2013 In Review

Here is a link to the awesome list of questions that inspired this post.

1.      What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before?

* Knitting.  I've knitted three scarves in the past, but this time around I am knitting a hat.  So far I have learned how to purl, knit in the round and cable.  The hat isn't completed yet, but I am getting close.
* I danced on stage with my husband in the Nutcracker.  We were part of the party scene.  I have never danced in a performance before, other than in dance recitals when I was a kid.  It was the highlight of my year.  :)
*Visited my dad's childhood home.  My dad's first few years were spent in Crawford, Nebraska.  We had a family weekend over Labor Day where we all gathered at Fort Robinson, NE, which is just a couple miles away from Crawford.
*Saw the peloton of pro bicyclists go by as they raced into our city in the second-to-last stage of the USA Pro Challenge this past August.  That was very cool!

 

2.      Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions and will you make more for next year?
I never did officially write anything down, but here is what I was thinking as the new year (2013)rolled in...
* I needed to take care of my shoulder.  The pain was increasing and affecting my daily life in every way.  I began physical therapy in early March, and progressed through the hoops of nerve study, MRI, surgery in May, and then more physical therapy.  By August I was officially pain free.
* I wanted a breast reduction.  It was something that I have wanted to do for years.  This year I got serious.  It was part of the reason why I was having issues with my shoulder, anyway.  I'd done years of chiropractic, massage, physical therapy, pain meds...  Nothing was going to ease the discomfort of carrying those things around but to surgically reduce their size.  I fought the insurance company for three months before I finally got it approved.  Surgery was in October, and I have to say this is the single-most BEST thing I have ever done for myself.  I am still very emotional about it - I am so incredibly happy with the results and the way I physically feel, now.
* Lose some weight.  This went hand-in-hand with the other two.  I will continue to have issues with joint and back pain until I get the weight off.  I lost 20 pounds between July and October.  Despite curtailing my exercise while I recovered from the breast reduction and all the culinary goodies that come with the holidays, I have maintained that loss so far.  Very proud of that.  :)

For next year...
* lose another 20 lbs
* save up enough $$ to take a family vacation next New Years to see my nephew march in the Rose Parade and go to Disneyland.
* spend more time with my extended family
* grow more than just weeds and basil in my garden
* actually DO those annual 694 hours of instruction time per child that I promise the state I will do.
* read 10 books.  I have no problem with reading or even the desire to read.  It's more about taking the time to actually do so.

3.      Did anyone close to you give birth?
My niece by marriage gave birth to a baby girl, EmmaRae, on July 31st.  I got to see and hold her for the first time during our Thanksgiving visit.  Such a sweet, beautiful baby girl.  How I miss holding babies and smelling their scent and listening to their sounds.  Sad sigh.

4.      Did anyone close to you die?
My uncle Buzz passed away in early December, shortly before 2013 began.  It has been a long year of 'firsts' where we did things as a family that were marked by his absence.  I visited his grave for the first time yesterday, as Rylan and I were driving to Boulder on an errand.  It was a spur of the moment decision.  We had not been invited to the burial, but my mom had shared with me whereabouts in the small cemetery his grave was located, so with just a few minutes' searching we found it.  There were three different Christmas arrangements there, by his headstone.  He is missed a great deal.
In February my great-aunt Bernice passed away.  She had been suffering for several years with Alzheimer's.  She was a grand lady that loved to collect antiques.  I remember going to her house, just down the street from my grandma's, to have tea, and then take a tour of her latest finds.  She walked everywhere and was busy, busy, busy.  She reminded me so much of my grandpa Orin (her older brother).  She had a sharp mind and wit.. it was so sad when the signs of Alzheimer's began to take hold.

5.      What countries did you visit?
Maybe I should change this to say 'counties' so that I can actually write something here.

6.      What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?
A more peaceful household.  Some days the chaos of the kids is just overwhelming.

7.      What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
May 22nd: shoulder surgery
Oct 10th: breast reduction surgery
Dec 31st: running the Resolution Run 5K - a goal of mine since July

8.      What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Losing the weight and regaining control of my health.  Wow.  Hard to put in to words how big this was.

9.      What was your biggest failure?
Getting control of the finances, record-keeping, bill paying... I have a continual pile of receipts that just will. never. end.
 

10.   Did you suffer illness or injury?
I got the flu in March, which really sucked, but otherwise it was a very fortunate year.

11.   What was the best thing you bought?
Hmmm. My Fitbit!  That little device was a catalyst for a lot of beneficial changes.

