Hello? Anybody There?

Wow!  How is it even possible that I haven't uttered a single word on my blog since July?  There have been so many times that I wanted to write.  Honest!  I have had so many thoughts and feelings running through this brain of mine and sometimes the only way to get them out and to make sense of it all is to write it down.  It just seems that no matter how hard I tried to find a minute or two to write, I just didn't have the time.  Finishing up my ELED degree and starting a new job kind of kicked my butt the last few months.

2012 is here!  I can hardly believe it.  The whole holiday season went by and it never felt like the holiday season one bit.  I wish it had.  I miss the days of getting so excited to pull out the decorations, set up the tree, and wrap all of the gifts to put underneath it.  This year I didn't even want to set up a tree at all! In the end, my middle son made sure that the tree and a few decorations were put up.

Christmas was fun.  My kiddos were spoiled much more this year than in the past few.  Things financially have been so difficult for us since our horrible, horrible 2009-2010 experiences.  Honestly, I would just like to forget that those two years ever took place.  Unfortunately for us, we will have a constant reminder of those years while we continue to put the pieces back together.  Sigh.  Oh well, things are definitely looking up for 2012!

Highlights of 2011

• I lost 36 lbs.  WAHOO!  Stress and watching what I eat played a large role in that.  In 2012, I want to lose 4 more pounds and start running again :)
• No major surgeries or injuries to report from anyone in my household!  It's a MIRACLE!
• I FINALLY, yes, FINALLY graduated with my Bachelors in Elementary Education with an ESL endorsement!!!  It seems surreal, but I did it!!! And, can I brag for just a minute?  I will be graduating with a 3.9 cumulative GPA.  It was a lot of hard work, but worth it.
• I got my first teaching job.  I get to teach 25 fifth graders each and every weekday :)  Sometimes I think that they teach me more than I will ever teach them.
• My hubby got a new job assignment that puts him home more.  Which is great because with the hours I am working right now, I could use all the help I can get around the house and with the kiddos!
• My oldest son started college!  HOORAY!  I have been hoping for 2 years that he would start and he finally did!
• We didn't move!  You would have to understand how many moves we have had over the years to know how fabulous that truly is!  It was so nice to stay put!  We will actually celebrate 2 years in our home in March.  Gotta love that!  If we can make it passed 3 years and 4 months here, that will be the longest I have EVER lived anywhere in my ENTIRE life!  Yes.  True.

Those are just a few of the highlights that I can think of.  I am sure that there are many, many more.  2011 was definitely an improvement over the two prior years and so here is hoping 2012 will be even better!!!

Watch for 2012 resolutions to be posted soon!  :)