looking back

The end of a year always makes me feel contemplative. The end of a decade is taking me on an even longer retrospective.

My memories of Y2K seem so fresh -- can that really have been 10 years ago? It was so strange to realize that my boys were too young to remember that (Lucas was an infant and Max was only 4!). I briefly explained what all the hullabaloo was like at the end of 1999, but they didn't get it. Max just said, "but why would anyone think that would be a problem?" I don't know, but they sure did. I never felt terribly worried about it, though.

Remember how weird it was when we first started writing dates that started with a zero? 00 -- I had the hardest time getting used to that. Do you write the wrong year for a week or two?


Anyway, here are some of the major events in our family during the last decade:

* It encompassed all but 4 1/2 months of Lucas's life.

* I joined the best book club!

* Creative Friday became an institution.

* Jessie got married.

* We got a dog. (And then I learned that I like other people's dogs more than ones that live in my house.)

* Lola died, a most painful occurrence for our whole family.

* I had a difficult last pregnancy, including being hospitalized for kidney stones.

{Photo by Jill}

* Eva was born and changed our family forever.

* Jessie had two more sweet girls.

* Marc's museum exhibit -- only 6 years in the making!

* I started blogging.

* I got my first digital camera.

* Marc got tenure at BYU.

* Jessie and Timm moved to North Carolina.

* We lived in Paris three times (2002, 2007, 2009).

* We had some great family vacations -- Charleston, the Oregon coast, California, St. George, Denver, Vail, London.

* Marc and I went to New Orleans and to San Francisco by ourselves.

* We got season passes to Seven Peaks for 5 years! (Shouldn't we get some kind of award?)

* Marc started attending the Sundance Film Festival.

* Lucas discovered he was a reader -- hallelujah!

* We got new carpet.

* We replaced many, many appliances.

* We had a mouse infestation.

* Marc got a new car to replace the old Civic he had had for 18 years... (we fondly referred to it as "the hot car" or "the cold car", depending on the season).

* I had two knee surgeries, Lucas had two sets of tubes put in his ears, Eva and Lucas had dental surgery.

* Max and Lucas were baptized.

* We had a major flood, which necessitated a week's hotel stay and basement remodeling.

* I went to Girls' Camp three times.

* Max was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood.

* Max became a Scout, went fishing, and discovered that fish is his favorite food. His eating has become ever more adventurous since!

* Max started Junior High and started playing the cello.

* I learned some fundamental Photoshop skills and started creating email ads for my mom's store.

* I learned to knit.

* I became a bread baker.

* I read a lot of books.

* We were the recipients of countless acts of service.


I can't wait to see what the next decade brings!