Monday, January 02, 2006
Reflections on the Past Year
Thanks to my sister-in-law, Susan (www.learningforlifetime.blogspot.com) , for this one.
1. What did you do in 2005 that you had never done before?
I send my children off to a traditional school setting for the first time.
2.Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I think I jokingly resolved to loose at least ten pounds in 2005...but I was about seven months pregnant at that point. So, by default, I met that resolution. I'm less about resolutions than I am about goal setting!
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Do I count, LOL? I gave birth to my fourth child in Februaray. My sister also had a beautiful little boy in September, my cousin had a little girl in August, and my childhood best friend had a baby in December.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
I belong to an amazing email loop of Christian ladies. I only met my friend Karen once "in real life", but I was profoundly affected by her life and death. She has dancing at the feet of her Savior for a year this week.
5. What countries did you visit?
Not my year for international travel!
6. What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
The ability to consistantly weed out those things that have temporal value from those that have eternal value. More flippantly, I'd like to be able to go to the bathroom with out the children, the baby, or the cat thinking they need me right then!
7. What dates will remain etched in your memory and why?
--The evening dd #2 gave her life to Christ.
--The day the baby was born.
8. What's your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting our youngest child appropritely diagnosed and medicated.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I had hoped to get my certification as a yoga instructor. However, with the year going the way it did, I hardly attended any classes, let alone complete my certification. I guess it's something to look forward to for this year!
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yes, I fell on my tailbone (and dislocated it!) in a most undignified manner. To add insult to injury, it was my birthday!
11.What was the best thing you bought?
New dress clothes for the holidays. Also plane tickets to Virgina and to Florida.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My husband was the "wind beneath my wings" during a rough pregnancy, and treated me like a princess afterward.
My friend Amy got a book contract! (check out www.amywallace.com)
My friends Rob and Lori opened their heart and home, enlarging their family by three siblings, all under the age of five. (This was added to their brood of two). The children are flourishing under their loving parenting.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and disgusted?
A certain staff member at the kids' school...enough said on that rather unedifying subject!
14.What did most of your mone go to?
Tithe, major house repairs, savings and life insurance, kids and medical bills...not terribly exciting, but we're thankful that the Lord provided!
15. What did you get really really excited about?
My daughter getting saved, the baby's arrival, my youngest sister landing a HUGE account with her business.
16. What song will always remind you of 2005?
That's a stumper...probably a very silly Sandra Boyton song called "Bad Babies".
17. Compared to this time last year are you?
a)happier or sadder? happier
b)fatter or thinner? That may be a trick question, but I'm fairly sure I'm thinner!
c)richer or poorer? Financially, about the same. In friends and wisdom...infinitely richer!
18. What do you wish you had done more of?
Taking care of myself (yoga, pedicures, etc), more date nights with my sweet hubby, more one on one time with my older children.
19. What do you wish you had done less of?
Wishing my circumstances were different in multiple areas of my life.
20. How will (did) you be spending (spend) New Year's Eve?We had a Chanukkah party with some friends. (Every pound of those latkes disappeared!)
21. Did you fall in love in 2005?
Yes, with my husband (see behavior to be celebrated above!). I also got to experience (for probably the last time) the miracle of falling in love with a brand new person that I had just lifted from my body.
22. What was your favorite TV program?
Embarassingly enough, Grey's Anatomy on CBS. It's pure brain candy...but ooh how delicious!
23. What was the most fun you had this year?
Celebrating Thanksgiving with my mom and all my sisters for the first time in ten years. We loved being in the DC area and having snow that night, too!
24. What was the best book you read?
The Time Traveller's Wife. I also loved re-reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn with my oldest daughter.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Revival in Belfast (a worship album), Also Margaret Becker's Celtic Project.
26. What did you want and get?
A beautiful "upgraded" engagement ring. Also a "stork" in my yard announcing the new baby to the neighborhood.
27. What did you not want and not get?
A traffic ticket!
28. What was your favorite film this year?
It'd be a tie between Chronicles of Narnia and Pride and Prejudice.
29. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
Cruised the scrapbook store with my sister. Went out to dinner. Dislocated my tailbone in humiliating restraunt fall! 33.
30.What would have made your year measurably more satisfying?
Cutting myself a LOT more slack!
31. How would you describe your personal fashion in 2005?
Heavy emphasis on postpartum camoflauge! My best fashion moment, my dear friend telling me that I was one of the few women she knows who "has gotten hotter as she has gotten older". P.S. Laurie, I love you forever!
32. What kept you sane?
Friends who were faithful to keep pointing me to the truth in the face of frustrating circumstances. The babysitting and Starbucks they provided helped, too.!
33.Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
mmm....nope, no good or snappy answer for this one.
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
A former Lousiana resident, I was impacted very strongly by the mismangment of the Katrina cleanup.
On a local level, I was rather riled up by a lame iniative locally to ban breastfeeding in public.
35. Who did you miss?
Geographically, I miss my little sisters. I also still miss my dad, who has been gone over eleven years now.
36. Who was the best new person you met?
Kim
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005.
All things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
It's all about you, Jesus.
And all this is for you, for your glory and your fame.
It's not about me,
As if you should do things my way.
