Tag: year in review

  • 2010, A Year To Remember

    It’s the last day of the year, and I’m ready for a fresh start. But first, I went back and read all my posts from this year, and the following are some high points (and low ones) that stuck out to me. 2010 was quite a year.

    January: Started out on an excellent note, on vacation. My husband turned 30, and we actually got a lot done working on our house.

    February: So much happened this month! I turned 28 and celebrated a wonderful birthday week. We got a new dog, Oliver, a new car (my beloved Prius), and my blog got a new design courtesy of my brother. I went to see a reproductive endocrinologist for the first time, found out that I was pregnant, and enjoyed a blissful two weeks with that knowledge before suffering a miscarriage.

    March: I was depressed but in denial about it. I chopped off my hair, threw myself into work, and promptly got sick with the worst stomach bug of my life, spending a day in the ER. This is also the month when I started my relationship with Brand About Town as a Nintendo Enthusiast, which continues today.

    April: I started to feel a bit better. I went to an antique festival with my parents, and David and I went on a fantastic, although quick trip to New York City where we saw three Broadway shows and did lots of shopping and touristy things. I also had my wisdom teeth removed (ouch) and went to a conference for work the very next day (not smart).

    May: This was a fairly normal, laid-back month. Among other boring things, we painted the front two rooms of our house a nice neutral (previously bright red) and I started actively seeking natural health, including acupuncture.

    June: We finally got Oliver fixed, we went camping with our siblings and it was really fun but really hot, and I watched some World Cup games. Basically, May and June were the calm before the storm.

    July: The church I attended since high school closed down and began the process of planting a new church. We refinanced our house, and David had his right hip replaced.

    August: I spent a LOT of time taking care of David. I also went on my first medicated fertility cycle, which didn’t work. I started eating vegetarian and saw a nutritionist. I think this was the very beginning of my depression, and I started feeling physically bad a lot of the time.

    September: David had his left hip replaced just six weeks after his first surgery, and again I spent a ton of time taking care of him. We struggled a lot financially due to him being off work with no pay, and we started Financial Peace University. It became clear to me that I really was depressed.

    October: We celebrated our second anniversary by doing nothing in particular. I put a lot of effort into feeling better mentally and physically. My diet changed radically and I saw a therapist. I cut back on a ton of responsibilities. We also had our IUI at the end of the month.

    November: I really, truly, began to feel like myself again. I started my incredible new job, found out I’m pregnant, and passed my oncology certification exam. Woohoo!

    December: I started to feel comfortable in my new position at work, I was nauseous a lot, and we spent a lot of time with family. I tried (unsuccessfully) to participate in reverb10, and I tried (unsuccessfully) to make my goal of reading 50 books this year. For the record, I read 44, which I think is pretty good considering all I had going on.

    So that was my year. As far as the rest of my 2010 resolutions, I wanted to compete in a triathlon but that didn’t happen because of time constraints and health/fertility issues. I did get my blog redesigned, I did get back to healthy eating (and am currently at a weight that I’m proud of), and I did focus more on my husband.

    Is it any wonder that I’m looking forward to 2011? We’re going out with a bang, and I’m ready for what’s next.

  • One Word: Suffering

    Starting today, for the month of December, I’ll be participating in Reverb10, which is, according to their website, an annual event and online initiative to reflect on your year and manifest what’s next. One reason I’m doing this is because I’ve neglected to write lately, partially due to the fact that I’ve been studying for a huge test for the past month, and I think this’ll be a perfect kick start.

    But let’s be honest, it’s also because 2010 has been a hell of a year. I need to process it somehow.

    Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word.

    Suffering. I wish it weren’t the case, but this has been a year characterized by grief, pain, and distress. We have both suffered physically – me with a miscarriage and David with debilitating bone pain that ended in two major surgeries, which in turn caused financial suffering. And we have suffered emotionally and psychologically – we endured our second year of infertility and faced role changes in our marriage, and we have both dealt with significant anxiety and depression. Me more than at any other time in my life.

    I know my dad hates it when I write negative things (sorry Dad), and I know it’s because he loves me and wants me to be happy. But I’m just writing this because it’s true. Everyone goes through seasons of suffering in their lives, and we just happened to have a lot of it this year. Thankfully, I can write this with hope because it seems like things are finally falling into place for us.

    Now, imagine it’s one year from today. What would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?

    Happiness. I don’t care if it’s trite; I’m ready for some pure joy. I’ve had The Happiness Project sitting on my shelf for months, and I plan to read through it next year month by month. I’m just settling into a job that I love and hardly ever stresses me out. I have a good feeling that next year will be the year that we start our own family. I’m ready to be connected to God again, and to relearn that all our suffering was for a reason.

    So, Dad, I hope this post doesn’t upset you. Because I’m already happy again, and this is just the beginning.