Thinking Back

I just can't believe it's 2010! As a 1979 baby, it means that this is the 5th decade that I've been a part of! Wow, does that make me feel old. I mean, just thinking back 10 years and all that has happened in that "short" amount of time is amazing. Ten years ago right now, I had just broken up with my boyfriend of 3 years and was heading back to Chapel Hill a new woman. For the first time, I was ready to experience and enjoy Carolina the way it was supposed to be, instead of dashing up to Boone after class was over every Friday (my boyfriend was at ASU). I was getting ready to start my final semester of prerequisites for nursing school, which I would start in May. And in a few weeks, I would meet Will Hege for the first time...and the rest is history.

It's just crazy to think that all of that would lead to... 2 and 1/2 unbelievable years as a true Tar Heel with some really amazing friends...leaving everything I know to follow a pretty awesome guy to Dallas, Texas, for a "wonderful career opportunity"...starting my first real job in a 52-bed PICU with 30 other new grads...meeting the first "Sarah soul-sister"...getting engaged to that pretty awesome guy...moving back to Winston-Salem and buying our home...starting in a new PICU at Brenner Children's Hospital while Will went to work at HFG with his parents...getting married in Wilmington...building a life together with family and old friends while making new ones...having the most precious little girl in the world join our family. It's just so humbling to look back at all these blessings and to see God's hand in all of them. I feel so lucky to have experienced all of these things and to be right where I am today.

Even looking back over the past year and all that we have done makes me feel so blessed. January was shower time before my sister, Sarah, and Jason got married in February. I was invited to be part of a Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPs) group at the first of the year that has meant so much to me over the course of the year. March was training time for my very first race. My one resolution for 2009 was to run in the Cooper River Bridge Run 10K on April 4th, just prior to my 30th birthday. My second "Sarah soul-sister" and I trained and ran it with her sister and friend. Not only did I finish, but I did it without stopping! It felt so awesome to cross that finish line! May was my 30th birthday and a surprise party for Will and me (since his 30th was in June) thrown by both our sisters. We were shocked! We also took Anna to see her first show--Elmo Live! June, July, and August were travel months, with multiple trips to the beach, lake, mountains, and Chapel Hill for various get-aways, showers, birthdays, and weddings (yay! Tyler and Jenn). August was also when we found out that I had miscarried at 10+ weeks. This was a hard time with lots of tears and unanswered questions. In September, Anna turned 2 and UNC football began. We all flew out to Texas in October to visit friends and to go to the Texas/OU game at the Cotton Bowl. November was shower month and Thanksgiving before my brother, Greg, and Michelle got married in December. Whew! It's hard to believe we fit so much in to one year!

As I pack up my 2009 planner and prepare my 2010 one, I feel so thankful. There are so many blessings in our lives that we take for granted. I hope I can remember to be thankful for the small and constant things as this new year starts. I pray that I can let go and let God lead, since I learned the hard way that the future cannot be planned. And I hope that a year from now I feel just as thankful and blessed as I do today. Happy New Year!