Year End Wrap Up

January:

I was busy with work and play, and trying to be happy in my new job. I was starting to feel restless and nostalgic, thinking back on 2008 and all I was doing at the beginning of that year.

February:

Work remained unsatisfying, yet very busy and I was unsettled as a result. I wanted to have everything I'd dreamed of having post wedding, and at this point it was unrealistic. On the upside, I started my path to faster race times. Mom received the Outstanding Business Woman of the Year award and Matt and I traveled up to NH for the night/day to surprise her. I started Tri training, kind of, and started my Tri Training Blog . I was cooking a lot too thanks to my New Years Resolution. We'd been home to NH a few times at this point, and it was nice getting so many visits in.

March:

As the first quarter of the year closed, I remained in a state of opposites. Matt and I were so happy and in love, yet I was unhappy in my job and the feelings of loss and anxiety around my Dad's death were returning. I think I summed up the beginning of March well in this post. As March moved on some good things happened, I decided I would look for a new job, I helped organize and throw a fantastic Bridal Shower for one of my best friends and Spring started to come...

April:

April was a turning point for my year. I got grounded with the help of Yoga, Spring came and brought with it a beautiful wedding, April was good.

May:

I wrote a letter to Dad to start off the month- it still resonates really strongly with me as a reflection of where we are now and where we came from on this grief journey. I was happy and busy in May. I got offered a new job, I started my Tri season and Matt completed his first, with a wet and rainy one in MA.

June:

June rocked. I went home for a week in between jobs and was totally blissed out. June was a great start to Summer. My running with running buddies was picking up too, it was great to be socializing and working out!

July:

I don't remember many specifics of July, it flew by- filled with lots of plans and lots of fun. It was a good month.

August:

Wow- what a busy month! A wonderful wedding in Boston kicked it off, then we headed to Squam for a lovely week on the lake filled with making new traditions and more widening of our family circle and the blending of families. I took my first train ride to go back up for the Granite Man. The end of August gave me some much needed down time.

September:

The month started with a fabulous trip to Chicago for our one year anniversary! It went slightly down hill when we tried to head up to NH the next weekend for the Pumpkinman Tri and got stalled, literally, just leaving NYC. But then we settled in to fall's arrival and 1/2 marathon training. I had been kind of stuck on our wedding and obsessing about it, and comparing other weddings to it and told myself that I had to stop that after 1 year, and I'm proud to say I did without really being conscious of it. Maybe it helped that we started house hunting!

October:

We pretty much spent this month house hunting, so our weekends were in the car on LI or up in Westchester. We found the house we wanted and then came the stress of figuring out the Mortgage. We got through it though and came out happy and moving forward in the end! I was running a lot and really loving and getting in to it. The end of the month I had a reunion with some high school friends and their kids, it was so fun!

November:

I was settled in to my job, happy that we'd found a house and feeling good. Matt and I completed our 2nd 1/2 Marathon, me in record time. We spent Thanksgiving in NH and I went to my 10 year High School Reunion- crazy!

December:

The winter plans began including a visit from Katie and Jen, dinners out and parties. I found out Jen is pregnant and I could not be more excited for her and Tim! We got a nice big snowfall while dogsitting and enjoyed getting to head out in to the snow with the dogs. It ended with a fantastic New Years Eve party and a very positive outlook for 2010!

As I look back through this on 2009 I see why I'm feeling somewhat, eh about the year overall. There were a lot of ups and a lot of downs. Maybe because the year started off on a down note I sense a sort of "downness" about the whole year. However, when I read through this post I can see a great spike up in the middle of the year and thinking back so many wonderful things have happened in the last part of the year which explains why I'm so optimistic about 2010. Bring it on!