Top 10 Happenings of 2006 (for The Hills!)

Lee and I spent the day yesterday just hanging out and running some errands. In an attempt to really start 2007 off on the right foot, we took the time to write down at least 3 things we wanted to accomplish this year and at least 2 resolutions. While we were coming up with this list, we started talking about the biggest events of the year for us and narrowed them down to 10 things. Here they are in absolutely no order:

10. We bought a new car! This was our first vehicle purchase together. It took a while for us to find the right one, and it took a lot of patience on Lee's part (I was ready to buy the first day), but we love our little white Camry!

9. I started graduate school. This was a huge decision for us that was made really quickly. I will finish my master's in educational leadership at MC this summer. I have loved every second of it, except the nights I'm not at home. It has changed my views on education and made me a better teacher. I have also made some great friends who make being away a few nights a week a lot easier. The next step will be deciding if I should stay in the classroom or begin using my degree in the fall. I love my students and the daily contact I have with them, but I also love being in charge of the big picture! Decision, decisions!

8. Dave Ramsey. Ok, I did this kicking and screaming, and Lee loved it, but it has really changed our lives. We know where every penny goes each month and are able to save for things we want or see as a necessity ahead of time. It has already made such a huge difference this year, and I know it will change our future.

7. Our house became a home. We started painting our house and really adding our own personal touches to it. The house that used to just be the place we live is now truly our home, and we love it. We still have some work to do, but it does feel good to look around and see things we really like!

6. My health. This sound small, but it was huge to us. We finally found medication to make me feel better on a daily basis and got a diagnosis for some other problems I was having. I was starting to feel like I was crazy! We are now able to prepare for what is ahead and do what we can to make things easier. And I feel much better! My left ankle used to get really swollen (it looked like there was a softball on the inside), and that rarely happens now. Hope that continues through 2007!

5. Craig and Katie's decision to be missionaries overseas. Craig and Katie are two of our dearest friends, and they are leaving for Central Asia for 2 years. Selfishly, we are so sad they're leaving, but it has been amazing to watch them prepare and watch God work in their lives. I keep saying that I can't imagine leaving, but they are so excited, which shows that God is truly calling them to this field. We will miss them so much. I don't know what Lee is going to do without Craig! Craig was the friend who would pick up and do just about anything when Lee got bored. Hopefully I won't be called on to look for alligators!

4. Lia went to homecoming. This had so much more meaning to us than just homecoming. Although it was her first "real, dress-up date," it stood for more than that. We finally felt like Lia really had found her place in Houston, and she has! She has some great friends and has such a great outlook on everything. We're so proud of her wisdom and maturity and love her sense of humor and attitude about everything. The negative, if there is one, is that it may be kinda hard to get her to come back to Mississippi for college!

3. Lee finally considered law school as an option. This is something he has wanted to do for a long time but would not give in to really doing it. We finally sat down and really went through the whole thing and realized that it is a very real option for us. He studied some for the LSAT and took it in December. He's also applied to a few law schools, so we'll see how that goes. If nothing else, I'm proud that he decided to follow what he knows he wants to do.

2. Northwest Rankin Cross-Country. This was Lee's baby this year. He got up every morning at 5am to meet a group of boys to run before school. He really brought the team a long way. It was fun to watch those guys really develop through the season. For me, it was neat to watch the admiration they had for Lee and the way they hung on every word he said. He served as a great role model and example for those boys while teaching them how to run 3 miles...really fast!

1. Alyssa and Sam got engaged! And the wedding is in two weeks! We're excited for Sam to be a part of our crazy family, and it has been fun for Lee and I to help them prepare for this huge step in their lives. We've been able to watch their relationship progress through the years, and it made the engagement more exciting.

What a great year 2006 was. We just hope that 2007 is filled with as many fun and eventful things! Happy New Year!