Rate Your Years...

Well, I have been trying to decide what to blog about for a few weeks now. It seems that the things I want to blog about all seem very negative and so I am never brave enough to post any of the thoughts that often go on in my head. I don't want my blog or even my image to come off as someone who is a "downer" all the time...ya' know? On my way home tonight from work, the idea just came in my head to simply write a little entry about the past several years of my life and to rate them on a scale of 1-10, 1 being the worst year and 10 being a fabulous year in my life! As 2006 draws to a close, I must say that I am truly glad to see this year be over with! Let's see what I thought of previous years...

2006 - I rate this year a 1 for sure...yep, you read this right. I absolutely hated this past year and won't be sad to see it go! We declared bankruptcy this year and have been trying to dig ourselves out of a very deep and lonely pit financially all year. The only positive thing I can recall about 2006 is Scott and I and our family becoming official members of UPC! That was for sure a step in the right direction!

2005 - I rate this year a 2. It was better than 2004, but not by much. One of my close friends committed suicide unexpectedly. She was a young mother of two children and she played a key part in helping me develop friendships while I was a stay-at-home mother. She got me involved in a local MOMS club several years prior. Another reason this year wasn't so great was that Scott and I had our dream of building a new, larger home for our growing family shattered. A serious financial downfall caused us to have to back out of a contract we had signed on our "dream home". What a disappointing year!

2004 - This year goes into the negative ratings...I would rate 2004 a -5 (hey, it's my blog, so I can rate it this way if I want ~wink, wink). As most of you know, my step-father committed suicide three days before Easter during this year. To this day, it is still the absolute WORST, traumatic event I have EVER gone through.

2003 - This was a pretty good year for me. I would rate it a 7. I went back to work part-time after having been a stay-at-home mom for 4 years. It was a bold move for me, but a positive one that came at the right time for us.

2002 - I would rate this year an 8. We had our surprise baby #3, Amanda Summer, and she has truly been a delight to have in our family! Also, I went back to college this year to take a course in order to renew my teaching certificate. It was a positive achievement for me.

2001 - Well, this year has mixed emotions. The first half of 2001 was pretty great for us! We had our son, Chandler, and moved into a brand new home in the spring of 2001! But, of course, by the fall when the 9/11 attacks occurred, the entire nation changed and has never been the same since. I would rate this year an 8 on a personal level.

2000 - I would rate this year a 10! Scott and I sold our previous home and paid off a lot of debts. We were preparing to move into our newly built home the following year. Also, Scott was doing very well at his job and had a lucrative year with side-work projects and such. I don't remember this year being a very stressful year for us in most ways.

1999 - I would rate this year a 9. We had our first child, Sierra, in January. After two previous miscarriages, she was definitely an answer to our prayers! I enjoyed my first year as a new mother and loved staying at home with her! We joined a few different mom's and children's groups and began establishing a whole new circle of friends!

1998 - This year was probably an 8 for me. We got pregnant in April and after severeal sonograms, we were delighted to find out that our pregnancy was viable and healthy! I enjoyed the anticipation of the arrival of our first child during this year! It made teaching at my school more pleasant, somehow.

1997 - Well, this was yet, another sucky year. I rate this year a 1. Our dreams of starting a family were shattered twice during this unfortunate year. We miscarried in March right around the time of our 1-year anniversary. We also miscarried another time during August. Many doctor's visits and surgical procedures done during this year. Once we found out the cause of our miscarriages, I had corrective surgery to repair my uterus.

1996 - This year was a 10! Scott and I set out on our new life together as man and wife on March 9th! After graduating from college the semester prior to our wedding date, I also landed my first teaching job as a second grade school teacher. My life-long aspirations of becoming a teacher came true!

My New Year's toast will be, "To experiencing happier memories in 2007 and to seeing some light at the end of a long, dark, hopeless tunnel!"