It has been a Year... and what a decade.

Wow - it is hard to believe that it has been a year... December 17th last year I closed on my house in my new town and my separation papers were "officially" filed. I also realized that one of the first major tasks of my new job would be to lay off people just after the holiday (six weeks after starting my job)... I look back on last year and think about how fast I was moving, how long each day was, and how I could barely imagine making it to the next day - let alone to where I am today. I remember staying awake all weekend the first weekend I moved into the house so that while Ava was at her Dad's I could get as much as possible unpacked - including our Christmas tree. When she returned on Sunday night I was exhausted - but we had comfortable bed rooms, a living room decorated for Christmas, and kitchen to cook cookies in. Mother Theresa said that God will never give us more than we can handle. I was not sure that was true a year ago but now I know it is. The last year had some major ups and downs, but all in all I feel good to be where I am today. I truly believe that I am a better person for all that I have experienced - good and bad and I am lucky to have met all the people that have come into and left my life.

On face book there is a thing going around where people quickly make an outline the last decade - So I thought I would do it here instead:

2000 - Passed doctoral comps, moved from Mass. back to NY, bought a house, married Kurt, took job at Cornell University
2001 - Adopted Xena dog
2002 - Took job at SUNY Cortland, adopted Topi dog
2003 - Lots of fertility stuff, trip to Portland and Atlanta
2004 - Realized Kurt & I could not have children, Grandma Nowak died, defended dissertation
2005 - BC commencement, my brother Danny died, trip to Las Vegas & Grand Canyon, 20 year high school reunion
2006 - Took job at Ithaca College, Ava born, adoption process became real - saw Ava's pictures
2007 - Received Ava in Vietnam and became a mom
2008 - My brother in-law Steve died, Kurt had a change of heart, sold house, filed for separation, took job at Hartwick, moved to Oneonta, bought a house
2009 - Met Fran, Dad Phil died, Ava started pre-school, surgery

I am looking forward to 2010 and the next decade!