Good Riddance 2010. Come on 2011!

2010 is over, and I am glad. It was a long, emotional and extremely challenging year. Going into 2010, a friend of mine encouraged me, “This will be the hardest year of your life. Just keep going; you’re doing great!” She was referring to finishing dental hygiene school with a new baby, Addison, and Joel working out of town. The commute to Eugene from West Salem was wearing on me and I didn’t have any idea how I was going to make it through another five months to graduation – and pass my boards. We soon realized she was absolutely right; 2010 was going to be the hardest year of my life, but much worse than we ever could have imagined.

On January 3, 2010, Joel, Addison, Vivia and I went to Addison’s favorite park. We had gone there many times over the summer and she always excitedly told him about it afterwards. Joel wanted to see this park with swings, a crooked house, a big slide, a little slide, squirrels to chase, and of course, a statute of a cat climbing on a cow. Most people know this park as Bush Park. To Addison it has always been “The Cat and the Cow Park.” The sun was shining and the air was crisp, but not too cold for a trip to the park, and we had a very pleasant afternoon.

Later that evening, we took the girls over to Roger and Nancy’s house so that Joel and I could go on a long needed date. We had dinner at the Olive Garden, and then went shopping for a new bed. We fell in love with a Comfort-Pedic, and even ordered a king-size to be delivered in a few weeks. It was a great date. We were both really tired, and so what could be better than to try out new mattresses and dream about a good night’s sleep.

I love to think about that day. I let that memory over power the memories of most of the days that have since followed.

But, as the title of this blog says, our story goes on. I’ll write about November and December 2010 someday. For now, I’m focusing on the future.

Tomorrow, Roger and Nancy are heading back to Indio with their fifth wheel to find sunshine and warmth. They will hopefully enjoy some relaxation and comforting fellowship with many of their closest and dearest friends. They came over this evening to give us girls hugs, and I assured them we’ll be okay. I’m in the best hands I could be in – God’s.

On Monday, I am picking up where I left off to finish my dental hygiene degree. I hadn’t thought it was going to be possible this year, but prayers were answered and I’m going back! I am excited, and it feels great to have something to look forward to. Studying, scaling teeth, and taking boards seem like they’ll be a piece of cake compared to the experiences of 2010. Sleepless nights studying, scrambling to have a patient in my chair, counting sub-points, and making check-off lists sounds divine!

Addison will continue going to Head Start preschool four days a week, and Vivia will be taken care of by wonderful friends and family. It will take some great teamwork, but we’re going to get through this next phase of life just fine. Some days may seem chaotic, and I might forget where my girls, but that’s what text messaging is for right?

My girls keep me going. They’re up by seven o’clock in the morning and we start the day watching Curious George on OPB. Addison gets a hot chocolate with whipped cream on top and Vivia gets warm milk. We talk about Joel daily, and Addison is very intuitive when missing him is on my mind, often giving me a hug and saying, “I miss daddy, too” without me even saying anything. Joel is included in Addison’s prayers at bedtime, and Vivia cheerfully says, “Da-Da” and blows his picture kisses as we tell him good-night. It’s the most beautiful sound coming from her mouth, “Da-Da.”