...The Toros...: Goodbye 2008...Hello 2009!

Wow, seems like the years are just flying by. I clearly remember ringing in Y2K! ha I was still in high school...I was at a friend's house party...just like we were every weekend...I even remember what I was wearing! A zebra print halter shirt if you must know...attractive, I know! Just a bunch of teenagers that would be graduating high school in 5 months...excited to be with friends...excited to begin their last semester of high school...excited about their college years...yet I think most of us were still curious as to what would happen as the clock struck midnight...I remember calling my mom a few minutes before midnight "just because"...and I think that "just because" was in fact all because I was scared! As the ball was dropping there was sort of a pause in the commotion in the house...as if everyone were holding their breath...after we realized it wasn't "the end of the world!" we were ok...and our night went on until the wee hours of the morning. I can't help was think about how much my life has changed since then. Since that time I've experienced "college life" in an unfamiliar city, life with roommates (btw I'm STILL best friends with one of my old roomies), life on my own, my own townhome, my own apartment, my own job that had to pay all of my OWN bills haha, heartbreak, and all types of other emotions. Since that time I've lost two grandparents...within a 10 month span, I've watched my dad kick bladder cancers butt, I've watched my mom fight for her life back, watched friends MY age fight brain cancer, and not to mention my own health issues in the past. 2008 was definitely bitter sweet. The bitter part would be watching my dad go through cancer treatment, watch my mom suffer from her second stroke and spend weeks in rehab to learn how to do little things we take for granted everyday...like walking, talking, and writing. Not long after that me and my family spent 12 hours in a hospital waiting room while my mom underwent brain surgery to remove an aneurysm. The sweet part is hearing that my dad's surgeon said his bladder looked cancer free, seeing my mom BREATHING after brain surgery, seeing my mom WALK and return to her life. And most definitely one of the sweetest things of 2008 was saying "I do" to my husband. I get to spend the rest of my life being loved by him and not to mention he gave me the best "bonus" children ever. There were times when I would just think "God are you serious?! Don't you think I've been through ENOUGH this year?" but now all I can say is "God you were SO good to me! I have my parents AND I got to marry my best friend!" This past year opened my eyes a lot! Now friends...life doesn't get any better than that right? Oh wait...yes it does...On January 1, 2009 I found out I'm going to be an aunt again!! Congrats sister and Ben!! I can't wait to spoil this new baby just as I've done to my precious Nathan.