One Decade Down - One to Go....

I know I haven't been around a lot lately, but you have always been close in my thoughts.
This weekend, I got to spend some quality time with my nine-year-old niece, Baylee. Since her birth, I have been convinced that Baylee was cosmically meant to be my child. We share so many of the same traits (some good, some bad) personality wise. In the looks department, we are no where close. Baylee (who is from the Neeley side and shares no DNA with me) has white, blonde hair and big blue eyes. She is also tiny (her resolution was to be as big as the average kids in her class.)
During one of our conversations, she asked me what my New Year's Resolution was for 2010. I told I was to old for resolutions, but I did have some revalations - as the most eventful decade of my life came to a close.
Baylee, in true "tween"dom really didn't care about my inner thoughts, but I thought some of you might.
In the past decade I:

* got married
* had two children
* bought a house
* switched careers (from marketing to social work)
* lost my brother-in-law, Chris
* lost my "dad", Dick.
* lost my Gram (who I trully believe has been reincarnated as my daughter, Ella)
* watched Ryan's sister succumb to her problems with additction
* visited a family member in prison (see above)
* discovered that my husband is also having problems with addicition
* saw my mother make a huge mistake out of the fear of being alone
* became a great aunt
* lost 50 pounds on a crash diet and gained it all back plus 10
* lost 25 pounds by being healthy and have kept it off for a year
* discovered that I like myself
* discovered that I am way stronger than I ever thought possible
* discovered that I have an artisitic side and am trying to develop it.
* did an entire wedding reception for a friend for less than $2500 - including the catering and invitations - that people still compliement me on.
* did a second, outdoor reception for her sister for less than $500 (no catering this time) using wild flowers and mason jars for the bulk of the decorations.

I am sure there is a lot more, but the fact is - good or bad, I have really grown a lot these past 10 years and am ready to see what the next ten have in store...