Taking the time to reflect back on 2009, there were a number of things that immediately stood-out to me. Our big days were: celebrating Charming’s 38th birthday in January, 5 years of marriage in March, my 35th birthday in May, a 3rd birthday for Rose in September, the 11th anniversary of our first date on Veteran’s Day, and a 5th brithday for Grace on Christmas Eve.
The past year has been an interesting one…many changes that were surprises to say the least. We started our year off with the freedom from debt that so many other Americans have had to go through…Chapter 7 isn’t so bad when you don’t have a house to lose. By going through the process of filing bankruptcy I’ve learned just how much I really do despise the credit card industry. Oooo, they are bandits! And I’ve learned how nice it is to live using cash only…there’s no ugly monster of a bill coming to your door at the end of each month!
there was the step that both my husband and I went through of going through a lay-off and unemployment for the first time in about 18 years. The fact that so many other Americans were going through the same process at the beginning of the year was just amazing to me. America has changed so much in the past 20 years…when you look back and see how we rose and rose and then plummeted. Wow! Didn’t think that I’d ever see anything that even began down the same road as The Great Depression in my lifetime. Let’s just say that I am so glad that God is my refuge through it all…and that I can cry on Jesus’ shoulder and receive peace whenever I need to.
A celebration of my Grandma’s 99th birthday…which she never expected to reach. I mean, according to my Mamma, she’s been saying that, “This is my last year.” And, ”I don’t think I will be here next Christmas”, for the past 40 years. She’s just got these incredible genes that allow her to bounce right back from whatever she’s gone through. This woman is incredible! There really should be a medical study as to how she goes from the brink of death to completely vibrant and full of life again. She may be stuck in a bed all day, but my Grandma just amazes me. There must be something special about Norwegian genes.
And then and answer to prayers, a job opportunity for my husband…the catch is that we have to move up to Reno, Nevada from Temecula, California. With only 1 1/2 weeks to pack and move! Never want to do that kind of move again. N-E-V-E-R! Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that we packed the truck up in the rain and moved on Good Friday? Making an 11 hour drive, starting at 9:00p? Yeah, we started at 9:00p. What were we thinking?! Unloaded the truck that Saturday at our storage center and had to return it on the following Monday morning? Easter was definitely different this past year. And it was one where all I wanted to do was sleep. Yet somehow we managed to get our act together and make it to Easter Sunday Service at our church, Victory City, and then even had an Easter Egg Hunt thanks to plastic eggs. What a weekend!
Besides a wonderful trip up to the Mammoth Lakes area, including fishing at Convict Lake with my family, my summer was spent trying to adjust to the dry heat and going through box after box of packed items. There are still things that I’m looking for that I am convinced are in the back of our storage unit neatly packed where I can not get to them (as we are rooming at my in-laws’ house). But I discovered a new little nook of bliss up here in the mountains besides Lake Tahoe…Donner Lake. Why I had never known about this gorgeous lake set along the I-80? Oh make no mistake, we will be spending time there more this coming summer. The park is gorgeous and clean with a playground for the little kiddles, a sand beach with markers to help the kids stay out of harm’s way and it is all easily accessible for boaters. If you have never been there, then planning a trip to Donner Lake and its beautiful setting really would be a great getaway.
My little Grace started preschool in September…and she loves it! So the fact that my little social butterfly is happy, just makes me very pleased. The only problem is that she never wants to leave school…and she wants to go every day of the week. Which means that I have to create “school” at home three days of the week. Oh well, it definitely could be worse. I am just so tickled that she is the most social one in the class…it also means that she is a little bit bossy in the classroom too though. Yeah, that’s my little Grace.
We hit a few of the festivals here in Reno, and vowed to make it to more of them. The Euro Festival was a little bit soggy, but the food was absolutely perfect. And listening to different bands, some in lederhosen and others were not, was just really fun since my Father came over from Norway when he was only 10 years old. Then there was the tradition of going to the Rib Cookoff…and we enjoyed every minute of it. I got my pulled pork sandwich from the Awesome Aussie team, the girls got their Hawaiian shaved ice and Charming got his rib tastings gallore. If you have never been to it, then get to Reno for the Labor Day weekend. Your tastebuds will love you for it.
Then the job opportunity that Charming had up and vanished….yep, vanished. Just like that we were back at square one again. And just at the time that I was flying down to my parent’s house for a visit too. Complete with a trip to the San Diego Zoo with my neice and nephews…so it really felt like we were visitors.You forget how many hills you climb there…but your burning legs quickly remind you.
Then with God’s favor, my husband received a call within a couple of days from a company that he had placed an application at for part-time work 2 weeks prior to losing the one that uprooted our family in the blink of an eye. When he got that call, I was so surprised at the timing…especially since there are so many people here in Reno out of work too. What a fast answer to prayer.
I’m still learning how to deal with dog hair (my in-laws have a yellow lab and I’ve never lived with a dog in the house before), the dust that seems to never end from living in the dessert (which is as fine as drywall dust) and not smelling any iota of the Pacific Ocean. The fact that Tahoe is near does help…it means that in about 45 minutes I can be back in California and familiar stomping grounds of vacations from my youth.Not to mention the withdrawls from Disneyland. Being used to using an annual pass every other weekend just to roam the park and people watch and then not having it is a huge change for this SoCali Girl. Oh Mickey, I haven’t forgotten you, I will be back soon…I promise.
So even with all the craziness that the past year held, I am so very greatful that my little family still has a roof over our heads, food in our stomachs, that my wonderful Charming husband has a job during this insane economy, and that we all have our health. God has been faithful to watch over us and make provisions when things didn’t look like they were going to go the right direction. I guess that I would say that 2009 was my year of learning to lean on God and His promises. Every time I have called out to Him, an answer has come so quickly and in a way that I know that it was God’s hand that made things move into place.
So, so long 2009…it was quite a rollercoaster of a ride. A year of many changes (good and bad) and filled with laughter, tears and whew! moments.
