With Year's End . . .

With year's end comes excellent news: Adam passed his registry exam! When he returned home for the test yesterday, he was sure he had failed. What a relief to find he hadn't. And what cause for celebration as we move into the new year. In fact, we're having steaks with his coworkers tonight to celebrate.

Just yesterday I was giving a little thought to this past year. It was a hard year, a remarkable one, and one filled with so much unexpected joy and challenge. I took a peek at my old blog, just to see where I was a year ago, and I had to resist the urge to cringe. Life was so full of possibilities, and I bursting with hope that 2009 would be better than 2008. And it was -- I didn't lose my job, I carried a baby successfully to term, and I grew . . . a lot.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that 2009 was a year of transition and growth for me. With Lily came a lot of unanticipated changes. I knew that becoming a mother would be tough. I didn't know that it would change my relationships with people so dramatically. Some relationships have mended, while others have been torn apart. I'm learning how to love and forgive and move on.

This year, I also struggled to figure out that I can't do it all and that, maybe, I don't want to. And even though we don't intend to stay in Alabama for too much longer, I'm learning that it is important to bloom where you're planted, no matter where it is.

And though these are by no means set in stone, I do have a few intentions for 2010:

:: Make time for the table. I sort of envision this year being the year of the table. Our table has been sorely neglected and we have spent too much time (gasp!) eating in front of the TV. I'd also like to spend time there daily to pause and think and make notes and read and stare at the pink house next door.

:: Get in bed before I fall asleep. I'm embarrassed to admit how often Adam and I fall asleep while watching TV. I'm thinking about making a rule that we turn it off at 9, and either find something else to do (aka. read) or go to sleep because we're often wiped out by that hour anyway (yes, we're that cool).

:: Take a photo (almost) every day in 2010. More thoughts on this later.

:: Read a lot.

:: Decorate.