But honorable mention goes to the Keurig.  :)

12.   What was the best thing you received?
A beautiful red mug with white and gold snowflakes from my husband.  A total just-because surprise and very touching.  :)
 

13.   Where did most of your money go?
Projects around the house.  We replaced the old mish-mash of laminate and carpeting on the main floor with some beautiful Pergo flooring, along with new tile around the fireplace and paint for the walls.  The rest of it went towards running gear, tools and curriculum.

14.   What did you get really excited about?
My surgery.  It changed everything.

15.   What song will always remind you of 2013?
Blurred Lines.  I know, I know.  Quit yer bitching.  I loved that song.  It began my walking playlist for months.  I think too much has been read into the lyrics.  It has a great beat!  Nuff' said.

16.   Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? B) thinner or fatter? C) richer or poorer?
a) happier - much happier!     b) thinner - yay!    c) I wouldn't say 'richer' per se, but we have improved the quality of some things in our life.

17.    What do you wish you’d done more of?
Schoolwork.  Travel.  Camping.  Nature Study.

18.   What do you wish you’d done less of?
Fretting about things I had no control over.

19   How did you spend Christmas?
We stayed at home this year.  We visited Santa a couple days before, shopped for gifts at the last minute...  We went to services on Christmas Eve with my dad and brother and nephews, and then they all came over after for a spaghetti dinner.  My nephews were sweet in saying that they loved the food and just hanging out with all of us together.  After they left we bundled up and headed out to look at Christmas lights.  We had a nice Christmas morning opening gifts, ate chocolate waffles for breakfast, and a turkey dinner at my mom's that afternoon.  We did puzzles, movies, popcorn, hot cocoa and left overs for the remainder of the day.

20.   What was your favorite TV program?
The Middle and The Biggest Loser.

21.   What were your favorite books of the year?
Hyperbole and a Half: unfortunate situations, flawed coping mechanisms, mayhem, and other things that happened, by Allie Brosh. 

Absolutely hilarious and way too close to home, all at the same time.

22.   What was your favorite music from this year?
Everything on my walking/running playlist

23.   What were your favorite films of the year?
Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Frozen.

24.   What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 42.  We spent the day hiking and then a nice dinner at my mom's.

25.   What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
It has been such an amazing year of transformation, I really can't think of what to say here.  Maybe if there was less arguing amongst the kids. 

26.   What political issue stirred you the most?
I am deeply concerned about what Common Core is doing to our nation's teachers and children, and what the Koch Brothers are up to.  The implications are scary, and the thought of politicians and businessmen driving our nation's education policy and instruction just completely pisses me off.

27.   What kept you sane?
Exercise.

28.   Who did you meet this year?
I met... some new doctors and nurses -all great at what they do!
 

29.   Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013.

Your mental and physical health is the only thing that you have direct control over.  Do it.  Today.

30.  Best song lyric for the year?

"I went from zero, to my own hero"
-"Roar" by Katy Perry
 

Everybody needs someone to look down on...

So, I think I've come to a realization about my downcast mood of late...



This recent election cycle was...a doozy.

(Duh)



I think that the constant, daily bombardment of negative political ads, depressing NPR/MSNBC political analysis, and pull-your-hair-out-scream-at-the-tv-I-can't-believe-that-idiot-just-said-that-out-loud-in-front-of-cameras has taken it's toll. It has really, really messed with my psyche. I blame Fox News, a couple of crazy ladies from Alaska and Minnesota, Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck, a windbag with the worst comb over in televised history who really needs to be FIRED from NBC, and Ted Nugent. Oh, and let's not forget Chuck Norris, who has shared that he and his trophy wife are really, really, really afraid for the future of this nation. Why don't you hop down into a bomb shelter, Chuck, and wait until after the end times, when it is safe to come out? I hear that Dec. 22nd is a good day to do that. Then you can have the mean streets of America all to your scared little self.



Facebook hasn't been a very friendly place to wander lately, either. It feels like a physical slap in the face whenever someone posts a thought that is contrary to your own.

" Wait a minute.... she actually LIKED the Mitt Romney page??"

" Paul Ryan is hot?" WTF???

It feels even worse when you post a picture of your own car's bumper sticker vandalism and the inlaws clog up your newsfeed for the rest of the evening with Romney "likes". Nice.

I need a break. I need a break from all things judgmental. I'm tired of the urge to judge others and of being judged myself. Social media is always quick to step in with some new group that you can look down upon. Right now I look down on men who proudly march around with a bayonet in one hand, and a binder in the other. That will be subject to change though, I'm sure. Um, no. No it won't. I think I will always look down on them. Men who walk around with a taser and an iPad are *much* cooler.



