What a Year!

Well, I know that it has been a very long time since I last blogged, so I thought a quick post to end the year was in order.  This is a very hard post for me to compose.  This has been a tremendous year of ups and downs, so it is hard to figure out how to write something that captures the year, but does not dwell on the sad or b

ad.

So I will quickly mention that the year started off very difficult with the loss of my grandfather, followed shortly by the lose of my best friends father.  It is hard to see people you care about go, especially when it does not come with any real warning.  The year ended with a major hurricane that caused serious damage to our home and has made the last three months an emotional roller coaster.  So that is how the year bookends, but as with any story there is the middle, and in this case that is the very best part.

The greatest day of my year was March 15, when I got the privilege

 to marry my wonderful husband.  I have no idea where I would be without him in my life, he brings me such happiness and balance.  Which given the way everything went this year I have really needed.  We had an absolutely perfect wedding that was everything a girl could hope for.  I am putting in a couple pictures because I never got around to doing it on the blog.  I had planned to do a big six month anniversary post, but the hurricane got in the way.

We then traveled to Mendocino, California for a honeymoon.  We loved our little bed and breakfast and really enjoyed all of the outdoor hiking.  We then travelled south to San Francisco, which was very different from our quiet little B&B, but a lot of fun.  

We headed to Pennsylvania in July to spend the fourth with family and friends.  My parents hosted a summer reception for us so that all of my family and our friends that could not make it to the wedding had a chance to meet the husband.  We had a lot of fun, but the trip was too short.

The last thing I want to mention about the year is Christmas.  The husband and I headed back to Pennsylvania for a few days of quiet away from the bustling world we are currently living in.  We got to see fresh snow, go sledding, go skiing, snuggle in front of a warm fireplace, and spend time with family.

The year has been very full and there are lots of things about it I wish I could just forget or at least undo...but there are also many things that made it a great year.  I am choosing to remember 2008 as the year I pledged to love my husband for the rest of my life, and found a way to get a fully remodeled house without having to save a penny (thanks Ike!).

Here is wishing everyone a wonderful New Year's Eve and a very happy 2009!