Important announcement at the end.What kind of sham would this blog be if I didn't use today to prompt one last reflection of this year's highs, lows, and ahas? Today, after all, we usher out 2008 and ring in the year 2009.
Newcomers... our blog is named Highlowaha, because of an underlying appreciation for the value of periodically stopping long enough to reflect on life's highs, lows, and life lessons. Normally we reserve this ritual for the 18th day of each month, but this month, in honor of New Year's Eve, we'll do it twice.
Today we will reflect on the year's highs, lows, and ahas. And, you don't have to reserve reflections for personal occurrences. Maybe your personal highs are dwarfed by the awe inspiring opening of the Olympics in Beijing, the election of a new U.S. president, or Big Brown's win at the 134th Kentucky Derby. Similarly, maybe you are fortunate enough not to have had a low as devastating as the fires in California, the recent avalanche in Canada, the earthquake in China, or the Super Tuesday tornadoes in southern states.
Maybe even a combination of personal, national, and international highs, lows, and ahas could work. I'll let you decide.
As for me...
- Highs: making new friends; Jack turning one and letting us sleep through the night; visiting my parents in New York; my sister coming to visit twice; hosting Pen Pal weekend with Katie as my side kick; completing some home improvements; Getting HLA up and running; Heather moving to Texas; Richard's grand e-bay purchase of an industrial-sized espresso machine; opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics; and my new Honda Pilot.
- Lows: My car dying, requiring me to get my new Honda Pilot; natural disasters; the death of Tim Russert; and the economy
- Ahas: Eleven highs, four lows. I'm lucky!
Important Announcement
There is no Virtual Highlowaha New Year's Eve party tonight, but tune in at soon after midnight (beginning EST) and let us know how you spent the evening. There will be a short activity, sure to get 2009 off to a great start. See you then!
Signing off until later tonight...
Posts
10 comments:
Back home after a late, but very fun Christmas celebration with the in-laws. The Texas themed Christmas tree went over very well, as did the EncourageMints jar for my husband's 100 year old great grandmother!!! Thanks for those ideas...those DFW-ers out there, be expecting Chandra (my sister in law) to contact you.
Julie left yesterday before I got back. She flew to NC and will be helping a friend drive to AZ...another looong, but exciting road trip awaits her.
HIGHS: I have two that tie for absolute highs - Getting married to my best friend and a very wonderful man on February 2 (yes, groundhogs day...but we really didn't plan it that way on purpose!) and the birth of our daughter, Jennifer Alexis on March 25. Other highs: Harvesting my first archery deer, our pig roast/trap shoot redneck reception, watching other friends get married, news of engagements, news of forthcoming babies, learning about HLA, watching my sister walk across the stage to get her doctorate (ok, so the actual ceremony was really boring, but hey, I have a sister who is a Doctor now! I'm really proud of that!) the fact that a woman who shares many of my philosophies and ideals came closer to the vice presidency than ever before.
Lows: Some unnecessary family tension
Aha's: This post is long enough, if I share everything I have learned as a new wife and mother you would be here forever reading this...and I would be here forever typing this...I will leave it as 2008 was a year full of adjustments, learning, and growing...a year which will surely go down as one of the best! Ok 2009...can you beat that??
Highs: Lily amazing me everyday with her new accomplishments; getting a great new job; our nation having the courage to elect Obama to presidency
Lows: Not selling our house in the 7 months since we left KY; money woahs and the economy in general
Ahas: Everyday as a parent brings me an aha as I reexperience life through the eyes of a child filled with wonder.
I'll have to come back and do my High, Low and Aha...
Did I just read you want me to stay up until midnight? Okay, wait. 11 for me. I'll start paying attention to the details. :)
On the bright side, Cheryl you figured out how you can still post but not have to wait until the stroke of midnight!
It's always New Year's somewhere. In fact, I watched Sydney's new years on the Today Show this morning.
Maybe you could just post now. Oh, but wait. You don't know the prompt.
Ha! Ha! See you at midnight.
I missed yesterday here at HLA, so I must share my tradition today. Most New Years', both my families pass around glasses of sparkling cider (no champagne because there are too many kids!) and we all cheers one another at the stroke of midnight. It is kind of weird that both my families share that tradition and I know my parents did not do it before they divorced...
OK on to today...
HIGHS: my fave- turning 21 and celebrating it in las vegas with my best friend who also turned 21 the same day; gettin closer to graduating college and becoming a nurse; friends getting engaged/married; road trip to tera and treye's wedding with some great friends; going to niagara falls, las vegas, and mexico for the first time; relationships and heartaches- and learning from them; another successful Family Weekend at Bellarmine University, and playing a huge part in making it happen; the HLA community; and many great friendships...2009 will bring some GREAT highs though. I cannot wait!
LOWS: relationships and heartaches- and learning from them; heather moving to texas and not being there to finish family weekend with us (BOY has it been hard without you!); growing up even more and being ready to leave my parents' house but unable to do so just yet; realizing why I have such a hard time letting down my walls (a low and aha really)
AHAS: I have learned a lot about myself this past year and really grown. I just have to give some examples as why 2009 will be great, but its also some ahas- last semester of college, spring break cruise with friends, Mom turning the big 40, graduating, being a nurse, moving out...AHHHH so much change is coming for me this year!!!
Highs~ I think I covered a bunch of highs yesterday but I bet I can find some more... my mom's 70th birthday, my friend is pregnant with her first baby, my company moved into the most beautiful office building ever, I am overall healthy, I discovered a new artist that I love and have purchased a new piece.
Lows~ Squirrel/Rat Bastard- I hate rodents. My garage door broke on Christmas day but that's only mildly annoying. I'm not sure how I spent too much money over the summer.
Aha~ Even though house maintenance is a bit of a pain, I am SO fortunate to be able to own a home in a place that I love so no matter what breaks or what squirrel bastard gets in my attic, all in all, I have everything I need. :)
11:04... dangerously close to losing me!
where is the task?
like a bum I woke up at 12:07...hmmm...ooops...?
HIGHS: Lucian, of course; being pregnant to start the year; my homebirth, which was incredible; all the amazing support we received from family & friends during our little medical journey this year; incredible health insurance and the best doctors on the planet; more blessings than I can count; learning every single day
LOWS: too much time in the hospital; not enough time at home or with my husband; missing out on so much time holding my baby when he was still tiny b/c he was in traction
AHAS: Becoming a parent is the probably the single-most significant transformation I will undergo in my lifetime... not exactly a surprise or realization, per se, but I feel it so much more profoundly than I thought possible. And by becoming a parent, I mean the literal act of giving birth as much as the figurative "becoming a mother" thing. Also, I knew I was strong, but not this strong.
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