thinking back over the past 12 months, the first thing i have to say is, where the heck did it go????

jan/feb… i started the year dealing with the psycho ex. you may or may not recall this. i try hard to block him out of my brain, but he sends just enough annoying emails (every 3 months or so) to stay in there. he is fading, though. that’s a good thing 😀

march: i met my sweetie. for anyone who does not know how i met mike, i met him on craigslist. yes, i know. that can be dangerous… craigslist killer, blah blah blah. guess what? it worked out really, really well. we started emailing on or around march 5 (his birthday) and finally met on march 14. we met at Eat N Park at the waterfront. i remember how he just kept looking at me and smiling. i talked and talked and talked (i know, you are shocked!). i was sure he was going to tell me to just shut up! but, he didn’t. after we ate, we went for a walk on the trail behind the restaurant. it was cool but not too cold. he held my hand. at one point, he stopped our walking to look right at me and say something about how he felt there was something special there. i told him i was scared. he said he would prove he was a good guy…. and he has!

april: easter with the schmidts. it has become such an awesome tradition. i hope they never stop letting us come! the weather was beautiful and we got to be outside a lot.

may: dance recital… last one for sophia and amelia. it was a bit of a roller coaster, but ended well (as always). louisa had a presentation about mr. rogers. soph had a school play. busy busy!!!

june: end of school and a first for the girls… sleep-away camp! soph loved it. louisa liked it. mia only lasted half of the week. not sure if she wants to try again in 2011, but i am so proud of her for trying! she had done really well on the sleep-away trip for school. of course, that was only 2 nights and she had her kyle with her <3.

july: i don’t remember much of july. it flew by with lots of trips for the girls here and there… auntie c’s, the schmidts (for soph) and the broadway’s (for louisa). louisa turned 9 with a despicable me party YAY

august: soph turned 12, amelia turned 11 and we spent most of a week at the schmidt’s house with the boys so arne and donna could go AWAY to celebrate their 15 year wedding anniversary! it was a whirl-wind of a trip and we had a blast!

oh, and how could i forget…. kennywood!

september: KATHOPALOOZA!!! i turned 40 while surrounded by the best friends a girl could want. mike and i continued to fall deeper in love. kim and donna both made long trips to help me celebrate. it was the best darn party!

i suppose i could mention that september also marked back-to-school for the girls. soph now down at the jr/sr high. mia in 6th grade… louisa in 4th. where has the time gone? *sigh*

october: more school insanity, soph playing basketball and louisa taking dance. mia gave karate a try but decided she didn’t like it. halloween was fun for the girls and i got to hang out alone and pass out candy (my favorite part of the holiday!)

november: thanksgiving in indiana! with gma’s surgery, plans were a bit up in the air, but it all worked out. jim drove, i knitted and slept. i have decided i like being the passenger 🙂

december: and here we are! mia proclaimed this the best christmas ever. i am guessing that the little kitties, sammy samurai and benita, have something to do with that. it is now december 31st and i am at work. the girls are here with me. gma will be picking them up in a bit to go to bilbo’s for the annual new year’s eve celebration (i will join them as soon as i get off of work).

whew! i am sure i forgot lots of important details… like lillie dying. and mia losing dippy. and baby jane joining the world as the first mcgrath great-grand child! congrats carrie and matt!!!   the year had so much to offer that i can’t help but be grateful.

thank you, 2010. i have grown. i look forward to 2011 and what it has to offer.

happy new year, friends!