A Decade of Memories...

After seeing several other blogs do a decade-in-review, I thought I would take a few moments to reflect on the past decade. Each of the past ten years has been filled with wonderful memories and times that forever changed us.

We rang in the turn of the century with great friends at Poor Henry's. Six months later, I finished graduate school and entered the "real world." Chris and I wrapped up the year by taking our first major vacation as a couple to London. Chris continued to travel each week this year for work and I learned that it isn't the quantity of time spent together but the quality of time that matters the most.

Bahamas! Eight friends invaded the Bahamas in May to make it the high point of 2001. Memories were made to last a lifetime during this week-long trip. It is hard to believe that this trip was nine years ago...we may not see each other as often as we would like, but our friendships are just as strong as when we embarked on our Bahama adventure.

April 5, 2002 Chris decided I was worth keeping around and proposed on the campus of SJU. Plans for our own wedding began as we watched two important people in our lives get married. In August we celebrated the union of Kathy and Paul. Two months later, I watched my best friend Christine say "I do."

The following year was filled with many life changes and a few exciting trips. On April 12, 2003, Chris and I made it official as we pledged our love to each other in front of family and friends. After an incredible honeymoon, we settled back into our routine of weekends together, weekdays apart. Thursday, July 22nd, Chris was welcomed home from a week away with a card congratulating him on becoming a father. As we both travelled heavily for our jobs, the rest of the year was spent preparing for impending parenthood. We managed a few baby-moon trips including weekend get-aways to Niagra Falls and Denver.

Words escape me when trying to fit all of 2004 into a few short sentences...in a span of three weeks in March, Chris and I purchased our first home, welcomed our first child, faced a medical crisis and said good-bye to a loving parent. Almost six years later, the moments of laying in a hospital bed unable to move or speak have forever changed my view of life. I vividly remember fearing that Max would never be able to hear my voice, telling him how much I love him. Whether I am in the next room or on a different coast for work, I try my hardest to remind him each night of the love I have for him. I also learned what it means when others say rough times can either make or break a marriage. Whether it was holding my hand all night long in the ICU or sharing a shoulder for me to cry on during the long, trying first months of parenthood, Chris never left my side.

Chris and I continued to rely heavily on one another as we welcomed in 2005. The first nine months of parenting proved difficult and rewarding. We managed to sneak away to Vegas for a few days of reconnecting in January. Little did we know exactly how much we would need that vacation. As Max's health deteriorated, every month of the first half of 2005 was marked by a hospital stay, ER visit or a surgery for Max. On April 1st, we learned that Max had EE. It an odd way, it was as if a huge boulder was lifted...we finally had an answer and could move on to creating a safe, healthier life for Max. As we fought insurance companies, begged for doctors' appointments and went to battle for our son with disinterested health professionals, I found a inner voice I never knew I had.

Thankfully, 2006 was a much calmer year, marked by a trip to San Francisco for Chris and I and a family trip to Ocean City, MD. Chris and I decided our life was getting a bit too mundane...on October 21, we learned that Max would be a big brother in June 2007. As Chris and I discussed growing our family, I couldn't help but worry about the same complications happening again. I eventually came to realize that sometimes you just have to put your fears aside and hope for the best. We ended the year with a trip to Guatemala to visit Rudy.

After several false alarms, the defining moment of 2007 came when Lucy entered the world June 18. Max easily adapted to the role of big brother and I tried to savor every moment of Lucy's first few months. It was such a different experience on so many levels. Lucy was a more content baby and I was a more confident parent. The summer of 2007 was spent rocking our daughter to sleep and staring at her peaceful little face. A few months later, our family gained another sister as Bill and Renee tied the knot. A week later, we welcomed our first nephew, Rudy, into the family. As 2007 came to a close, I realized that a parent's love is endless. During my pregnancy, I wondered how we would split our time and love between two children. I learned that we didn't have to split it...our ability to love would naturally grow just as our first born naturally became a protective big brother.

The highlight of 2008 was family trip to the Outer Banks. As I watched three cousins run, play and laugh their way through a week of good times, it was evident that more really is merrier.

The final year of the decade was marked with a cruise in May 2009 with Max, Gram and PopPop. A few weeks later, tears fell as we watched our first born graduate from preschool. We spent the summer savoring the long, warm nights, knowing all too quickly, Max would be headed off to kindergarten. As we kissed Max good-bye on his first official day of school, I finally understood what it meant when people told me to savor each moment because it goes so quickly.