Goodbye 2010.

Hopefully all of you have received our Christmas card this year. There wasn’t much room to really share what has happened in our lives in the past year, so I thought this was the next best option. An electronic recollection of the little and big moments of 2010, if you will.

My first blog post of 2010 referenced the following quote: “take a picture of your life – remember what it looks like before it all changes.” I am not sure anything else could have been more fitting to sum up 2010.

The beginning of the year started out with some inner-struggle for both Kevin and I regarding the status of our lives. It all started when his contract with Intel was cut short and he was laid off in January (we expected him there until June). We had some difficulty, to say the least, realizing that all the dreams that filled our heads in college were going to take a little bit longer to achieve taken the current economy. We didn’t have the jobs we were promised, we didn’t live in the town we loved, and we no longer had the stability we had longed for. The worst part was – we didn’t have any answers as to why this all had to happen to use right after getting married. To this day, the same worries and struggles keep us up some nights and we’ve learned to lean on each other during these times.

In January, Kevin turned 25. Although we weren’t rolling in dough, we splurged with a trip to The Melting Pot (our favorite restaurant) to celebrate. The last time we had been there was the night we got engaged so we were super excited to go back. On top of dinner, Kevin’s parents came into town and we went out on the town. Dinner with both sets of parents at Springwater Grill and then off to the Blazer game. The big 2-5 came and went, but we celebrated in style.

In February, we became aunt/uncle to our second niece – Peyton Olivia! – and our first niece Sophia Sunshine turned 2. We love them so much. I also gave myself the gift of sight. Glasses were the best thing that I’ve ever purchased. You don’t realize how bad you have it, until you can see clearly. It’s like seeing the world in a completely new way! Valentine’s Day was especially thrilling this year considering we had a new section of greeting cards to choose from….to my wife, to my husband.

In March, we continued our pity party and extended Kevin’s job search into other nearby states. In addition, I learned of my painful ovary problems and was thankful to hear that it could have been a lot worse. Overall, the posts from that month aren’t exactly light reading, but it was a chapter (that continues still) in our life that we’ll never forget. Having it in writing will be helpful one day when we can look back and see how far we’ve come. March also welcomed Kevin’s love for cooking. We also worked on establishing a budget, looking for ways to save (like my homemade laundry soap) and making plans for our financial future.

In April, we spent our first major holiday alone together. It was a fantastic Easter together in our simple home with a fantastic and adorable chef named Kevin. Everything I could have asked for. We considered upgrading from our apartment to a rental home, but after we crunched the numbers we realized it was something we weren’t financially ready for. April also took us to Las Vegas – a much-needed vacation to clear our heads, realize and soak up some sun.

In May, we received our first set of pregnancy books. Actually, pre-pregnancy books but they have proved very insightful. They were a gift from Karen on my first “mother’s day” even though I am not a mother yet. Our mothers and us enjoyed a wonderful long lunch at the Shenanigan’s buffet complete with overflowing mimosa’s – a good time was had by all! We also perfected our laundry soap recipe. Let’s just say, it was a month of the little things in life.

In June, we were still in the same old funk. On the 28th, it was confirmed that our possible-surprise-pregancy was just a false alarm. Although hard at first, we were ok in the end knowing that we have plenty of time for babies. It was also a relief knowing before we left on our cruise in July.

In July, we spent a week of bliss in the Mexican Riviera aboard a carnival cruise ship. We also started and completed the hunt for the perfect coffee table. It was a process but well worth it in the end. The 31st marked our first wedding anniversary! The year seemed to fly by and crawl by all at the same time.

In August, I had coffee and conversation with an old friend that led to me focusing on living in the present and being thankful for what I have. What can I say, I’ve tried really hard. I must say most of the posts made in the summer of 2010 were questions about our future and why we haven’t seen the fruits of our labor. They aren’t all pretty words, but were necessary at the time. I wouldn’t take them back. We spent the latter part of the month searching for a new home sweet home. Right before we left a quick getaway in Vegas, we found a place and, while we were out of town, got everything taken care of for the lease.

In September, we had found our new home! A cozy little duplex connected to a family of five (very sweet), closer to work and a fenced backyard for The Monst. We also made our first big appliance purchase together – a washer and dryer set – and they are spectacular! Most nights this month were spent sleeping on a mattress on the living room floor of our new place and fighting with our old apartment managers. We literally had one foot out the door and one foot in another and we spent the majority of the month getting settled.

In October, we celebrated my I’m-turning-25-again birthday with Karen and Tim in my favorite town: Corvallis. It was a weekend filled with good eats, great drinks, exciting (and hot!) football and superb company. We finished out the end of the month in Hawaii with family and returned to a new problem: fleas!

In November, we decided we were ready to (gulp!) have a baby. Let the planning begin! We spent Thanksgiving with my family and the Cameron family at my cousin Michelle’s house in Canby. It was a small(er) group and a very fun change. We got our very own seats at the adult table – skooch over, mom and dad. There’s a new set of kids in town!

In December, we took a trip around the greater part of Oregon (it seemed like) to find the perfect Garvey Christmas tree. We decorated the house for Christmas and watched every Christmas flick we could get our hands on. We donated toys to the same charities, but spent more time picking out the perfect gifts both in fun and price. We wanted to make sure we could get the most for our money. In the end, we packed a Boss family Christmas in on the 23rd (our first time hosting). We set off for Vegas on the 24th in celebration of Karen’s birthday and spent Christmas in sin city. It was a whirlwind way to close out the year.

Now, as I finish this post I started jotting weeks ago, I type between every sneeze and Kleenex swipe and think of all the good times I’ve had this year. It was a particularly difficult year in my life thus far. I wouldn’t say it’s filled with too many fond memories, but I think the good memories (no matter how few and far between) always outshine the bad. Plus, it’s during the hard times that you learn about yourself and the type of person you want to be. It’s during the times of questioning and suffering that you learn to adapt. Kevin and I have both grown up a lot in the past year. It was a hard year, but definitely one we’ll always remember. Goodbye to 2010, we’re on to bigger and better things.