With the decade coming to a close, I thought it was time to do a Review Show. The first decade of the 2000's has been one of blessings and happiness, heartbreak and sorrow, friends and family, and lots and lots of adventure and change!
2000
The decade began with two major celebrations: 1) I turned 21 -- a momentous birthday for any young adult, and 2) two days before my birthday, Dave and I became engaged. Who knew way back then :-) all of the life changes, experiences, and memories we would share together in the 10 years to follow?!
2001
During the Easter Vigil Mass in 2001, I joined the Catholic Church. As a life long Methodist, and someone who for many years had considered becoming an ordained minister for the United Methodist Church, this was a HUGE step for me. Moving on ...... Dave was in his first year of his graduate work in classical guitar and we were in the throws of planning our wedding. And then ... everything seemed to come to a halting stop with the September 11th attacks. My cousin (a Navy Seal) was in the area of the Pentagon that was hit by the plane and we waited to hear if he was okay (he was) and we mourned with the rest of the country the loss of so many innocent lives. The day was (and is) Dave's birthday. I believe that I felt guilty even giving him his birthday present -- a week later per his request.
2002
♫ When love is found and hope comes home/ Sing and be glad that two are one/ Lift up your hearts, let love be fed/ Through death and life in broken bread/ Praise God for love, praise God for life/ In age or youth, in husband, wife/ When loves explodes and fills the sky, Praise God and share our Maker's joy. ♫
May 18th, 2002, we started our life as husband and wife!
2003
To celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary, we took a 5 day backpacking trip down the Grand Canyon with some friends. For months prior to this adventure, Dave had me running 2 miles 3 times a week and weight lifting -- things that prior to this, I would have said I was allergic to! :-) But when we emerged from the canyon 5 days later, after I had been carrying a 50lb. pack .... and I was smiling and laughing at the wonder of it all ..... all of the training pain had been completely worth it!!!! Of course, the HUGE meal and nice cold beer we had directly after didn't hurt either!! :-)
Our sojourn down the canyon was an appropriate and fitting way to bid farewell to the Grand Canyon State -- where I had lived my entire life and where Dave had lived for the past 7 years. Two weeks after emerging from the canyon, we (with the help of my sister and our best friend, Jason) moved to the Gem State -- Idaho! A place neither of had ever visited, a place where we knew no one, a place 17 hours away from family and friends. What were we thinking?!! :-)
The Christmas of 2003 brought familiarity though as we joined my family and my Aunt Weezie and Uncle Joe in our valley of Colorado! We had never been to the Valley during any other season but summer, and had always dreamed of what a beautiful winter wonderland it must be! It was unforgettable to stroll the streets of Aspen, go on a horse drawn sleigh ride (while it snowed!), and just soak in the beauty of our beloved valley during the Christmas season as it lay under a blanket of snow!
2004
In May of 2004, we became 1st time homeowners!!!!! Our little house, with the great backyard and 2 car garage (what I wouldn't give for even a 1 car garage now!!) was perfect for us and we worked hard at painting and buying "adult" furniture -- as opposed to the "college" furniture we were still using. My mother rejoiced when we actually bought....a REAL couch....instead of using Dave's old but functional futon. (To be honest -- I did too!!) :-)
2005
We were very comfortable in our Idaho home come 2005 and by this point, we had added 2 cats and 2 dogs to the family! In the summer, my family traveled up to Idaho and together, we went to the Sawtooth Mountains area where my parents rented a small but cozy :-) cabin (part of the Red Fish Lake Lodge) that all 5 of us shared. The Red Fish Lake Lodge (and its amazing food), the cabins, the lake, the scenery, the trip to Sun Valley, being snowed on in the middle of June -- it was all so wonderful and beautiful and it quickly became one of our favorite vacations! Of course, being surrounded by my favorite people helped! :-)
2006
The winds of change blew in 2006 and they blew so hard that we landed in Virginia -- across the country!!! By the grace of God, in the span of 2 months (after Dave had accepted a new position in VA), we: sold our house in 1 day and closed on it within the month (ha! how things have changed!), found a place to live in Williamsburg, VA, coordinated a 2500 mile move complete with professional movers (that also did all of our packing -- heavenly!), shipped 1 of our 2 cars, transported by air our 2 cats and 2 dogs, and finished a cross country rode trip which included a trip to our beloved valley in Colorado and visits with family and friends! Again -- we didn't know anyone in our new State. Again - we were far away from family and friends.
