Looking Back at 2009

January:
Madison's sledding party was a huge hit, Brian and I took a short weekend trip to Moab, I slid on the ice and damaged the truck which lead to an all around bad day, contemplated Brokenness and Love (a post that I need to read regularly).


February:
Made hundreds of cookies for Math Night at school, Maddox got a cracker stuck in his nose, Reflected on the reality that my grandmas house (where we got married) was no longer in the family, Tried to get organized for spring soccer and GOTR for Madison, and Cecil was diagnosed with colon cancer.

March:
Went to a company party and played Craps all night (I forgot how much fun that was), sarcastically enjoyed snow on the first day of spring break, Read a non-fiction book and actually enjoyed it, spent a day down town with Allison and our kids, Maddox learned how to use the computer mouse, took Madison to Denver for a mother/daughter trip and saw Phantom of the Opera, Had to take Maddox to the pediatric cardiologist, Went sledding at the cabin with Allison, but it was windy and the snow was pretty melted,and Maddox seemed to change over night into a little boy instead of a toddler.


April:
Gave my kids brownies-- rather brown "E's" for April Fools, Read Lovely Bones and The Alchemist, found Six Word Memoirs intriguing, Amazed by my sons uncanny ability to cause mischief, got Madison her first bra, Went to the NCTM conference in DC with Courtney, and enjoyed the wall art by Maddox.


May:
Madison and I ran our 2nd GOTR 5K, Celebrated Maddox's 3rd birthday, birds built a nest in our grill and the eggs finally hatched, embarrassed my self in front of my students "Wow! That's Hot!", Read The Queens Lady, Went to Denver for our first out of town soccer tournament, Ran the BOULDERboulder for a second time, and Celebrated my Grandma Barron's 80th birthday.


June:
Read 5 Things I Can't Live Without, started laser hair removal, climbed to the top of Mt. Garfield with Madison and friends, Went to Ouray hot springs with Allison and our kids, Maddox continued destruction by pulling the towel hanger out of the bathroom wall (it still isn't fixed), I got my nose pierced, and read Finger Lickin 15.


July:
Finally ran to the top of Serpents trail both times with out stopping, went fishing with the boys and Maddox caught his first fish, lots of yard work, Alix headed off to boot camp, Caster family trip to Durango and Mesa Verde, An attempted week long trip to the cabin with Allison and our kids, count down to turning 30, and Maddox's first swimming lessons were a disaster.


August:
I turned 30 and went to Ridgway, Ouray, and Telluride for the weekend with the Sandovals, Welcomed a new niece Tessa to the world, Went to Denver for our first competitive team Tournament and they won 1st place, I went to Williamsburg WV for a GT workshop, Read The Shell Seekers, Maddox started his first day of school and loved it, Brian went to Oklahoma for work, and registered for my first half marathon in Moab.


September:
Got a new computer, hosted our first team dinner, Read People of the Book, and Said good bye to my Uncle Rocky who died of cancer.


October:
Read Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing, over trained and got shinsplints two weeks before the big race, continued to train through the pain, started researching how to run pain free, Celebrated the 7th anniversary of Caster day (Madison's adoption), and ran my first half marathon.

November:
Started acupuncture for reoccurring migraines, relied on Weeds and books to get me though my running injuries, Aunt Penny started the process to get a liver transplant, Spent Thanksgiving with family and mourning the reality that I couldn't run the Turkey Trot, Read The Time Travelers Wife, Read Three, and Reread Eclipse.

December:
Enjoyed a snow day with at least a foot of snow, Read Shelter Me, Went on my first (very short) run since my half marathon, Read Adam, commandeered the TV for Football--actually the Colts games, Celebrated Christmas with the whole family, and My little brother Alix got married.

Learned: I am thankful to say good bye to 2009, the last half of the year had been really difficult for me, I was an emotional, mental, and physical wreck, though in the last few weeks of the year I seemed to pull it together.