2010 - a year in review

I wanted to write a post about our family's most memorable moments of 2010, but how do you do that when 2010 marked your first child's first year of life? Every day is filled with all kinds of memories. There's just no way to really capture it all in a single blog post, but I'll try.

Best Family Moment
Let's get this one out of the way because it is the hardest.  There were so many great moments as a new family of three.  When I think of our best moments I think of our Christmastime stay in the hospital with newborn Jack, I think of Jack's first smile, and I think of the pure, giddy joy we felt when we watched Jack take his first steps.  But overall I think that my favorite moments came on our hiking trip at Mirror Lake.  Seeing Jack so excited about being out in nature - touching the rocks and the leaves and just being so inquisitive about everything really gave me a glimpse into what our great adventure with him will be as he grows up. 

Best Moment with Friends
When Jack was just a few weeks old, a huge group of our friends gathered for a long dinner at the now-defunct Claim Jumper restaurant.  We had such a fun time.  A close second place goes to our outing to the Milwaukee Public Museum with dinner at Buca's afterward. In 2011, I resolve that we will spend more time with our amazing friends.

Best Vacation
Our trip to California in May was amazing.  Dan's mother met Jack, her first and only grandbaby, for the first time - how can you top that?  And taking Jack to Knott's Berry Farm was just the icing on the cake.  It was a wonderful vacation.

Best Purchase
Our PT Cruiser, the replacement for my beautiful lost Mustang, was our best purchase.  Don't be fooled by this car - as a convertible it turns heads in the summer - at least as much as the Mustang did - and so far it handles the winter roads beautifully.  It was definitely a wise buy and I'm so grateful that we have it.


Best New Hobby/Interest
For me, obviously it is my newfound love of running.  I can't overstate how much running has changed my life, and I look forward to more races, more long runs, and hopefully a little more speed in the new year.


What I'm looking forward to most in 2011
Our family road trip in May is the biggest thing I'm excited about.  The planning is proving to be so much fun, if the trip itself is just as fun it will be a total winner.  On a personal level, I look forward to challenging myself by running a 10K this summer and a half marathon by fall.  

2010 was great, but I have a feeling that 2011 is going to be amazing.  Happy New Year everyone!