Merry Christmas

OK.. it's Christmas Eve, but I seriously doubt I will have the time to post tomorrow, so I'll wish you a wonderful Christmas today... and I'll give you an update.  My gift to you.

What a year this has been and I try to wrap my brain around everything that has happened this year and it's just plain hard to do without listing so let's list what we've done this year:

• Donald got a job at Insight
• He then moved to Phoenix in February.
• We put the house in CO up for sale.
• I got a job at American Express.
• Donald flew up and we moved to Phoenix with some of our stuff in a little UHaul truck (including Abby!) in March.
• We started house hunting for a new house in Phoenix.
• We sold our house the week after we got down to Phoenix.
• We flew to CO to close on the sale of our house .
• I was very sick (stomach bug & stress) when we flew to CO
• We visited Christian and Mom in CO and endured an extremely emotional and stressful visit (snow, illness, the decision for Christian to remain in CO, etc)
• The rest of our things from the house were packed up and shipped down here in March.
• Mom moved down here in May
• We bought our house in June.
• We moved in 100 degree heat in June
• Christian came down at the end of May.
• Mom, Donald and I walked in the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure
• We made two visits to San Diego
• Jeff and Kira came to visit in July
• Christian relocated to Phoenix after some changes were made up in CO so in August we flew to CO for him to visit his Dad
• We all volunteered with the Salvation Army to sort school supplies in the Pack to School drive
• Aunt Dottie came to visit in September
• We started our meals on wheels and dinners with Jack and Jeanette and the siblings who were in town
• We dressed up ourselves and the house for Halloween
• Donald ran a charity drive/raffle at work and raised nearly $6,400 for American Cancer Society
• We all walked in the St Jude Give Thanks.Walk
• Jeanette finally had some peace and left us on a day we will never forget: 11/11/10 @ 11am
• We had a wonderful Thanksgiving as a family
• We dressed up the house for Christmas
• We attended two very nice memorial Masses (AZ:November & IL:December) and receptions for Jeanette.  The Bychowski family rocks!
• Attended to our Christmas shopping (nearly done!)

There you have it... our year in a list and I know I already forgot to add the three concerts Christian went to, the Halloween Corn Maze (scared the crap out of me!) and I'm sure other things that truly do escape me right now.  So we did all of that while trying to balance our family time with spending time supporting Jack and the siblings caring for Jeanette and learn our new jobs (because both were new to us) and keep our wits about us. 

Now we are here to Christmas so I'll give you a preview of what we have planned...hopefully it will all pan out:

• We expect to have about 11 people here for Christmas dinner tomorrow, including my Aunt Sandy & Uncle Ray, whom I don't think I've celebrated a Christmas with since I was toddler!
• Christian comes home on the 29th after a week and a half in CO with his Dad.
• Aunt Dottie flies in on the 30th
• We are planning a cool NYE party with sit down dinner, party favors, a white elephant gift exchange and lots of fun!

Next year I want two things:  Boring & Healthy.  Get on that, ok?