See, here's the thing. If the Republican party is to survive (which I certainly hope it does not, in it's current form), it needs to heed the message it received on election night that we are ALL citizens of this nation, regardless of our ethnicity, gender or spiritual beliefs - and we all count. If this nation does happen to fall from grace on the worldwide stage, it will be because half of our citizenry's refusal to adapt to a changing climate and culture, not because a rape victim gets an abortion, or two men get married, or because we invest in alternative energies. I am tired of the GOP's message to the voting public that immigrants, non-Christians, women, environmentalists, and gays will always be regarded as 'Other'. That is the message I received at least 30 times a day for the past three months. We all belong here, and I'm tired of being looked down upon because I supposedly do not embrace good, 'American' values.  I know that it is the upper echelons of the GOP that control the party's message - and the evangelical agenda pushers that are behind them.  I wonder if the average, moderately conservative Republican is as disgusted with their party as the rest of us are?



I've had to stuff down a lot of my angry feelings towards this unfair rhetoric. I have lots of family and a few friends that support the conservative side of things. Some are more vocal than others. I'm sure my liberal rants bother them just as much as their negative posts about Obama's administrative policies bother me. I do my best to ignore them and not engage in political discourse. The last time I stepped up to say something, about 2 years ago, when I called down my cousin's teenage son for calling President Obama a Socialist on Facebook, it did not turn out well. A line had been crossed in my opinion. You do not disrespect the president by engaging in petty name calling. Period. My cousin lashed back in defense of his son, and said some pretty horrible things about my motives and my intellect in the process. We don't speak anymore. I don't like it when people parade their political views around and wave them in people's faces, like a taunt, baiting someone into an argument. Unfortunately I have a pretty big mouth and can't stand by and say nothing. The blatant disrespect that has been shown to president Obama drives me absolutely batshit crazy, and I am quick to anger when people spout brazenly stupid remarks that have no shred of truth, whatsoever.



An individual's political and religious beliefs can be so interwoven, they are impossible to separate. Our beliefs become us. So when you look down on a belief system that doesn't jive with your own, you can't help but inflict pain on that individual as well. I know I probably do that to quite a few of my friends and family when ever I go off on the utter stupidity and meanness that is Rush Limbaugh. I'm giving a pretty harsh value judgement there, and yes, it transfers on to the person who can actually sit there and listen to his outlandish rhetoric and LIKE what they hear - and yes, I think a little less of you because you do so. Just like you think a little less of me because I listen to NPR, don't go to church, and have an Obama sticker on my car.



So what's the point in all this? Maybe instead of always looking for someone to look down on, look for like-minded friends instead and channel your energies that way. Friends give us comfort. Hope. A sense of knowing. If you work to surround yourself with an emotional support network of those who feel as you do, then they will understand the depth to which you have searched your own soul for answers. There is safety in knowing you won't offend and that there is a reliable person to turn to when you need reassurance that it will all turn out okay, and that you don't really need to set up a perimeter trip wire to protect yourself against those 2nd amendment fans around the corner that got guns to protect themselves from you and your heathen, liberal ways. (For the record, the 2nd amendment is perfectly acceptable. Crazies like Ted Nugent are not.)



I've got a pretty good network. My husband, of course, and family and friends Pam, Deb, Amy, Shawn, Lyndy, Vickie, Gail and April have been phenomenal in the past four years in regularly posting political and social/cultural food-for-thought. You are my intellectual lifeline and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for keeping the important social issues continuously on the radar for all of us. I especially appreciated the item-by-item break down of the Affordable Care Act written in plain language (thanks, Pam!) and the regular doses of The Daily Show. (Thanks, Shawn!)



One more thing... I am so very thankful that my immediate family is my greatest emotional support network of all. I would like to give my brother a special shout out - your humor will always bring a smile to my face...even on voting day..

 

(I protest!!!   That's virtual vandalism!!!!!)

Posted with Blogsy

A Gift from God...

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/24/1149395/-GOP-Rape-Advisory-Chart-h-t-to-connecticutie

 

 

I'll give you a moment to clear the vomit from your mouth....

 

 

First of all, let me say that these statements are absolutely reprehensible.  Vile.  Disgusting. 

 

and... illuminating.

