Good Riddance '08

I had a fabulous New Years Eve this year. Diamond and I went downtown and had dinner in the kind of restaurante that doesn't even have a kids menu, then we strolled the 16th Street Mall enjoying the lights and people watching. There were fireworks at 9:00 & again at midnight, but we opted for the early show - less vomit. Nanna & Grandpa had all three boys overnight, so we were able to really relax and enjoy the night.

As we were waiting for the fireworks to begin, we started our annual "Looking Back/Looking Forward" conversation. There is nothing formal about this talk, but it seems we do it every New Years Eve, and as a result of our chat, I've come to this conclusion: Good Riddance 2008!!!

Really, it was a hard year. I guess we knew it would be. Before we moved we fully anticipated that the first year would be hard - all the adjusting to new schools and churches, all the yard work, etc. But, to be honest, it was more difficult than I expected.

-In our old house, I had managed to commandeer a circle of women that were beyond fabulous. Our kids all loved each other, and many an afternoon was spent consuming microwave popcorn and diet Coke while the kids played. I am still friends with those ladies, but I'm too far away to enjoy the casual nature of our friendship. While I realize I could never replace them, I had hope that I would find something at least a bit similar. I am making friends. Good friends. Fun friends. But I worry I've missed that window for the kind of friendship built around lazy afternoons.

-School was SO hard: I've already written about it, but it seeped into virtually every facet of our home life. It was exhausting. It was scary. I could never have foreseen the depth of what resulted from a rough year. (That was the part of our little converstaion that brought me to tears. Crying on New Years? Yeah, I'M the life of the party!)

-Church was crazy.: We had been in our old ward close to ten years. I knew the people, their children, their stories. Here? I felt like I didn't know a soul. And then I was asked to head up the women's organization in February - just four months after moving in. How in the world was I supposed to nurture and care for over 100 women when I didn't even know their names??? Eleven months later, and I am feeling much more comfortable in my role. It still overwhelms me on a regular basis, but I've got amazing women helping me, and I've managed to find a rhythm - however insuffient it may be.

-The yard: Geez! Practically every Saturday was spent working on the yard - and the weekdays were spent researching the best prices, etc. It was so much work! But, the yard is just about done now, and I am sooo looking forward to a summer where we can enjoy the fruits of last year's labors!

-The economy: Really, I don't need to say anything about that right? I just hope to make up some of that precious financial ground we lost.

So the good news? 2008 is over. We are truly feeling settled into our new home. We have a yard, good teachers, friends and things are looking up. I am just praying that 2009 works out better than '08.

Happy 2009 everyone!