A Decade in Review

Format stolen from Jayme of The TaterTwins.

I realize we’re already five whole days into the new year, so gah, shut up already! But this is the last one for me, I promise.

2000

January – Second kidney stone. Hospitalized 10 days with bacterial pneumonia. First brush with my own mortality.
June – Decided to procreate.
August – Brad went back to school for a second bachelor’s and teaching certification. Found out I was pregnant with Kieran.
October – Moved to a new apartment.

2001

2002

2003

February – Second miscarriage.
May – Second brush with my own mortality.
June – Family vacation to New York.
August – Brad started his first teaching job. Bought a new car. Moved into a new apartment.
October – Found out I was pregnant with Anneke.

2004

2005

February – Closed on our first house.
April – Adopted Quincy from the pound. Celebrated Kieran’s fourth birthday in the new house.
May – Started classes for special ed teaching certification.
August – Started a middle school teaching job.
October – Adopted Roscoe from the pound.

2006

February – Brad’s 32nd birthday at the middle school dance.
March – Anneke hospitalized for a week. Unexpected death of one of my students.
June – Anneke’s second birthday. Portraits to celebrate.
September – Found out I was pregnant with Griffon.

2007

April – Took myself off bedrest for Kieran’s sixth birthday party.
May – Witnessed a fatal shooting. Spent my 31st birthday crying about it. Gave a statement to the police. Became a mother of three.
July – Kieran’s tonsillectomy (because they looked like this before). Fireworks at Zilker in Austin got us thinking about moving back.
August – Started a different teaching job.
November – Learned about a couple job opportunities on another visit to Austin.
December – Family vacation to Vermont.

2008

January – Interviewed for and was offered a job in Austin. Fifth kidney stone.
February – Moved to Austin with Griffon while Brad and the two big kids finished the school year and got our house ready to sell.
March – Started traveling for work.
April – Kieran’s seventh birthday at Medieval Times (silly, but this was one of the happiest nights with my family in recent memory; Kieran was *so* happy).
May – Living in two different locations on Griffon’s first birthday.
June – Same for Anneke’s fourth birthday.
July – Brad’s dad died, and we entered a worm hole from which we’re still struggling to emerge.
September – Found out I was pregnant with Archer. Brad’s grandfather (Gene, for whom Archer is named) died. Testified as a witness in the murder trial.
October – Kieran was diagnosed with dyslexia/dysgraphia. We closed on our house in Austin. My cousin’s baby was born.
December – Discovered a blog that got me back into this stuff. Second family vacation to Vermont.

2009

May – Became a mother of four. Anneke graduated from preschool.
June – Anneke’s fifth birthday.
July – Watched fireworks at the park with the kids.
August – The 11-barf flu of ’09.
October – Watched a dude almost die on the street in front of our house.
November – Family photos taken professionally. Trip to Philadelphia with Brad and Archer.