2011--the year in review

Well here it is...another year's end. The last day on the calendar. Time to put away the old and start with the new.
A time to reflect on what was and dream of what will be.
Since I've been so remiss in writing for the past several months, what better way to do a "catch up" entry than with my usual year in review style one.

So...here goes.

*January 2011 brought the biggest snowfall since I don't know when. We were out of school for several days as we frolicked in the winter wonderland we are NOT accustomed to.




*February was a month of surprises. A couple more scattered snow days, haircuts for the kids (the boys had been sportin' long shaggy hair, so the minute they requested a haircut, we jumped on it!) and Molly had a school dance. But the biggest scare of all was my dad having to have emergency surgery.
I got a call at school from John, (my exhub) that he was being taken to the hospital. It turned out to just be a gall bladder removal, but the condition it was in, and with his weakened health, he gave us quite the scare. There was a moment after it was over and he was resting in his room that we couldn't wake him up.
Seeing my poor little mother so terrified was the most heart wrenching thing I've ever gone through.

He came through it all ok, and after more than a week in the hospital, he returned home. It warmed my heart to see my family pull together...my sister who usually never thinks of anyone but herself was there for mom the most. She lives in Hot Springs, where the hospital is, and doesn't work, so she was able to be there with mom the most and take mom to her house for sleep and showers. My exhub was there nearly everyday, checking on him and helping me with medical lingo and with the kids. It's nice to know your family will be there when you need them.



*Life got back to normal.
We finally had a full 5 day week at school. (with all the holidays and snow days in Jan/Feb, we had not been able to complete a Mon-Friday week since the new year!)
Of course spring break was this month, too. Matthew came and stayed with me by himself for a few days. And my birthday, as usual, was during this time. A party at mom's

and an overnight trip to Shreveport with Greg rounded off the festivities.

oh...and my brush with fame when Angie Harmon tweeted to me on Twitter!!




*Busy Busy...
School stuff and seeing President Bill Clinton topped off this month, along with more tweets with celebrities.
Easter and my mom's and sister's birthdays....things were hopping!




*May brought me another teenager. Matt turned 13! How did that happen? (and my nephew, Baby Max, turned 2)

It also brought mine and Greg's first wedding anniversary.



*The beginning of this month found us once again in the hospital. This time for Greg. He had to have surgery on his neck to remove some vertabrae and replace it with some metal dohickey.

He was laid up in bed for 6 weeks...not the way I had really WANTED to spend my summer...but what is it they say about the "best laid plans of mice and men"...?
Molly graduated from Elementary School....forcing me to realize that life as we knew it was over!
Chef Michael Symon tweeted me...

And the biggest change of all was the addition of our little Tater Bug.

He wasn't really a rescue dog...just one that needed a new home due to financial and care worries of his previous owners. They were no longer able to take care of him so he came to us. And life REALLY hasn't been the same since!



*July was an interesting time for us.
We found ourselves with an adult child,

new kitties,
and my banged up knee.
Greg was finally able to start sleeping with me (as in, in our own bed) again, lightning struck 2 of our trees, and my computer monitor,

and my Phoenix sister came to town.

There was summer school, getting ready for school, and reaping the last bits of summer I could while Greg turned another year older himself.


*The most busiest time of the year.
Right out of the starting gate...BAM. Schooltime. I spent most every day and night working at school, on school stuff, and then starting school.
Add to that all the birthdays we have in August (our annual birthday bash),

Watermelon Festival, meeting the VeggieTales,

and after 11 years of driving the same thing, Greg got a new truck.




*Let's see...this is where I stopped journaling, so I don't have references to go back to!! Life was just so busy with school stress. My class is pretty great,

but the admin and atmosphere has left much to be desired. Our once cohesive union between principal and teachers had a lot of turmoil and we were all pretty unhappy for awhile.
But life trudged on.
There was the Fair Parade, in which Molly was part of the Color Me float..dressed as an apple...

And we celebrated Baby Mary turning 6!




*This month brought me my own adult child...Trey turned 18!!

He's applying to colleges, and being offered scholarships....and this mom just is not ready for that!!



*A month of nothing but school and family life.
Greg got the "big one" in the deer woods,

and my family all came to our house for Thanksgiving Brunch.

That was a week early...so Thanksgiving, like most holidays this year, was spent pretty much alone, with just Greg, Alex in his room, and a dinner at Greg's Mom's house.
I'm finding that once sought after "peace and quiet" from all the chaos 3 children bring with them, is something I miss.



*a very fast month
school not letting out until December 21 made for a short "prep time". I found myself not doing the usual Christmas things...baking, caroling, shopping...Molly had a choir program,

JA sponosored Cookies with Santa, and I tried to get in as much Christmas spirit with my students.
We had Christmas at my mom's on the weekend before,

then the kids came back to our house-altho Molly and I still had school, and then there was the first college tour with Trey!
By then Christmas Eve was upon us, the kids went to their dad's for a week...and now here we are, on New Year's Day.

Looking back, it was a FAST year. The old adage about time going by faster as you get older is so true. And I guess, if time flies when you're having fun, then we must be having the times of our lives! And I guess, we are.

Through it all, there was lots of grilling, lots of dominoes, lots of love, and lots of laughter.
Pretty much the components that make up a happy life.
We may not have been very lucky financially, or health wise, but what we don't make have in riches we make up for in love.
And I guess that is really all that matters!

I wish for the new year, more of the same...plus, a little more financial security wouldn't hurt, too. Guess I'll need to eat those "greens" my husband and MIL say will bring good financial fortune for the new year. ***ICK***
We'll see how that goes!

So Happy New Year's to you all...may the love of God and the luck of life rain down on us all!