Looking Back...and Moving Forward

That’s it. I’m just going to say it.

I’m not sure that I’m ready for 2009 to be over.

This has been one stellar year.

For 8 months, I was engaged, planned a wedding, and spent special wedding-related moments with friends and my family, and with my fiancé. I graduated from Mizzou, and thus closed a wonderful four-year chapter of my life. I moved out of my first apartment, and found a new one in St. Louis where Bobby and I are starting a new chapter together.

And then there was a wedding! (Oh, that wedding….)

And a honeymoon!

And a move, and a new city, and a new job!

For 4 months, I’ve been a wife! And Bobby and I have settled comfortably into the last part of 2009.

Does it get much better?

It’s not that I don’t want the New Year to arrive; I just don’t want to say goodbye to what has been a beautiful, exciting, life-changing year. But, life just keeps happening, doesn’t it? 2010 is coming. And, I’m prepared for that. There really are so many other beautiful things that are to come, in the coming year…in the coming decade!

A few things I am already looking forward to in the coming year:

· Celebrating our 1^st married Valentine’s Day, and our sixth anniversary of “togetherness”

· Celebrating our 24^th birthdays

· Trips to Springfield

· Summer in St. Louis

· Visits from loved ones to our home

· Becoming involved at our new church

· Hearing about friends’ wedding planning

· A trip to Minnesota

· Kelsey’s wedding

· A vacation to somewhere

· Celebrating our first anniversary!

Tonight Bobby and I are going to make a list together of our favorite moments and memories from 2009 (his idea!), and I’m curious to see what makes Bobby’s list. There is much to look back on and smile about. And, if this little activity tonight becomes a tradition, I know that our list from 2010 will be a lengthy one, too. And that’s because we love life! We make our years together great, full of “little moments” and joy and laughter. If there are no major life milestones for us in 2010 as there were in 2009, that’s okay. I’m excited to grow in our “everyday love”, and settle into 2010 as husband and wife, continually exploring what that means…in our new city, our new home, our new church, and our new life.

I will always look back on 2009 with a smile, and thankfulness for the time of celebration that it was. But, here comes 2010! I’m ready. It’s a gift! And, it’s going to be great. My resolution? To recognize daily the little moments that will make it that way.