A year in review

2014 is winding to a close, and everyone is making Facebook year in review slideshows.  It's really kind of an awesome concept.  Facebook has chosen some random photo albums, posts and pictures from the year and turned them into a little presentation.  In creating and watching mine (which I've since watched a dozen times), I realized how awesome my year was!

While the year is not quite over yet -- and knowing me, things could go crazy in the next 8 days, I thought I'd take a few minutes to be thankful for the amazing year I had.  It's sort of like Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Years all rolled into one... talk about crazy.

Of course, I am thankful for my wonderful husband.  We had an amazing year together & I am ever-grateful that I found him.  The adventures we had this year were unparalleled and something I never could have come up with in my wildest dreams.  While the year started on sort of a sour note (failed IVF), it only got better.


We got to take a helicopter ride to the Grand Canyon for starters...

We spent a very fancy evening at the Barrister's Ball



We went to Disneyland -- In France

And we did a thousand other things that I really don't have photos of... like, we went to San Diego, saw the Zoo, went to Mexico, and we bought a timeshare -- again.  



All of this was amazing.  And I could not be happier.  We are winding down the year with our new adventure into foster care.  Every day I wonder "will today be the day we get that call?"  So far, the answer has been "no" every day... but every day that it's no brings us closer to the day that it's yes.  Mike asks almost every day if we're getting a baby today, so I know that he's just as excited.

I met new friends this year... 


I met Nancy - who lived in Shenzhen about the same time I did and totally understands the weirdness I went through.  In exchange, I understand her total bewilderment at the American system of government.

And I met Charlene, who traveled in tandem with us to Paris, Berlin, and Dublin.  It was so odd how our paths matched up for a full six weeks!  She inspired me to want to run a Disney race and dang it, I'm going to do it!


And of course, all of my wonderful law school friends - many of which aren't "new" friends, but have really pulled together to make this  year so amazing and so successful.  If only my classes were as successful as my events!  

There are dozens more people that I don't have photos of... 

Amy gets a big thank you for keeping me on the path to (relative) health and well being, not to mention some general sanity in law school.  I know that I'm a terrible person to have to coach into fitness, but she does a great job and I want her to know that her efforts have not gone unnoticed.

Molly gets lots of love as well.  We never get to see each other (damn economy), but she is still my very best friend in the whole world & hopefully she has finally found some well-deserved happiness.  

I am grateful for all of my friends and family - no matter how often or little I may be able to see them, I know I am loved and cared for.  I know there are dozens of people I could turn to in a crisis that would be willing to help and support us.  We have seen such an outpouring of affection this year, I feel truly blessed.

Aside from people -- I'm incredibly grateful that I made it through another year of law school.  It felt kind of nip-and-tuck there for a while... but oh my goodness, can you believe I'm 2/3 done... A few more credits this year & hopefully next year will be smooth sailing.  Sometimes It feels like I've been doing this whole law school thing forever; other days it feels like I just started yesterday.  Either way, I'll be so happy to be done.

I am also very happy for my job.  While it may be trying at times, I am so grateful to have an understanding boss that supports me in both my professional and personal endeavors.  I've worked with both good and bad administrators in the past 10 years and the bad far outnumber the good.  I am lucky to have found a decent one.

May 2015 be just as wonderful.

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