A Goodbye Survey for 2010

What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?

I moved two hours away from my family! So many people here in St. Maries, when I say we came from Spokane, dismiss it with an, "Oh, that's not far." But I had never lived more than 30 minutes or so from my family before, and I reserve the right to consider two hours pretty far. It has been as hard as I expected it to be, but also easier than I expected in some ways because St. Maries is pretty amazing.

Also, I learned how to blow my nose. I am not kidding.

Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I didn't make any last year. I was tired of failing. This year my resolution is to not let the fear of failure keep me from making the attempt.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Making it a second straight year without having another baby! ;-) Celebrating 5 years of marriage to the most wonderful man. Successfully completing my third round of potty training.

Hardest and best of all, becoming more vulnerable. God stripped away a lot of defenses and walls this year.

What was your biggets failure?

Can we go with mis-spelling "biggest" in the sentence above, and leave it at that?? ;-) Otherwise, we'll be here all night!

Did you suffer illness or injury?

THE TOE. Having the nail ripped off my big toe sounds sort of funny, but it was actually one of the most horrifying injuries I have ever had! My nail is barely starting to grow back, and it has been over six months.

What did you get really excited about?

I like my friend Laura's answer to this: "What didn't I get excited about??" I embrace joy and excitement whenever I can! This year held so much excitement, from moving our family to little St. Maries, Idaho, to milestones with my girlies such as preschool and dance classes and potty training, to trips to the Oregon coast, to finally getting back on stage in the spring and summer.

I am seriously excited this year about God yanking me out of my comfort zone and proving that He still wants me.

Where did most of your money go?

I'm thinking diapers...but 2011 will be different! ;-)

What song will always remind you of 2010?

"Anyway" ~ Martina McBride

Compared to this time last year, are you:

happier or sadder? ~ I'm not sure. I am more joyful.

thinner or fatter? ~ Well, I prefer not to say "fatter"...but I'm not thinner!

richer or poorer? ~ Richer in ways that make me more joyful. :-)

What do you wish you'd done more of this year?

Loving people, and appreciating each moment as I lived it.

What do you wish you'd done less of?

I wish I hadn't wasted so many of those moments in fruitless worrying!

What was the best book you read?

This one occurred mere weeks ago, when my new friend Becky loaned me her copy of Francine Rivers' "Redeeming Love". Have you read it? Read it!

In second place is "Captivating" by John and Stasi Eldredge, which I am reading more slowly than I have ever read a book in my entire life. Try it and you'll see why. It is amazing -- and hard to read.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

My sweet husband took me to the Davenport in Spokane! And I turned 26...which (please do not scoff at me!) was actually not pleasant for me. It is a strange feeling to know that my early twenties are behind me, I am squarely in the middle of my mid-twenties, and I can now see 30 on the horizon. I really don't know how this happened!

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?

I wouldn't....

What kept you sane?

If I am, in fact, still sane, it is because of love. The ever deepening love of my husband and soulmate, the mostly delightful love of my beautiful girls, the reassuring love of my precious family, the encouraging love of my dearest friends...and mostly, the never failing, always consistent, life-giving love of my heavenly father.

Who did you miss?

My grandma; she has been gone for a year and a half, but sometimes it still hurts as hard as when I first got that phone call.

I miss everyone we left in Spokane! We've been able to go back a lot and I'm so grateful for that, but I miss the easy, spur of the moment visits without hours of driving. Mum and Holly, please move to St. Maries...

Who was the best new person you met?

Um, I moved to St. Maries! I have met literally dozens of absolutely amazing new people! I have been overwhelmed by the flood of welcoming, friendly, fascinating people who have come into our lives here. Some are already becoming good friends, and I am so blessed to have met them all.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.

It's not like I finished learning much of anything in 2010. I am slowly learning to recognize and cherish the individual moments in life -- the times when, if I am paying attention, I can hear God saying "I love you" right to me. I am learning that in the stressful, busy, never ending race to make everything perfect, I miss the moments of breathing in contentment and understanding and peace. I am learning that a moment of laughter with my daughters will outweigh everything else I can accomplish in a day. I am learning that God would rather have me searching in confusion and crying in frustration than remaining pleasantly passive, and that He will not leave me alone.

May you all be blessed and directed by the love of God in 2011! Thank you so much for following along as I've enjoyed my first year writing this blog! :-)