I’ve spent the last few days enjoying every.last.drop of this magical holiday season – and reflecting not only on the past year, which has been filled with many wonderful blessings – but the last TEN years, as we begin this new decade. And because I love lists, I decided a list was in order:
10 Favorite Moments of the Last Decade (that I feel like sharing on my blog for the world to see, in non-descending order).
1. I moved to the East Coast and met my future husband. A dear friend and I made grand plans to quit our jobs here in Kansas City, and traipse across the country to pursue grad school (for her) and a new adventure (for me). She moved out a few weeks before I planned to follow, only realizing as soon as she arrived that her financial aid package for school would not be enough to sustain her during the year. She made the heart-wrenching decision to come back home, and since we planned to live together and share expenses, this put a slight crimp in my style… but I packed up my ’97 Dodge Neon (freshly out of the shop with a cracked radiator and head gasket replacement) and headed east, determined to have my new adventure. Much to the delight of my 22-year-old fairytale-lovin’ heart, I met my dreamboat.
2. I quickly snatched him up. A few months in, we knew. A year later, almost to the day, we married.
3. We moved to Kansas City and discovered that Annabelle was no longer a twinkle in my eye, but a little bean growing in my belly. After a few years of newlywed bliss – spent mostly on trains and airplanes, traveling and enjoying our time together – we decided the Midwest was calling to us. A month or two after trekking back to Kansas City, we found ourselves delightedly “in the family way.”
4. I learned how fantastic it is to be a mommy. Our sweet Annabelle arrived, making our family circle into a trio. You can read 36 Things I Love About Her… and wait for the 4th birthday installment sometime in late March.
5. I picked up a camera. I have a love and appreciation for artful photography, but I didn’t actually touch a camera until Annabelle entered our lives. I remember the first day she laughed – I was sick, quarantined in bed, and my husband brought her to me. I sat up too quickly, and my ponytail flopped. And then, she laughed. Not just a little giggle, but a hilariously robust LAUGH that went on and on, until she gasped for breath. I quickly laid back down and sat up even more quickly, giggling to myself as she burst out laughing once more. And then, just like that, it clicked for me – I NEEDED A CAMERA! These moments of her childhood are irreplaceable, and I wanted to remember every.little.detail. So, a camera was bought and a photography-addict was born.
6. We bought a house. I think we looked at 45 homes total, mostly because we couldn’t decide where in the metro we wanted to live. We eventually decided to trek northwest of Liberty, and I’m glad we did. Mostly.
7. I became a pet-lover. Back in the early days of our marriage, we used to bask in the knowledge of how LOVELY it was that neither of us were “pet people.” Meaning we could count on each other to remain firmly in the No Pets Allowed camp. My husband grew up without a single pet, and I grew up with just about every pet… and I had no desire for more. Until, that is, our little girl spent an entire year of her life begging for a puppy. Being the weak saps that we are when it comes to her happiness, we caved. And now Sadie and Francie are the littlest members of our family. (Because why get one when you could have two, right? Just ask my husband, who called one day and said, “honey, I have another furry surprise…”)
8. I embraced my inner hippie. Somewhere along these last few years, we began living our life as naturally-minded as possible. (I’ll spare you the self-righteous details.) But it’s changed and shaped my values, and I’m grateful our family found this path.
9. I discovered that friends are the family we choose for ourselves. I am immeasurably blessed by the warm, loving, hilarious and infinitely wise people that God has put into my life over the years. Friendship is truly a warm shelter.
10. I successfully lived without bangs. This was a personal resolution I adopted ten years ago, December 31,1999. I was 19 years old, freshly coiffed, and committed to growing out my thickly fringed bangs. I’m happy to report that this decade has remained bang-free and I’m no longer plagued with the desire to cut my own. Dreams do come true.
Happy New Year!
Blessed Life Photography has many amazing things to come over the next few months, as we continue to grow and expand… so stay tuned for those announcements!
blogged at http://www.blessedlifephotography.com/blog
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