But, as with the last move, we were given a dose of familiarity soon after. We traveled to Europe where we met the students and parent chaperones from Dave's former high school choir in Boise. To be surrounded by WONDERFUL friends again -- even if we were on a completely different continent -- was amazing!! We spent 2 weeks seeing Munich, Salzburg, Vienna, and Prague. The kids sang in the church where Mozart was baptized and the chaperones toasted their good fortune while frequenting the local beer gardens! :-) What memories!!!
2007
Less than one year after returning from our first trip abroad, Dave traveled to Italy where he spent 11 days in Rome, Assisi, and Florence. He saw Pope Benedict 3 times and........
soaked in the tours of the Vatican and the Forum and fell in love with everything Italian!
Two days after returning from the Eternal City, he was offered a job in Richmond at St. Joseph's Catholic Church. So -- we moved 56 miles to Richmond, VA. I kicked and screamed at first because when you live less than a mile from the center of Colonial Williamsburg -- well, it doesn't make you keen to leave! But Richmond has been a wonderful place to live. Dave's mom and brother visited us later in the summer so we got to show them around the battlefields and historic places Richmond offers. In the fall, we immediately joined two community choirs (something that had been lacking in Williamsburg) and with our proximity to Washington D.C., we started making frequent trips (we LOVE Amtrak!) to the Capital.
2008
We were extremely busy in 2008. Dave became part of the adjunct faculty at the University of Richmond, he obtained his Series 6 license, became employed at Genworth Financial, and started teaching private piano lessons. I continued making the 112 mile commute to Williamsburg and back on a daily basis for my job while singing (with Dave) in 2 community choirs and our church choir. Our heads were spinning! My family made the trek out to Richmond to join us for Christmas that year. This was the second Christmas that they had flown out to VA to spend with us -- the first being the Christmas of 2006 when we were in Williamsburg! My mom and I realized that as of 2008 - Dave and I had only spent one Christmas apart from my family since we got married. When you consider how many places we've lived -- that is truly amazing and we were all thankful for the ability to be together as often as possible even in light of how many miles there are separating us!!
2009
Dave traveled abroad -- AGAIN -- in 2009. This time he went as the director of the Women's Choir with the University of Richmond. They spent 12 days in Prague, Slovakia, and Budapest!
And in June, we took our magical trip to Bar Harbor, Maine!!! We can't speak of Maine now without a little and wonderful sigh! Maine.....*sigh* :-)
In Short....
Over these past 10 years, we've lived in a lot of places and have traveled to a lot of wonderful places.
Along the way, we have met a LOT of new and wonderful friends we are blessed to have in our lives. Like AMAZING high school kids.....
their wonderful and supportive parents....
Co-workers who become our dear friends....
and Girlfriends that share music and wine (and marble) together!
But with the new, we always hold fast to the dear friends we've always known!
And as the new year fast approaches, we are thankful for all of these memories; for our dear friends and for our families.....
and for making new traditions while treasuring the old.
The 2000's have had their ups and downs. This past year in specific has been difficult for so many of our families and friends -- including ourselves. But with the dawn of tomorrow, we start off with a clean slate, a new beginning. Who knows what the next 10 years -- much less the next year -- have in store for us! But what an adventure the past 10 years have been -- and what an adventure the next 10 will be.
♫ Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind/ Should old acquaintance be forgot and days of old lang syne/ For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne/ We'll take a cup of kindness yet/ for auld lang syne ♫
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