Bye 2009

Well 2009 is almost to a close. No exciting New Year's Eve plans here other than spending an evening with the family - which is very nice and the best way to bring in 2010. To tell you the truth, even when I used to go out on New Year's Eve I never had a good time. One time I was almost stuck waiting in line for the bathroom at midnight because there was just too many people. That would be a horrible way to bring in the New Year.

So today I am thinking back on 2009. Will this be the year that all I can remember are bad things like IS, relationships tested, tears, giving your daughter shots of a very expensive drug that made her look and feel miserable?

Well these will be stuck in my mind forever I am sure, but 2009 was full of good things too...

Great support by some people in our lives - some I have met in real life and others I have not. This year really showed me the beauty of support. I have learned that close relationships should be founded in support and if you don't have that, you have nothing.

Our family vacation to South Dakota - the kids loved it and looking back on the photos I see just how beautiful inside and out my husband and kids are. In fact, we had a lot of adventures this year and we are very lucky for these opportunities.

Participating in our second Down Syndrome Awareness Walk - the DS community is full of such wonderful people and we are blessed to become a part of it. My life is better with having DS in it.

Employment - I am so lucky to have two new part-time jobs that I can be proud of and not only help others but learn so much myself. I am also so lucky to have my full-time job and my other part-time job that both provide our family with stability and much needed money. I appreciate the relationships that I have developed through both of these places. All my employment opportunities are blessings given this economy.

There are probably a lot more that I am forgetting, and I recognize that 2009 wasn't all bad. I learned a lot. But given the last few months, I am happy to start a new year and hope for nothing but good things in 2010.

Happy New Year!

-Karyn