 

Here is your beloved Grand Old Party, nation!  In all of its glory.  There are actual living, breathing citizens out there who elected these pathetic men and women into office.  And they are still out there, ready to do it again.  Even worse, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have stood behind their endorsement for these candidates - and almost half of the nation is ready to elect them into office.

 

Nation?  WOMEN of this nation?  Do you not see the big picture here?

 

There is an alarming trend by the GOP to blur the lines of separation between church and state.

 

Men have no business legislating what women can and cannot do with their own body.

 

Politicians have no business altering your personal rights, based upon their own personal brand of theology.

 

Believe it or not, not every citizen in this nation is a Christian.  So stop forcing the rest of us to live up to your version of Christian ideals.

 

 

SCIENCE NEWS FLASH!!!

 



 



Pregnancy happens because a sperm fertilizes an egg.  It has happened that way for over the past 600 million years.  Which is roughly about 599,997,200 years before the concept of monotheism was even conceived.  Therefore, I think it is safe to say that 'God' doesn't really have a hand in it.

 

 

 

CRIMINOLOGY 101

 



1. Rape is defined committing a sexual act by the use of coercion or FORCE against another person, without that person's consent.

 

2. Manner of the victim's dress, conduct, intelligence, age, ethnicity or prior sexual behavior are never grounds to justify rape.  There is NO justification for rape.

 

 I don't know what else to say here... lately I feel like just slamming my head against the wall because nobody is listening.  Nobody is able to see the big picture.  Voters need to shake themselves out of their religion-steeped stupor and demand better leadership.


Please wake up, America.... please?



 



You might be a narrow-minded racist redneck....

I present Exhibit A.

 

(which happens to be our van)

 

 

 

 

Exhibit B

 

(A bigot who resides in...oh, look!  Arizona!)

 

 

Question.

 

Which do you find more offensive?  Hmm?

 

 

Because today some beer-bellied, foul-mouthed, poor-excuse for a human being decided that MY van's bumper stickers were a tad bit offensive for his conservative tastes, and proceeded to shout out to his friend, sitting in his truck, that - and I quote - "Look what some fucking idiot pasted on their van!  Obama lovers... what a fucking joke!"

 

 

Well, the problem is, he said this as he was walking not ten feet away from my vehicle.  Which was occupied by myself and my four impressionable children at the time.  With the windows down.  Yes.  We heard every. last. word.

 

I think you would have had to use high-speed film in order to capture my exit from my vehicle.  I was on him before the chickenshit could jump in his truck, but the glee in that fat-fucker's face said it all - he knew what he said, he knew who he said it in front of, and he didn't care.  Not a whit.

 

This will be the third, maybe fourth nonprovoked run-in I've had with an asshat whose got a problem with my democratic ideals.  (But this was, by far, the most vitriolic exchange I have had the pleasure of partaking in.)  All of which were instigated by my bumper stickers.  My bumper stickers that mention a person's NAME and the YEAR of the election.  Oh, and that we like the Sooners.

 

I did not single any ethnic group out.

 

I did not insinuate anything about someone's moral character.

 

I did not make false accusations or judgements.

 

I did not use offensive language or symbols.

 

 

 

So which party has the true image problem here?  What THE HELL is wrong with these people?

 

 

 

Here is my personal wish for Mr. Arizona (proud owner of Exhibit B)

 

* you lose your job to an immigrant who is willing to do the work you think you are too good for.

* you lose your healthcare because you are so damned determined in your quest to ruin our country.

* you will have to depend on government assistance in order to get by.

* your son comes home one day and shares with you that he is, in fact, gay.

* your wife leaves you, and takes your dog with her.

 

 

Because you know what? 

 

You will always have your pick-up truck...and a narrow mind to go with it.

 

 



Good stuff in = Good stuff out

Watch what you eat - there may be a moral agenda attached!

My nightly ritual after putting the kids to sleep and crawling in bed myself, is to take one last look at Facebook.  That is typically the time of day that other late-nighters are posting funny/insightful stuff as well.  I follow the links of interest that were posted during the day, read the blog posts and watch the YouTube videos that came through my feed.

Last night, for what felt like the umpteenth time, I felt worse about the world and some of the people in it after my reading session than when I started.  For someone who is struggling to keep depression at bay on a daily basis, this is bad.  Really bad. 

Posts that tout a political and moral agenda that are so very, very contrary to mine are no longer enlightening or helping me to keep a balanced and fair perspective.  Now they just feel like hate mail.  Lots of hate mail.  Post after post of hate mail.  And I am so very, very tired of it.

