My decade in review - 2001**Updated***again

Humph. I can honestly say I don't remember much about 2001. At the moment. I had met Kirsten later in 2000 (church and college). I think she constantly invited me over but I didn't come by much until -2001. When we started our sophomore year together (Sep 01) I roomed with her and Karen. ***

What I was doing the night before my physics final. Don't worry - there is a video to go with this picture somewhere...:)

I took a summer class and worked. Halfway through the summer I moved into our apartment in Cheney. I think it was the best move for everyone in my family. I was just getting out on my own and liked to do my own thing. The plus side of being an "adult".

Ah - at the beginning of the summer I started dating Kirstens (2nd?) cousin. He was a nice guy and we had a lot of fun. I sent him off on his mission in November of 2001. Bill likes to brag about stealing me away - but that is a story for 2002-2003.

**Before school began again I took a trip to see my Grandparents in Idaho and then to see my friends at BYU. I got to see the Testaments and enjoy the BYU campus. I had shortened my trip to a few days and was supposed to return home on (Tuesday) September 11th. It was the most surreal thing to be awakened by my friend Heather telling me I wouldn't be going home that day and why. It is hard to believe that was nearly 9 years ago. I was on campus for the Friday devotional geared toward that tragedy. I was able to get on a plane at the (nearly deserted) Salt Lake airport later that day (or Saturday) after days of trying to find a way home.

I quit my mall job! And therefore, that Christmas season I was entirely free to leave for the holiday. I went and visited my mom in Phoenix (oh, and don't worry, before I left I TOTALLED my very reliable Nissan Sentra. Look for the scar next to my left eye.). My grandparents also drove down from Idaho. First time I'd spent a Christmas with that collection of people in many years.

My decade in review - 2000

*There are supposed to be pictures with this post, however, something has gone wrong with my printer. His name might be Bill (love you honey:). But really, we can't get it to even scan. Wish me luck and disregard my notes on inserting pictures. They are really for later.

At the start of 2000, I was hanging out at a church youth function (must have been a Saturday or Sunday night) watching a Mormon movie that was really big at the time, but I no longer remember what it was. I was not very worried about Y2K.


I finished up my last gymnastics season at U-High. I placed first on beam once. I finally "lettered." I'd spent 6 years with my coach Stacey. It was her last season too. (Insert pictures). I also finally got to attend the big basketball and wrestling matches against our rival Central Valley (always was at gymnastics). I'm only thinking about it because I wish I still had the t-shirts.


I was never a big dance person, but had some great experiences this year - especially prom. We went to Marrakesh, sat on poufs and ate with our hands. In our prom dresses :) We had pictures at Mantio park. I guess the dance was fun. Smores at Heathers house afterward were better.(pictures)


I graduated high school! (pictures), worked my mall job. That puts us at about July. Through that first half of the year I had investigated the LDS church. I joined the day I turned 18 (pictures).


In September I moved out to Cheney and started college. I lived in the dorms - with a roommate who I had NOTHING in common with. I still remember being stared at by a couple of girls the first time I walked into the LDS Institute building. Way to make a new member feel welcome nameless people. I made friends with a girl Michelle, who was in my dorm and went to my church. I think the only thing that kept me going to church was institute. I loved it there. College started out good. 2000 ended pretty well.

Deployment - take 2

It seems so long ago that I was writing this post about sitting on the fence (only August 08). It was there I mentioned "this thing we did in 2005" that this job would require but I'll "talk about it in 2009/2010" Well WELCOME 2010 and yes "this thing" is upon us.


Some of you of course probably knew what I was talking about (even if you thought you had no idea what I was talking about) because 2005 is when Bill's Marine unit was deployed to Iraq. They went to Iraq as military police and were away from home for 10 months. This deployment will be to Afghanistan. Although it will be for the military it will be different from before in that he is as a civilian employee.

There are some things that are different about this deployment of course. Bill is no longer military police. This time, we have a daughter. Also, we are not anywhere near any of our family. And I won't be leaving for home because, oh yes, we just bought a house. Don't get me wrong though, we knew deployment was part of this job. Believe it or not, deployment was a factor in everything we decided to do this last year.

