January 1st, 2010

Another year has come and gone. Not only is it a new year today, it's also a new decade. I hadn't thought of that until yesterday when my family and I were driving across the causeway and we were listening to the radio and they were going over the most memorable events of the last decade. That started me thinking; what was I doing 10 years ago?

Let me refresh a bit.

Towards the end of 1999, everyone was freaking out about Y2K. Remember? All computers in all the world were going to crash. When did we all become so paranoid?? On a personal level, the beginning of the new millennium was both full of excitement and sadness. As of December, 1999, I was 3 months pregnant with Ryan and so looking forward becoming a Mummy. We had tried so long to get pregnant and our dreams were finally realised and I was over the moon. The sad part was my beloved grandmother...the only grandparent I ever really knew...had passed away after a very long battle with Alzheimer's. She had stopped eating just before Christmas and died on Dec. 30, 1999 at the age of 91. During all of this, my "little" brother Troy was in the Neuro ICU because of complications with his shunts. It was very touch and go and Christmas for my mum and dad was spent in the ICU with him. The stress proved to be a lot for my mum to handle and she had landed herself sick as well, making it impossible for her to even attend her own mum's funeral. Needless to say, despite the blessing on the horizon that we would later know as Ryan, the Christmas of '99 was a sad and stressful one. Thankfully, Troy pulled through all the better as did my mum, but I have to say, we entered this decade...this century on a sour note. Only good things could come out of this now, right?

Right.

Five months later, Master Gerald Ryan Preston entered our world and that began a decade full of fun, mischief, laughter, and joy. The first decade of this century has been one full of adventure and roads of discovery. Now that we enter this decade, I hope to have more adventures, but with a little more ... oh, what's the word ... let's say organization. Having small kids creates a lot of havoc in ones life. My kids are far from grown up, but they are independent children and not relying on their parents for everything which allows us time for more personal adventures. It is that I am looking forward to in 2010 and beyond. While I love being a mother more than anything in the world, I do also love being a woman, a wife and a friend too and hope to devote more time to that part of my life.

So welcome 2010. This year will see a new addition to the Forsythe family with the grand entrance of "Spud" in June. This long awaited baby is already well loved, and I can't wait to hug it, and squeeze it and whisper stories of his/her father in their ear. It will also see another baby enter my life when my goddaughter, Katelyn has her little bundle who is due on May 27th. Coincidentally, Katelyn is due to start this decade off as I had started the last one ... as a new mum and on the same day. What a great example of how the wheels of time just keep turning.

Happy New Year, one and all. May you all ~ Live well, Laugh often and Love much.