The Best Decade of My Life

There have been lots of the "Best of the Decade" lists and blogs going around.(Even though Adam points out it is not actually the end of the decade, that would be 2010) It made me think about this decade in my life. It has certainly been an amazing one. This has been the decade where all my little girl dreams have come true...

I went off to college.... made amazing friends, traveled, went to Kanakuk, led D-groups, made amazing memories, fell in love with a place (Auburn).

I met, fell in love with, and married a man that loves me much more than I deserve.

I traveled to amazing places. 2 trips to New York, Rome and London and numerous trips to the beach with great friends and family.

I got my first teaching job.

We bought our first house.

I added a brother in law and two nephews to our family.

I witnessed many answers to prayer and miracles.

I stood with my closest friends as they married the men of their dreams and witnessed as they became mothers.

I became a mother, twice.


And who could leave off Charlie.....

Of course the decade came with pain...the loss of of three grandparents, losing touch with friends, a struggle with depression, consequences of bad decisions.

The best part of this decade was the way God showed me who I really am. He stretched me physically (and I don't mean the thirty plus pounds I've added) through fatigue and illness where I thought I couldn't take anymore.. but I did. He stretched me spiritually and showed me how to lean into him and find my strength in His love even when I couldn't feel it. He stretched me emotionally by showing me what the bottom feels like and what the top feels like. He has shown me how to forgive those who wound, how to love those who seem impossible to love, how to be thankful, how to be patient, how to be kind, how to practice self control. And the best lesson is that I fail at all those things daily and He shows me how to forgive myself and try again.

I am not really sure what the next ten years will hold.Or how they could come close to topping these past ten years. But I am sure God has joy and more life lessons in store for me!

So tonight I will not only be toasting an end of a year but a fantastic decade full of memories! (Don't worry, it won't be champagne in my glass... Baby and I are having sparkling grape juice!)

A note about the pictures.... This post just started forming in my head yesterday and I didn't really have the time to find ,scan and upload all the great pictures that would have really made it complete (like college, dating Adam, sister and friend's weddings) so I had to rely on other people's Facebook Albums. (Thanks Emily and Susan for the "Way Back When" Albums!) I should have put them in a slide show. But I got frustrated and I was short on time. So it is what is, sorry!