Heavens to Betsy, 2010 is over!

I know that everyone says it every year, but it really is true: it is hard to believe that a whole year has gone by.

For us, what is even wierder, is how little happened this year! No new cars, no moves from Fresno to Upland, no moves from apartments to houses, no wedding to plan, no new dogs. It is definitely our most average year together to date. This year was more about the small and normal things that happened.

There are the things that were exciting and were written about on the blog, from the dreams come true of meeting Mo Willems and staying at the Grand Californian, to the fun times like hanging out with the cousins, having a large 4th of July party and going to concerts.

Then there are the lesser thought about things that really make me proud when I think about them:

• John got a new job this year. This might seem ordinary to some, but when you hear about "this economy" constantly in the news, it makes you thankful to realize that hard workers can succeed and better themselves. Not only that, he is more welcomed and appreciated in this job, and feels much less stress and much more support. I am the most proud and impressed by the fact that he found out about, applied for, pursued and interviewed for this job by himself. I did not have to help him the process at all, and was proud of him to see something he wanted, pursue it and feel successful about it.
• I passed the GRE. This test is widely agreed upon as a waste of time. It is taken by those interesting in getting their masters, as a way for masters programs to verify that you have the basic knowledge that you should have recieved during your bachelor's program. (To me, the actual bachelor's degree should be proof that you got some kind of knowledge, enough to continue your education, but I guess that is just my opinion.) It is very expensive and hard to study for. It might cover some topics, and it might not. You could study vocabulary words for a week straight and might still encounter words you have never heard of on the test. You might have some knowledge of algebra but get tricked by the false answers that are put there on purpose to trick you. I tried to study for it, and I tried not to worry about it, but it was a very stressful time. I ended up passing within a fairly solid range, but not without plenty of sweat.
• I am halfway done with my masters. I randomly got an email in February about cheap masters programs that made me think twice. It was a pretty long process of applying and making sure I had the correct paperwork. I have been through some pretty tough classes, read and typed more words than I thought possible and have actually learned some things. It seems crazy that I am already halfway done!
• I have a nail girl. This really might not be huge, but I just so associate getting your nails done every other week with being a grown up and being a real teacher. It is funny to think that I am both of those things, and having perfect nails helps to remind me.
• I have friends, and good relationships. This might seem even stranger, but when I stop a think about how being married and being a real teacher has really changed how I feel about myself and how I feel about other people. This has really made me think about how I relate to people, and it some ways it is easier. I find that I am reaching out more to people, realizing that having more people to love and to love you is a great thing. Having more patience is also a great thing.
• My name has been brought up at meetings with real, important District level people discussing me on at least 3 different occasions. I am immensely proud of this, that these discussions have come up completely out of the blue in response to an idea of mine or something I have implemented. Having pretty constantly been someone who doesn't love attention, it is a nice feeling to have a good reputation for doing good work. My principal says that this kind of attention means I should think about becoming a principal or working at the District. I say that this kind of attention means I should keep doing what I am doing.
• I did not eat a single french fry (other than a few servings of baked sweet potato fries, which don't count, in my opinion) or chip (potato, tortilla, corn or pita) in 2010. While food and diet and exercise will probably always be a roller coaster for me, I am relieved to know that I do have self control in some areas.
• I can leave the house without wearing eye liner or eye makeup. I am not sure how or when this happened, but all of the sudden, I could let it go. In a similar vein, I can also not only deal with but also enjoy my hair when it is not perfectly straight. Formerly, every strand of hair would be tortured between 2 ceramic plates at 410 degrees until they were burned into submission. After straightening each strand I could apply the perfect cat eye line with liquid eyeliner, thickness determined by the look I was going for, and changed daily. This line would be on top of whatever three colors of eye shadow I had chosen for the day, to match my mood and outfit. I still reallly enjoy doing these things, but it is a pleasure to not feel like I have to, to feel like I still look put together and like myself with less effort.

As I have been dwelling on this year, these are the things that stand out to me the most. They may not seem important while they are happening, and might not stand out in the moment, but they are what life is made of.

As for 2011, who knows? We shall all have to see.