2010

I was kind of dreading 2010. I remember on New Year's Eve thinking that 2010 was probably going to be a crappy year--not a normal New Year's Eve thought, but nonetheless, it was my thought. I knew 2010 would be full of changes and transisitions--things I don't like.

First of all, Chris's dad had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the middle of December, and we knew that he wouldn't make it through the year. Secondly, Kelsie was going to turn 18 in 2010 and graduate from high school and probably leave home for college is some far away cold place. (Although that's not necessarily bad--it's still a change.)

I didn't expect for the changes to happen quite as quickly as they did. Chris's dad passed away on January 11th. Kelsie turned 18 on January 16th. In fact, John's funeral was on Kelsie's 18th birthday. So, I got through a lot of my apprehensions about 2010 over with in the first couple of weeks of 2010.

I don't think Kelsie will ever forget her 18th birthday spent at a funeral in Maryland, but she was a pretty good trooper. Between meeting unknown relatives and working on an English essay in the hotel, her birthday wasn't anything what she expected, but it was kind of a good reminder to all of us that we don't always have as much control in life as we think we do--or wish we did.

Here's to a better eleven months of 2010!