The Year in Review

As years go, 2011 was a doozy.

We found out at the end of 2010 that we would be Hoosiers in the year to come. We also knew that Mark would be a Hoosier well before the rest of us, and the separation was a real bummer. So bummerish in fact that we swore if we ever had to do that again, we would never do that again. We would do something, but we would never do that. Cap off a long, painful separation with a horrific real estate experience and we had the worst first quarter of the year of all time. But let's focus on the positive.

The boys finished out the school year in Tennessee, quite successfully I might add. Ben ran track, and Daniel took up wrestling. I love watching them try new things and succeed at new things. They amaze me daily. They also put the pedal to the metal and finished up their ranks in their scout troop in Tennessee - not an easy thing to do for either boy. But Daniel made Second Class and Ben made Life a week before the move - we were extremely proud of them both.

Then the school year was over and the very next day, we were Hoosiers. Mark had been in Indiana full-time since March, and he was ready to relinquish his swinging bachelor pad to have us all under one roof. The move was a smooth one - nothing was broken or lost that we can tell. Roy's Moving Service is the bomb, in case you were curious - I strongly recommend them to any East Tennesseans looking to move.

So the boys began summer vacay in a new neighborhood. They went to scout camp with the old troop in June, but after that, we were here to stay. Mark went back to JC a time or two for work, but that was it. We had very nice visits in our new home with my parents in July, and with Mark's mom, niece, and sis-in-law over Labor Day.

We also acquired a permanent house guest named Ramp. He moved from the local shelter straight to our back porch and took over immediately. He is part Jack Russell and part Australian Cattle dog. We call him a Cattle Jack. He loves to catch tennis balls and frisbees and has a vertical lift that rivals any NBA player. The boys love him and he kept them occupied for most of the summer.

We didn't officially take a vacation this summer, but we did explore Louisville several times, and we drove as far as Cincinnati to see the Yankees beat the Reds in an awesome game watched from awesome seats. We are still figuring out what places can be easily visited from our new home (St. Louis, Chicago, Indianapolis).

The fall brought two new schools. I can now say that my kids have had to do something I never had to - they both walked into a brand new school, not knowing a soul. And they both survived. Both boys ran cross country this fall, and made friends on the team quickly. Daniel is now wrestling on the middle school team, and Ben is enjoying some time off from sports. They both got settled in academically and we are very proud of their accomplishments - moreso because of the added stress of everything being new.

And finally, we found a new scout troop. The boys have attended a camp out and a merit badge fair and really settled in with the new troop. I love how this troop is different, but very much the same as what we are used to - there is only one Scout Law and one Scout Oath after all. Ben is focusing on his Eagle rank, which is exciting, and Daniel is finishing up the Pets merit badge as well as requirements for First Class.

For Mark and myself, the move was less intrusive. We both still work for the same company, just in different roles. There have been some bumps along the way, but the culture here is very positive and we are excited about the possibilities. I have also stayed focused on my favorite part of the move: my dream kitchen. I can't believe I ever survived in a smaller kitchen - the cabinet space alone was worth becoming a Hoosier.

We have been visiting a church we really enjoy - Northside Christian - very much different from what we are used to. Membership is in the area of 5000 people, and the weekly budget is the same as our yearly budget from our church in Tennessee. The worship services (there are four to choose from) are exciting and different , and we look forward to worship in a way we haven't in a long time. The downside is not knowing anyone - we need to join a small group to get connected and we just haven't taken the plunge yet. We will have to decided in the coming weeks if we want to stay and get connected, or keep looking.

Wrapping up the year, we had two very different but very nice holidays. Thanksgiving was spent mostly on the road - we drove to Tennessee and spent Thanksgiving Day with Mark's family. We also ran the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning and got to see lots of familiar faces. On Friday, we drove to South Carolina and spent time with my family, before driving back to Knoxville to spend the night. Up early on Saturday, we drove back to Indiana. It was wonderful to see everyone, but we were exhausted from the driving.

We spent Christmas in our new home. It was a really nice change: we didn't have anything to do or anywhere to go or anyone to see. And it was wonderful. We attended a lovely service at Northside, had a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner, watched football, opened gifts, and generally enjoyed the peace and quiet. I hated not seeing extended family, but I loved have a relaxing time with just the four of us.

We are spending the final days of 2011 at home. Mark and I are on vacation until the 3rd and the boys are out of school until the 4th. Decorations are put away, the house is clean, we have tons of new Christmas gadgets to play with: we are truly living the dream.

I pray that 2012 is much more boring than 2011, but I also pray for continued health, prosperity, and laughter. As crazy as our year was, we still had all of those things, and we had each other. It doesn't get much better than that.

Here's wishing a happy and healthy new year to you as well!