Bye, Bye 2009...Only 12 Hours Remain in this Decade.....Hello 2010--Hope Shall Rise Again!

So it's straight up 12 o'clock noon. There's only 12 hours left in 2009, 12 hours left in this decade! And you know, I'm a positive person, but this decade was tough! The world itself kind of went crazy, I myself completely grew up! Ten years ago I was a mere 16 years old, and now, I'm 26, married, working and truly loving the life I've made! MY life has improved, but I still think that the outside world has gone completely mad. I'm sorry, I feel a bit guilty saying that, but I mean, we all rung in this decade with doom and gloom about Y2K (remember that?), then in 2001--September 11th, then the War in Iraq, the Tsunami in 2004, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, now the war in Afghanistan, severe storms, Virgina Tech, church shootings....it's been crazy! But, my own life has gotten better and better! I'm so thankful for all of my many blessings! I never thought I'd still be living in Vegas at this point, or that I'd have the incredible blessings of friends and their children in my life! I'm so glad and grateful for all of it, by the way!

This year (2009) of course, the highlight was my wedding to Colin! I have never felt so loved, so gorgeous and so incredibly humbled. Every single thing about that day was absolutely perfect!!! I could not have asked for a better wedding, or a more loving and supportive set of family and friends, and husband too! When I started this blog a little over five years ago, I thought I would never get married, and now, I'm closing out the decade, very much a married lady. I love that! I've talked a lot about how marriage is harder than I thought, but in some ways, it's also a lot easier. I think like anything else in life it is what you make it! You still have be held accountable and responsible for your own actions and behavior, but it's nice having a cheerleader and a friend who's always by your side--no matter what! I love that!

The other highlights of 2009 have been: meeting Billy Dean for the 4th time on October 17th, seeing Keith Urban on July 18th, attending two weddings of good friends on June 20th and July 16th (I just love weddings, they're so fun!). I wouldn't say it was a highlight, but an event I won't forget in 2009 is the purchase of my (our) new car. What a freakin' nightmare, yeah, I won't forget that. And of course, my mother having her mini-stroke on moving day 2009! (August). I battled serious depression this year, but I got through it--I always do. I searched and searched and searched for a job, I put in what seemed like endless applications and spent countless hours job hunting, but one of the best parts of 2009 was that I started working at my current job! After all of that hard work looking for work, the stars aligned, God smiled on me and I ended up with the most perfect job for me, and a job that I truly love! Every day I'm grateful for that! It was a definite highlight of 2009!

I will also remember my friendships being confirmed. My girlfriends have been there for me, and I for them (I hope), every single solitary step of this way this year--from engaged and wedding planning, to job-hunting, car fiasco's, mom's health scare and adjusting to a brand new life in pretty much every way!

I've done a shitload (sorry, but I don't feel like mincing my words right now) of changing this year, so what I will remember most about 2009 is ALL of the changes that I made! I want to make it clear that most all of them were absolutely positive, but my hope for 2010 is that it's a little less outwardly eventful.

I want to settle in to all the changes I've made, I want to get used to them a little more and make changes within myself. I don't want to be constantly changing and moving (literally) on the outside this coming year, I want to learn--and I know I will, I always do! I'd like to write more, get further in the writing of my life story and start cooking again, on a more regular basis, I miss it-- a lot! I also want to start cooking different cuisines such as Greek, German and Chineese. My Grandma gave me a collection of cookbooks for my birthday/Christmas and I really want to use them, cook out of them and enjoy traveling the world by way of my palate! How FUN is that?!

As always, in 2010, I'd like to further embark on my spiritual journey and I'd also like to take a trip out of the country. I've never been, right now, it's Wintertime and a warm tropical island sounds like heaven, but in reality, I just want to go someplace exotic (or not so exotic, Hawaii would work for me, even though it's within the U.S.) that I've never been before. I want to experience greater happiness in my relationships with those I love, and strengthen my marriage.

One awesome event that I'm MOST looking forward to in 2010 is CELEBRATING a YEAR of marriage with my husband!!! I am so excited to ring in OUR first year of marriage--what a ride it has been! There are still some days I can't believe I'm married, it's like, so grown of me! I would also like to learn more Spanish in 2010. I took a class back in 2006, and aced it, but I work within a Hispanic community and learning more of the language would be really beneficial to me.

