As 2008 came to a close and 2009 was starting, I had a vision of how my year would go. Within the first month of the year, those visions came crashing down when I was laid off from my job at Express. It was devastating and it took a while to deal with all the emotions that came along with it. But when I look back at the year as a whole, losing my job was just a bump in the road. I refused to let it set the tone for my entire year. And while it impacted the entire year, I still found plenty of ways to be positive, have fun, and make the most out of the situation.
When I think of 2009, getting laid off is still the main thing that comes to mind...but as you can see there were plenty of good things happening in '09.
Celebrations:
- In June, Dave graduated and received his Masters in Biochemistry, making that his fourth degree from OSU.
- We celebrated my parent's 40th wedding anniversary on June 14th
- If I'm counting correctly, there were 8 babies born among friends and family
- We went to the Fenstermaker family reunion (which is Dave's mom's side of the family), where I met a ton of new people
- I hung work in 2 exhibitions- one at Ohio Dominican University's Art & Community show and the other was a solo exhibition at Mad Lab Theatre featuring my photography.
- We went to 2 weddings
- My sister-in-law and her boyfriend got engaged!
- Dave's 10 year high school reunion was this summer, which was fun for me too since we were dating in high school and I knew most of the people there.
- Dave and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary October 6th
- Yoga...I cannot say enough wonderful things about it. I have been practicing since May and it is the reason why Mondays are becoming my favorite day of the week.
- Along with yoga, I've joined the gym and regularly attend core, cardio and weight training classes about 4-5 times a week. I am a group fitness junkie.
- I became a vegetarian...going on 4 months now!
- I've always loved to bake, but this year I learned more about cake decorating and working with fondant. It's something I love to do now, and am making cakes and cupcakes for every occasion I can think of.
- I've been putting lots of work into building a photography business and branding my work. I had a logo designed, I designed business cards and a blog and I am having a website built. Hoping it will all be finished soon!
- I also discovered that I have a bit of a green thumb! I tried gardening and was pretty successful...definitely something I will do again. I cannot wait to plant a larger crop of potatoes and I think I will plant more flowers and less cucumbers this year. We had a ton of cucumbers, and neither one of us like them.
- And as if I needed another hobby- I learned how to sew! I even got a new machine for my birthday and have been trying to teach myself the basics.
For Fun
- Dave and I went to a Clipper's game, a Columbus Blue Jacket's game and an OSU football game
- We went strawberry picking, apple picking, and went to the pumpkin patch to pick our pumpkins
- I went to 2 concerts with a good friend...NKOTB (New Kids On The Block) and Jason Mraz- both were awesome!!
- We went to Myrtle Beach with Leslie and Josh- I don't think we stopped laughing the whole trip! It was kind of surreal to be there with Leslie all these years later with our husbands...we used to go there together every year as kids with my family. Made me feel a bit old, but it was so much fun and made me so thankful to have a friend like that.
- Dave and I also went to Baton Rouge, LA for a wedding over the summer. It was a mini-vacation for us too- we took a day to see New Orleans and enjoy the city. It was a great trip- but I recommend flying!
- We went to the zoo and saw the baby elephant!
- I reconnected with 3 great friends this year who over the years I had lost touch with. I am so thankful to have them all back in my life.
And yes, among all these things there were job interviews that amounted to nothing, days when I wanted to just stay in bed, and plenty of difficult moments. But I am surrounded by the best family and friends anyone could ever ask for.
As I sat in the parking lot at Express on January 29th, 2009 and called Dave to tell him the news I had no idea what to expect. As I cried and broke the news, all I can remember him saying is "We're going to be okay". And we are. We are better than ok.
So while I say goodbye to 2009, I am thankful for all that I have learned over the past year. It may not have been according to my plan, but I am a happier and healthier person than I was 1 year ago today. Sometimes we need that gentle nudge to push us in another direction, to help us discover who we are and what we really want in life. A reminder to never take things for granted, and to define ourselves not only by our careers, but by the things we are most passionate about.
I saw these photos yesterday on another blog, and it made me stop and think. I think I will keep a few of them tucked away as a reminder for myself in 2010...
