Our Decade in Review

I am copying this idea from several friends...thanks, Cindy T.! :)

David and I totally enjoyed talking about these past ten years. Here are some of the events that came to mind as we talked today.

2000

We spent our summer in Uganda, East Africa.
We spent a week in Oostende, Belgium after traveling through London, England on our way home from Africa.
September 26 officially marked two years of dating.
(Though we had enjoyed time together for 2 yrs 2 mo at that point.)
September 26 David proposed...we were engaged!
December 12 we got married in the faculty library of the McInteer Bible building at H.U.
December 14 we flew to Cancun, Mexico for our wedding in a beach side gazebo.
December 16 David completed his MSE (Master's of Science in Education) at H.U.
(He walked in a different semester's graduation as we were in Mexico!)

2001

July my mom and Mark moved to Knoxville, TN.
September 11 terrorist attacks.
December we spent our first anniversary together in Hawaii!

2002

May 11 I graduated from H.U. with my BSN.
August we moved to our current location.
August I began my first job as an RN.
August David began a Nuclear Medicine Technology Program.
October we closed on our first home. (996 sq ft!)

2003

June I cut my hours back to part time at my stressful first nursing job.
July David finished the Nuc Med Tech program and got a job at the Med Center.
July we spent a week in Leon, Nicaragua on a medical mission.
September we spent 3 weeks traveling in Japan and Okinawa.
October I was hired PRN at Children's Hospital in Ped Pulmo.
December I quit my stressful job completely and continued working in Ped Pulmo.
December 11 we found out we were expecting our first child.
December 12 we were apart for the first time on our anniversary (3rd).
December 13 I was the matron-of-honor in Susan Tripp Martin's wedding.

2004

August 24 Mackenzie Kristen was born at 2:29pm weighing 7 lb 0 oz.

2005

June 26 Evan Long (my brother) and Mia Winn got married.
September 17 we found out we were expecting our second child.
October we (David, Mackenzie, and me) went with my mom and Mark to Cancun, Mexico.

2006

May 24 Josiah Zearl was born at 7:58am weighing 7 lb 5 oz.
October 7 I was matron-of-honor in Julie Newsom Mooney's wedding.

2007

August 20 we sold our first home and bought our second.

2008

February 24 Mackenzie turns 3 1/2 yrs old and begins "school" (MDO) after begging for months.
May we (the four of us) went to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on vacation.
May 24 Josiah turns 2 years old.
August 24 Mackenzie turns 4 years old.

2009

January David's Grandpa died at age 93.
May 24 Josiah turns 3 years old.
August 18 Mackenzie started Kindergarten.
August 20 Josiah started "school" (mother's day out) for the first time, 3's class.
August 24 Mackenzie turned 5 years old.
December 12 David and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary.

2010

Is yet to be lived.

As I read back over the many major events that occurred in the past ten years, I am struck by how many of them are so positive. (Maybe I'm just blocking the negative ones from memory-Ha. Just Kidding.) I am grateful for all the happy times and treasured memories made. I look forward to seeing what God has planned for our future. I love the verses found in Jeremiah 29:11-13 "'For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.'"

I do not know what the next ten years holds for us, but I know Who holds the next ten years (and all eternity, for that matter!) in His hands. And that is sufficient for me. May we always seek and serve Him in everything that we do and with all that we are. May we live each day for Him.

Happy New Year, Everyone!!!