I got some really great advice this week from a former Commanders wife about how to keep Bill in Miriam's life, and what needs to happen for myself.

Even though it's right on top of us, It's not exactly real yet. I'll keep you posted.

Approaching 2010

Oh wait? Am I little late on this? What?! It's 2010 already?? You can't be serious.

I missed my pre-new years eve post with a re-cap of 2009. For some reason I was only thinking along the lines of resolutions and completely forgot that my end of the year post has a lot more than a new year resolution!

Here are some things that happened in 2009:

I finally become a Receptionist #1 at a WW meeting. It's my meeting to work - ALL the TIME. I don't get booted in the summer due to low number. It's taken me all year but guess what? I actually know all their names (well, until last week with all the new people).

March - I decided that I needed to go visit my Dad and Dede in Oregon rightnow. Got lucky and saw Bills Grandmother, Bills sister, brother-in-law, and our niece as well. Also spent a week in Phoenix with my mom and her best friend on the way back. During this trip was the first time our apartment was burglarized. And they cleaned house.

April/May - We meet with a realtor and decide to start looking for a house. Burglary and weird note are not endearing Georgia to us AT ALL. I feel like we spend a good chunk of May and July house hunting. Miriam is a trooper.

June - the reason we didn't house hunt in June is because YEAH! we go back to visit Washington! I see my cousin before graduation. My uncle ferry's me around from Seattle to Forks (!) to the Makah Reservation and back to Seattle in about 4 days. (Insert note: my family is SO SO good to me) I briefly see my other uncles and Grandparents before borrowing a car to head to Spokane. And then Tri-Cities (where Bill arrives) and then back again. I get to stay with Joe and Brenda and kids, see Jessica and Leah and Isaac and Audrianna. Get to see Bills mom who isn't as far in recovery as I had hoped for. Visit SCA friends and Bills siblings minus Tyler.
Of course this time period also includes burglary #2. Frustrations galore! This is why I stayed in WA an extra 2 weeks. Except for the flu I got- it was great!

In August we saw Bills brother Tyler on his layover to and from Europe (bum). Luckily on his way home he stayed overnight and shared his awesome pictures with us. Found a house and are trying to get things done to close in early September. End up closing mid month.

Worked like crazy to paint and replace floor and moved in the next 2 weeks.

Feel excessively homesick through most of the fall. Also feel a bit like a pauper trying to make ends meet after all the expense from the house.

Oct 21 - mark one year of being in GA

Holiday season - one big BLUR. But had a really GREAT Christmas with our friends here. Feeling more optimistic about life.

Feeling even MORE optimistic when I learn that you don't have to pay back the new homeowners tax credit (fyi: must live in residence for 3 years or pay it back) if you move for a JOB. Okay - still need to verify this. Brenda, I think you know what I will be doing in about 6 months. Just in case there is something out there. Keep watch.

But really, I don't utterly hate this place anymore.

Looking forward to 2010:

Once again I'm sitting here contemplating New Year's resolutions and haven't come up with one yet. I'm counting POINTS. I'm thinking about sewing and a German class. I never got into a Masters program here because we just can't afford tuition right now. I guess I'm in a different season of my life. I'll work that out another time.

I do have a few things to look forward to though:

Fun, Fit, and Guilt Free on the Wii - Saturday

Lots of WW work

Brenda visiting! Whoo hoo!

Grandma and Lynn visiting - should they get to it...

Miriam's vocabulary continuing to expand

Trip home sometime this year....?

Trip to see Great Grandma this summer - that's the plan anyway. Still need money.

Not exactly looking forward to, but they are happening all the same:

Bill deploying for 8 months

My 2 year old. Yeap - she's happening all the time

Anyway - Happy New Year!

After Christmas - the pictures!

I forgot that whatever I want on here first needs to be uploaded last. So the following are some of our Christmas pictures - in reverse order

Loving on her new elephants

Showing just how big Miriam's new bear is

Such generous friends!

Our living room after the opening of the presents
Miriam and Mal looking at the huge flock of red-wing blackbirds that swarmed our neighborhood that morning

Daddy loves Star Wars!

The Inn at Bethleham part of her Little People Nativity

Hey this ornament of MOM's looks great!