The end of each year always makes me a little nostalgic. I like to spend a little time reviewing the past year and smiling at the memories made. So here's my review of 2010.
January started out busy and the rest of the year followed suit. Work was crazy and school and everyday life kept us on the go quite a bit. February saw some more travel to Texas for work. It also marked the beginning of a new friendship that has wound up being one of the best I've had in a long time. March was an especially good month for reasons I won't get into here. Just know that it was a very, very good month filled with very, very good memories. April brought Katelyn's 7th birthday and lots of celebration. May was very busy - travel to Texas and Mobile for work, the Blue Angels air show, and the Tim McGraw/Lady Antebellum concert. June was marked with our trip to Panama City Beach. So many good memories from that trip and so many good pictures. July was more fun with baseball games and fireworks at the park. August was the beginning of another school year and celebrating Hunter's 12th birthday. We also got to see the night race at Bristol which was awesome. That's not something a lot of people get to experience and we loved it. September started football season and we tailgated on the Quad with friends at every home game. October brought more football, more tailgating, a trip to the fair in Birmingham, homecoming at the kids' school and Halloween. November was filled with still more football, including taking the kids to the GA State game, and Thanksgiving spent with family. Finally December rolled around and we celebrated my birthday, watched Katelyn in her school play, and celebrated Christmas with family and friends. All in all, it was a very good year.
This time of year is also a little bittersweet for me. I always go back to one year in particular - the end of 1996, beginning of 1997. That year my mom was put in the hospital right before Christmas. It was the only year I missed going to our family's Christmas Eve party because I wouldn't leave the hospital. She was diagnosed with COPD, which is a breating disorder similar to emphysema. I spent every day at Huntsville Hospital, usually getting there around lunch time and staying until the last visit at 10 pm. She was on a ventilator most of the time and in the ICU. Then on New Year's Eve, they took her off the ventilator. I was still at my parents' house when my dad called to tell me. Since I was coming later in the day anyway, I told him I would pack a bag and spend the night with her since they were moving her into a regular room. I was still a smoker back then and had made a New Year's resolution to quit smoking. I had plans on smoking my last cigarette just before midnight that night and putting them down for good. Since I was at the hospital, and they lock the doors after 10 pm, I had to adjust my plan a little. I walked outside around 8:30 or 9:00 and smoked 2 cigarettes. And that was that. It's the only New Year's resolution I've ever kept. My mom took a turn for the worse that night and her breathing became very labored. She wasn't getting enough oxygen, so they gave her a 4 hour breathing treatment to try to open her lungs up. My dad was going to stay with her that night, but they had to move her back to the ICU. He wound up coming home around 11:00 pm because they wouldn't allow anyone to stay back there except during the specified visiting times. She never fully recovered from that. I was still asleep on the morning of January 7th when the phone woke me up. It was my oldest brother telling me that my mom was gone. I've never felt heartbreak quite like that.
The next New Year's Eve, I took a pregnancy test on a whim. I was late and didn't want to go out and drink if there was a chance I was pregnant. Two pink lines appeared and that's when I found out that I was going to be a mom. What a difference a year makes. The year before was full of heartbreak and this one was full of joy and love. Those are the 2 New Year's that stick out the most to me. And I find myself reliving both with each passing year.
As 2010 comes to an end, take a little while and reflect on the past year and all the years before. Remember the good times, shed a tear for the sad times, and look forward to all the times yet to come. May 2011 be the best year yet for all of us. Happy New Year!
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