If I wasn't so tired last night, I would have put down my iPhone and gone downstairs and deleted my Facebook account.  Or at least started the unfriending process.  But I knew better because the unfriending process can have unintentional consequences, and that is not the message I want to send.  I just decided to sleep on it.  So this morning, after consulting with Dean, I am going to comb through my account and unsubscribe from a lot of feeds - which means we are still friends, I just don't have to read all of the negative posts anymore.  That way there are no hard feelings, or uncomfortable silences at the holiday dinner table and so on and so forth.  In a nutshell, I appreciate your opinions, and you are absolutely entitled to them, but you're bringing me down.  In a big way.  Like in shaking my faith in humanity and basic kindness kind of way.

For the record:

1) I am an Obama supporter, but I am a moderate.

2) I have some family members and lifelong friends who are gay.  It confounds me how a person's sexual orientation has an effect on anyone BUT that person.  I wholeheartedly support gay marriage and despise legislators and businesses that make it their personal agenda to continue to marginalize the LGBT community.  Equal rights - for everyone!

So how does a on-the-cusp depressionholic keep the blues away?  Filter out the bad stuff.  I am no Pollyanna, and I don't own a pair of rose-colored glasses, but to prevent any more backsliding I need to just concentrate on the good stuff.   There a several friends out there who post inspirational stuff (non-religious), funny stories and intellectual food for thought - you all keep the good vibe going and I appreciate all of you!  Social media should be fun - not a battleground.

2011 in Review

I'm still in reflection mode, and I found this awesome list of questions today during a rather long, drawn-out blog surfing session.  Believe it or not, I was originally searching for birdseed ornament directions for our Daisy meeting this Friday.  Damn you Family Fun website for tempting me down this rabbit hole!

1.      What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?

Well, I began my list of 40 Things.  To date I have accomplished the following:

# 1 - Had a Mammogram

# 2 - Built a gingerbread house

I knew you would be impressed...admit it that you are jealous I am such an accomplished person...

2.      Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions and will you make more for next year?
Here is what I wrote out last year, on Dec.31st, 2010...

* create a master 52 week cleaning schedule (completed through week 13)

I discovered FlyLady and she does it for me! I even get it sent to my inbox every morning. Now I just need to clean out the 329 FlyLady emails that are still in my inbox...

* create a master 52 week recipe/menu/shopping list plan (completed 2 weeks worth)

What am I, insane??

* create a master daily schedule for each child so that I can make sure I am meeting the daily minimum of their educational needs.

Sigh. I so wanted to make this work for me. I am in the process of revising the schedule now - since we only have afternoon naps to contend with at this point. I also want to incorporate my goals for this coming year: time to mess around with bugs/dirt/plants/art supplies/and kid-friendly household chemicals.

My motto for the upcoming year remains the same: Revise and make it work.

3.      Did anyone close to you give birth?
Well... Does this current New Year's Day count?  My niece (by marriage) gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, Marshall, at 5:30 am.  He was the first baby of the year at the hospital they delivered at.

4.      Did anyone close to you die?
This one is painful... Yes - three wonderful grandmothers.
Dean's maternal grandma, Essie, in January
My maternal grandma, Betty, in April
My paternal grandma, Bobbie, in October.

It's been a long, dreadful year in this respect.

5.      What countries did you visit?
Does Oklahoma count?  That sometimes feels like another country...

6.      What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
Sleep

7.      What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
April 17th and October 7th - when my grandmothers passed away

8.      What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Finding my calling to write, write, write... It has been my salvation.
-or-
Getting Owen to poop on the potty.  Take your pick...

9.      What was your biggest failure?
Putting straw mulch in the garden.  An absolute botanical catastrophe...

10.   Did you suffer illness or injury?
I have been suffering with plantar fasciitis since fall of 2010.  I just got my orthotics a couple of weeks ago.  It doesn't exactly feel like a miracle yet...  Pretty bummed about that.

Otherwise I am very thankful that my only major complaint is a nasty cold that will not go away.

11.   What was the best thing you bought?
The 13 week course for Financial Peace University.

12.   What was the best thing you received?
My iPhone4 that I got from my husband for my birthday...
-but-
My new FlyLady purple rags and scrubba tools come in a very close second... or my new cast iron enamel dutch oven... can't decide.

13.   Whose behavior merited celebration?
Owen has been just awesome during the whole potty training process.  He frequently has accidents, but his attitude has been very upbeat.  He is such a sweet kid...

14.   Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The Republican portion of the Senate.

