Life

20 Years ago

1. I was 11 and almost the age of my oldest child. Man I was so young when I had him. (No Mom that is not an acquiescence to your plea for me to wait....)

2. I was in 5th Grade and so happy. We were living in Ft. Mead Maryland. I loved my school and my teacher. Almost all of my good PTA ideas come from great experiences I had at this school. We had the coolest Librarian, Principle and Art teacher. I definitely started to love reading this year thanks to my awesome teacher Mr. Micklos. He gave us an animal poster for ever so many book reports we wrote. I had a huge collection by the end of the year which my Mom never let me hang in my room. I had awesome friends and just always so much fun!

3. I loved the dance studio I was enrolled in. That was the best part. I attended Central Maryland School of Ballet several times a week. I was just starting point which I had looked forward to since second grade. I was Clara in the Nutcracker that year and then a Sylph in La Sylphides later on in the year (that was my favorite. I got to be a fairy!) I loved dancing, it ran in my blood.

10 Years ago

1. I had just had my first baby. It was totally terrifying to be a stay at home Mom all of a sudden. He was a screamer (later an angel after inguinal hernia surgery). With the combination of my little one screaming all day long and the unfortunate side effects of post partum depression I took a semester off of school.

2. We were soooo struggling for money! Dave was selling his blood and plasma as often as they would let him. Mine wasn't acceptable (too thin, can you believe that). So I started working on Saturdays and evenings as a telecommunicator (hideously annoying phone salesperson) for ATT. After two weeks of training I walked out after my second week. I was near tears. It is still very vivid in my memory. I had just gotten off the phone with someone very rude in New York, I thought, "why am I doing something I really hate!" The ear piece was placed on my desk, I shut down my computer, grabbed my stuff and walked out the door never looking back or saying a word to anyone. I was so ashamed to come home and tell Dave. But he is always so sweet. We started looking for other ways to make things work.

3. Dave tried to get lucky and applied for Dental school as a sophomore (it was our first of two tries at applying). The next school year he was accepted and I graduated form the University of Arizona with a degree in Elementary Education.

5 years ago

1. Dave was a Junior at Loma Linda School of Dentistry. We loved it. We had so many wonderful experiences there.

2. I had finally made great friends. It takes me about two years. I am so slow! Kathryn, Aileen and Sarah were my best friends. We did so many wonderful things together. I miss them all so much.

3. I was taking the kids down to Disneyland all the time. Several times a month. Gotta love So Cal Passes!!!! We went when no one was there. No lines, the characters to ourselves. It was like Disneyland was ours... just ours!

3 years ago

1. This still brings tears to my eyes. Three years ago I was driving my better half to the airport. He was on his way to Egypt to be the Dentist for our American troops in the Sinai. I was weak with grief. I didn't know them how I was going to make it through a year without him. I will be forever indebted to his family for really pulling me through and being there for me in so so many ways. Sob Sob....

2. Katie, the only one of my children to be given a nickname by family, was nicknamed Rosie by Grandpa Wilcox. It's funny how tender a nickname could be. I still wish he would call her it more often. She loves him!

3. We started building our very first house!!

1 year ago

1. I was pregnant with Sara. Our little surprise. So miserably sick. I totally dropped out of the lives of my family. Somehow everyone lived through it!!!

2. We were still struggling constantly with trying to decide where to live So Cal or here in Washington. I think we were and still are the laughing stock of all of our friends and neighbors!

3. I started craving peanut M and M's which I have not overcome to this day.

This year so far

1. We have really enjoyed every moment of our sweet little Sara's existence. She is a constant joy!!!!!

2. Dave is no longer in the Military and working as a dentist in the civilian world. We are still trying to decide how to move on to the next phase of our lives.

3. My kids and I have had a wonderful summer. I was dreading the end of school. But everything ha worked out so well. Thanks to great weather, great friends and and infinite amount of things we can do and places to see!!!!

Today

1. I am going to the cannery today to finish up our year supply. I will have kept my New Years Resolution for the first time ever, and it's only August. I am so proud of myself!!!

2. The kids are out playing with friends.

3. Dave is having dinner with Greg Dent whose partner has a practice that Dave could take over in Tacoma. Wow...I wish we liked Tacoma more!

Tomorrow

1. I'm hoping to find someone to lend me book four in the Twilight series. Once I started it I have to finish. Help anyone???????

2. We get paid and so I will probably go shopping. Dave will need and want to give me my new budget first!

3. Haircuts maybe...

Next Year

1. Hopefully we will be moving into our new home somewhere in Camas, Washugal or Vancouver.

2. Hopefully we will find a great practice for Dave to work at.

3. We will be desperately missing all of our Dupont and Ft. Lewis friends and likely spending way too much on gas coming up to visit as frequently as possible.