You alone are God and I surrender,
To your ways.
1. What did you do in 2005 that you had never done before?
I send my children off to a traditional school setting for the first time.
2.Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I think I jokingly resolved to loose at least ten pounds in 2005...but I was about seven months pregnant at that point. So, by default, I met that resolution. I'm less about resolutions than I am about goal setting!
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Do I count, LOL? I gave birth to my fourth child in Februaray. My sister also had a beautiful little boy in September, my cousin had a little girl in August, and my childhood best friend had a baby in December.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
I belong to an amazing email loop of Christian ladies. I only met my friend Karen once "in real life", but I was profoundly affected by her life and death. She has dancing at the feet of her Savior for a year this week.
5. What countries did you visit?
Not my year for international travel!
6. What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
The ability to consistantly weed out those things that have temporal value from those that have eternal value. More flippantly, I'd like to be able to go to the bathroom with out the children, the baby, or the cat thinking they need me right then!
7. What dates will remain etched in your memory and why?
--The evening dd #2 gave her life to Christ.
--The day the baby was born.
8. What's your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting our youngest child appropritely diagnosed and medicated.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I had hoped to get my certification as a yoga instructor. However, with the year going the way it did, I hardly attended any classes, let alone complete my certification. I guess it's something to look forward to for this year!
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yes, I fell on my tailbone (and dislocated it!) in a most undignified manner. To add insult to injury, it was my birthday!
11.What was the best thing you bought?
New dress clothes for the holidays. Also plane tickets to Virgina and to Florida.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My husband was the "wind beneath my wings" during a rough pregnancy, and treated me like a princess afterward.
My friend Amy got a book contract! (check out www.amywallace.com)
My friends Rob and Lori opened their heart and home, enlarging their family by three siblings, all under the age of five. (This was added to their brood of two). The children are flourishing under their loving parenting.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and disgusted?
A certain staff member at the kids' school...enough said on that rather unedifying subject!
14.What did most of your mone go to?
Tithe, major house repairs, savings and life insurance, kids and medical bills...not terribly exciting, but we're thankful that the Lord provided!
15. What did you get really really excited about?
My daughter getting saved, the baby's arrival, my youngest sister landing a HUGE account with her business.
16. What song will always remind you of 2005?
That's a stumper...probably a very silly Sandra Boyton song called "Bad Babies".
17. Compared to this time last year are you?
a)happier or sadder? happier
b)fatter or thinner? That may be a trick question, but I'm fairly sure I'm thinner!
c)richer or poorer? Financially, about the same. In friends and wisdom...infinitely richer!
18. What do you wish you had done more of?
Taking care of myself (yoga, pedicures, etc), more date nights with my sweet hubby, more one on one time with my older children.
19. What do you wish you had done less of?
Wishing my circumstances were different in multiple areas of my life.
20. How will (did) you be spending (spend) New Year's Eve?We had a Chanukkah party with some friends. (Every pound of those latkes disappeared!)
21. Did you fall in love in 2005?
Yes, with my husband (see behavior to be celebrated above!). I also got to experience (for probably the last time) the miracle of falling in love with a brand new person that I had just lifted from my body.
22. What was your favorite TV program?
Embarassingly enough, Grey's Anatomy on CBS. It's pure brain candy...but ooh how delicious!
23. What was the most fun you had this year?
Celebrating Thanksgiving with my mom and all my sisters for the first time in ten years. We loved being in the DC area and having snow that night, too!
24. What was the best book you read?
The Time Traveller's Wife. I also loved re-reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn with my oldest daughter.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Revival in Belfast (a worship album), Also Margaret Becker's Celtic Project.
26. What did you want and get?
A beautiful "upgraded" engagement ring. Also a "stork" in my yard announcing the new baby to the neighborhood.
27. What did you not want and not get?
A traffic ticket!
28. What was your favorite film this year?
It'd be a tie between Chronicles of Narnia and Pride and Prejudice.
29. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
Cruised the scrapbook store with my sister. Went out to dinner. Dislocated my tailbone in humiliating restraunt fall! 33.
30.What would have made your year measurably more satisfying?
Cutting myself a LOT more slack!
31. How would you describe your personal fashion in 2005?
Heavy emphasis on postpartum camoflauge! My best fashion moment, my dear friend telling me that I was one of the few women she knows who "has gotten hotter as she has gotten older". P.S. Laurie, I love you forever!
32. What kept you sane?
Friends who were faithful to keep pointing me to the truth in the face of frustrating circumstances. The babysitting and Starbucks they provided helped, too.!
33.Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
mmm....nope, no good or snappy answer for this one.
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
A former Lousiana resident, I was impacted very strongly by the mismangment of the Katrina cleanup.
On a local level, I was rather riled up by a lame iniative locally to ban breastfeeding in public.
35. Who did you miss?
Geographically, I miss my little sisters. I also still miss my dad, who has been gone over eleven years now.
36. Who was the best new person you met?
Kim
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005.
All things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
It's all about you, Jesus.
And all this is for you, for your glory and your fame.
It's not about me,
As if you should do things my way.
You alone are God and I surrender,
To your ways.
Name:
1 Comments:
Aw, gee, Heather...you get points for putting up with me! :-)
Lori
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