2006

2006 started with the bang of a hammer as I renovated our old office and made the space an enjoyable one.

2 weeks later our dream house went up for sale. We had already narrowed our house search down to a particular 2 block radius in Pitt Meadows and were just waiting for the right house to come up for sale. We had already looked at two houses on the street but neither had been the right fit. When I walked into this house, I knew I was home. We put our house up for sale and bought this one. Best move we've ever made.

I finished my Masters Degree course work. I had been so stressed about trying to find the right internship for so long and suddenly the most perfect opportunity was staring me in the face. I had no idea when I started it how much it would change my perspective. I am so grateful that I was given such a great opportunity. My internship has long been completed but I am continuing to work under my incredible supervisor but with less supervision. She is incredibly supportive and I enjoy the opportunity to talk through issues and brainstorm with her. She rocks as Banana would say.

DH started a new job and that changed much of the dynamics in our house. I am still somewhat less than impressed that our vow renewal had to be postponed because of the job. We will set a new date. The upside is that if we had gone ahead with the original date Stella would have missed it.

Despite the appearance that all is grand and happy in M land, there have been some challenges. Dh and I ran ourselves into the ground by mid 2006 and were barely making it through each week. There were a lot of factors in our life that were not working and by February we knew what the issues were and what we needed to do but couldn't do anything about for several months. There was some emotional stuff that went on that was difficult to survive at times. I don't do well in times of conflict if I can't get some space and space was not an option so there are some things I wish I could erase. I think 2006 was a year for reflection, pensive moments and heavy thinking. Normally I am very hard on myself and this year I learned to be a bit more accepting of both my successes and my challenges. Acceptance and forgiveness can be big accomplishments in themselves. How amazing it is that we are forgiven over and over again.

I had my first cancer scare. It was only a scare but it served as a reminder to take better care of myself. I have put my health and welfare on the backburner and that is not good.

And finally, the arm... one slippery, frozen road has had a big impact. There were so many "if's" involved. If DH had been driving faster... If DH had not had a passenger with him (that was a last minute change)... If the passenger had been more seriously injured and unable to lift the vehicle... If DH hadn't been so well trained in emergency first aid... If it had been colder or if the wind chill had been higher... If the road crew hadn't come along when they did - which in the remote area they were in could easily have been the case... I don't mean to over dramatize it, it was just an event that made us think about easily everything you know can change in the blink of an eye. We are very grateful that none of those if's were involved.

There is this scene in Parenthood that I saw again not to long ago...
[Gil has been complaining about his complicated life; Grandma wanders into the room]
Grandma: You know, when I was nineteen, Grandpa took me on a roller coaster.
Gil: Oh?
Grandma: Up, down, up, down. Oh, what a ride!
Gil: What a great story. [sarcastically]
Grandma: I always wanted to go again. You know, it was just so interesting to me that a ride could make me so frightened, so scared, so sick, so excited, and so thrilled all together! Some didn't like it. They went on the merry-go-round. That just goes around. Nothing. I like the roller coaster. You get more out of it.

I'll take the roller coaster over the merry-go-round any day.