15.   Where did most of your money go?
Interest payments.  And diapers.  And Starbucks.  And karate lessons.

16.   What did you get really excited about?
Going to see U2 at Mile High, Skiing with Rylan last spring and cutting up our first credit card.

17.   What song will always remind you of 2011?
Us Against the World, by Coldplay.

18.   Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? B) thinner or fatter? C) richer or poorer?
a) happier - much happier!     b) about the same... boo.    c) we stopped the bleeding but we are walking along the edge every day...

19.    What do you wish you’d done more of?
Spent time with my grandmas...

20.   What do you wish you’d done less of?
Eating out - our single most extravagant expenditure...

21.   How did you spend Christmas?
A little of this... and a little of that...

22.   What was your favorite TV program?
The Closer, Modern Family and The Middle.

23.   What were your favorite books of the year?
The Blue Zones and The Help

24.   What was your favorite music from this year?
Coldplay, Foster the People and Adele 21 - and Jimmy Fallon's rendition of the Reading Rainbow

25.   What were your favorite films of the year?
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
Tangled

26.   What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 40.  We went camping, had a nice family dinner and then Dean and I went out to our favorite 'special occasion' restaurant for dinner the next night.  It was the best of birthdays...  :)

27.   What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
It is selfish, but I wish our grandmas were still here.  They all had health issues and so, in a way, they are at peace now.  But I miss them terribly - the holiday season was exceptionally rough. 

28.   What political issue stirred you the most?
It is a toss-up between the no-tax-hike oath that all of the Republicans took (which will mean the death of America if we don't vote them out of office soon....) or the FOX network's assertion that Socialism is a dirty word.  What bothers me the most, though, is that a political argument between me and cousin of mine earlier this year means that we are no longer on speaking terms, and that makes me very, very sad.  I can't bring myself to understand his view, and he ridicules me for mine.

29.   What kept you sane?
Writing out all of my joys, fears, concerns, rants, and so forth...  And Dove dark chocolate.

30.   Who did you meet this year?
I met a couple of new homeschooling moms that are an inspiration to me - their sage advice has spurred a lot of interesting discussion in our group.  We met at a non-profit center one night, in early fall, for our monthly homeschool association meeting, and it feels like we are on the cusp of something big.  A fusion of public/private/homeschool education endeavours...  The future of education is changing rapidly, and I am excited to see what is in store.  I remember the drive home that night... my mind was racing with the possibilities.

31.   Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.

I will never be able to do all of the charitable things I want to do in life until we pay off our debts and become good financial stewards with what we do have.

32.  Best song lyric for the year?

Coldplay's Every Teardrop is a Waterfall.   Love the entire song!!

We choose to hope

Our family is so excited by the change of leadership in Washington! It has been a long, long eight years and it now feels as though a dark cloud of fear, suspicion and deception has lifted. Never before have we (Dean and I) been so moved as to take part in the political process. I served as a delegate for my precinct at the Larimer County Democratic Convention. I had to bring little Owen with me, who was only 5 days old, because I was determined to be there. We donated money throughout the campaign, sported multiple bumper stickers on our cars, and spent several weekends during late fall canvassing in various neighborhoods. Since our house is situated on a busy neighborhood corner, we felt that 6 Obama signs were sufficient as well as one for Markey, Udall, Eubanks, Hoffman and Kefalas. I even painted a huge Obama symbol in our front window, just to get the point across in case there was any confusion. As we trick-or-treated our neighborhood, we could hear comments from passing families about the 'crazy Obama people' on the corner. We are loud and proud!! On election day we stood at a busy intersection and waved signs at passing motorists before Dean left for work. The excitement of the day was incredible! As the final election results were announced, I opened the front door and shared with the neighborhood how pleased I was. I have no shame.... :) What a journey for our family! It has been wonderful to be able to share this with our children, to let them take part in the political process and to experience it all first hand. We can only hope that someday in the next 4/8?? years that we might get the meet the man himself! Congratulations Mr. President!

Our collection of signs in the front yard. We had more on the corner and around the side of the house, as well as on the back of the house. We suffered a few losses but always had a spare sign to replace them.

The Obama rally on The Oval at Colorado State University. We waited in line for about 3 hours, but it was worth it!

Sign waving early in the morning on election day. Owen slept through it and Rylan started crying after grandma Judy drove by, honking and waving. Jordan was keeping count of the number of honks we got during the hour we spent there. I think we made it to 130....

The day after the election. One tired but happy family! I used Crayola washable paint to make the window design.

Morning of inauguration day. Much to our neighbor's delight we put our Obama yard signs back in use. All of them. :)

What a country!