I guess my New Year's Resolution for 2010 is just to expand my horizons, on a very personal level. (I actually traveled a lot in 2009, I took 2 trips home to Reno/Fernley to see my grandparents; in May and December; Colin and I went to Southern Cali for a wedding in June and to plan our own back in January, and of course, we went on our own absolutely fantastic honeymoon--Solvang, Santa Barbara, Disneyland--the best trip of my life! So I did travel a lot in 2009, I just want to travel to NEW places in 2010!)

As I'm writing this entry, I can see that I want to write more, cook more, travel to an island, learn more of a foreign language; basically just expand my personal horizons, be more of a grown up, act more like a grown up.

And most importantly, my biggest goals for 2010 are to gain better control of my emotions, cry a lot less and LAUGH a lot more! I've been good at that lately, I've laughed a lot! I watch certain episodes of my favorite sitcoms and laugh my butt off, I'm back to cracking witty jokes even if I'm the only one cracking up at them (hey, learning to laugh at yourself is something I've done in 2009, and I'm really proud of that, it's a good skill to have!). Colin and I are trying to laugh more within our marriage, it's so important! And even if I'm not laughing more in 2010, I definitely want to be crying less. I cried SO much this year; a lot of those were happy tears and those I'll cry those joyfully 'till the day die, I'm just sentimental and emotional, that'll never change. But, a lot of the tears I cried this year were not so great and not at all rooted in joy. I cried about the car situation, my mom's TIA, the reality of marriage, Colin's health, my health, losing jobs after countless interviews (again, it ALL worked out for the best!), financial woes (who didn't cry about that, this year?) ups and downs with those I love, overall depression, and just a bunch of stuff. That's not say this year hasn't been great, because it has been!

It just seems like looking back on it, there was NO middle ground for me in 2009; I was either flying higher than ever, happier than ever, or I was down in the dumps, completely depressed and overwhelmed with all of life's changes (even the most positive ones).

So in 2010, I also want to find more of a balance. I want to find a middle ground, and a more solid one. I know that all of these things are ultimately up to me, but I hope that my job success continues, my marriage gets happier and healthier, my health continues to improve and that I don't spend the majority of 2010 looking back on a past which I know I cannot change. With the start of a new decade (I'm entering my 3rd, can you believe it?) I want to MOVE FORWARD. I want to stop living in the past, though I don't really think I do that, well, at least not as much as I used to.

Another MAJOR goal for 2010, actually my biggest, is that I want to become more aware of how and where my time & energy are being spent. At times, I'm super good at that, this year, not as good at it as others. I want to be okay with the things that aren't perfect and improve upon the things that need improving.

I have hope for 2010 and the new decade as well. I can't control or change anything or anyone except for myself, and I must say, I'm pretty rockin' most of the time! I just want to grow and learn and make my changes from within!

I am ready for the new year, the new decade and most of all, new beginnings! I am ready embrace the optimism and hope that a New Year brings and I am definitely ready to say Adios' to 2009! "We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun.." thanks for all the experiences 2009, I'll look back upon you with fondness and joy....but it's a new day, and tomorrow it will be a new year, and a new decade entirely.....I'm ready! Bring it on 2010--the year for me, in which hope and optimism shall rise again!

Happy New Year, everyone! Thank You, Lord, for all my blessings! You are the reason for every good thing, great thing and chance at a New Year and a New Day, every day! Thank You!

In Light & 2009, New Year 2010 Love,
-Sarah Liz :)

P.S. I just want to say that I really have had more FUN this year than ever before! For all of it's not so great times, 2009 will be the year that I think I learned to HAVE FUN! As I mentioned, I got to travel a lot and see new things, attend a couple weddings, a few concerts, learned how to Wii, attended writing workshops, laughed at others' blogs, had fun at work, had fun singing in my room, had so much fun with friends, at my wedding, cooking in the kitchen, getting rooms with Colin on the Strip. I really have had a ton of fun this year and I sincerely hope that the sheer FUN of my life (although it's not ALL about having fun) continues into 2010 and the entire decade that lies ahead. You gotta have fun in life, and I can honestly say, I had so much fun in 2009! So that's how I'm going to remember it, actually, I just decided that--2009 was the year that I had more fun than ever, cried a lot, learned a lot, grew a lot and most of all, just had fun! -SL :)