll try to run 1000 miles. Biggest and best: Sweet Celia is born.

FEBRUARY

We ("we" meaning David and Josh) make an automatic soccer-ball kicker for a science fair project. Big budget cuts at the symphony lead to budget cuts at the Greens'. More snowshoeing and winter fun. Biggest and best: Matt and Ananda's wedding in LA. I love my new sister!

MARCH

Disneyland with Chad. David turns a year older (42...shhh). Soccer starts again. Josh began his 19 days of fever. Thanks, flu. Liz and I decide to run the Salt Lake Half Marathon in April.

APRIL

Play my April Fool's sister wife joke on the Facebook crowd. Much fun. My parents come up for conference. RECITAL!!! Much much fun. Easter. David's mom's big birthday, Ben turns two, Kate turns six, Lyndsey turns...! Oh, and I hit a pole with my van. Biggest and best: Holden comes to earth. Hooray, Holden!

MAY

Mom and Dad come back to meet Holden. We celebrate Cinco de Mayo with them at Eric and Nina's. The kids have "Informances" at school. Sophie has a violin recital. We get hit over the head with the realization that we're supposed to buy another house and we cry a lot. We put our house on the market. Ben has to give up his boots thanks to pesky blisters.

JUNE

Family picnic in the hail, which results in Kate's enormous fear of thunder and lightning for the next couple of months. Last day of school, which results in more tears. Help Liz and Jeff resod their lawn. Crazy run in hail and lightning with Liz. (June had a lot of hail and lightning.) No one wants our house. I begin to think we won't have to move after all, which is a wonderful thought. My friend Katrina paints a picture of our first house for David's Father's Day present. The Wasatch Back with my dear dear friends is amazing. Our weekly barbecues begin with the neighborhood. Tally has a stroke-like attack and we think we'll lose her. We take a vacation (OK, a staycation) and go to Timp Cave, fishing, and to Lagoon. I get to see my cousin Chris when he comes out from Boston.

JULY

Fourth of July. (I LOVE the Fourth of July). Bri and Celia come to stay while Mike is studying for the bar. Swimming lessons. Time at the Swim and Tennis Club. Green family reunion campout. Outdoor Symphony concerts. Brent comes to visit, and so do my parents and Chelsea. Deer Valley Music Festival begins, and we get a night at Stein Erickson lodge with the kiddos. Our house still doesn't sell. I decide to run my first marathon. Biggest and best: Our eighteenth anniversary and Josh turns 13. A teenager. Yikes.

AUGUST

Barbecues with friends. Swimming. Josh starts practicing with Rush as we try to cover all bases between SLC and Davis County. Thanksgiving Point. Lots of Deer Valley Music Festival concerts. Trip to California for, what else, my twentieth high school reunion. I try to accept that I'm old. I don't succeed. House doesn't sell. Kids start school (Josh: 8th grade, Sophie: 4th grade, Kate: 1st grade and in a class with cousin Will), and I wonder if the wondering will ever end. I'm so ready for the wondering to end.

SEPTEMBER

We drive all over creation for soccer. I decide Bountiful is bad enough, but for SURE North Ogden is too far to drive for soccer. The wondering ends. The house sells. The mourning begins. Sophie turns TEN. (Yes, one full decade old.) I run this little race called Top of Utah. We move six days later. I am exhausted.

OCTOBER

We begin to adjust to our new life. The kids start at their new schools. My parents come to visit. Some form of flu (porcine or not, it's not pretty) comes to stay for a while, too. I turn a year older (cough. 38.) I find my trail. We get my grand! Halloween. Josh's soccer season ends.

NOVEMBER

Kate plays Haydn in her first concerto festival. Sophie plays her Book Two recital. Kate loses her first tooth. Thanksgiving at the new house. David takes on the Human Resources responsibilities at work, thanks to more budget cuts.

DECEMBER

Josh goes on his first backpacking trip. Shiver. We do our first sledding of the year. I get two new callings: Assistant Choir Pianist and Team Teacher for the CTR 5 class. Christmas recitals and concerts galore. We throw two Swedish pancake breakfasts. We get to spend time with Matt and Ananda. Family time, togetherness, and the normal stress of the season find us a little worn out with fun. I run 9 miles to finish my 1000th mile on the 31st. (Nothing like leaving it until the last minute!) We have a New Year's Eve party with our old neighbors and play Band Hero until 2 am.

It's been quite a year. I'm grateful for those of you who have eased our way through it. We count you as one of the greatest blessings in our lives. Life would not be as rewarding, as fun, or as happy without you.

I'd say I can't wait to see what 2010 has in store, but I'd be lying. I'm just going to pretend the new year will give us lots of ease, happiness, rest, prosperity and peace. We can always hope, right?