30 December 2010

2010/2011

       The end of December is always an interesting time for me.  I'm continually amazed at how quickly the year has passed and wonder what the heck happened!  Even Princess noticed that this year went by very quickly.  Sadie Abroad is hosting this week's Weekly State Department Blog Roundup and has chosen the theme of reflecting back on 2010 back and looking ahead to 2011.  As I'm want to do, I am usually looking back and looking ahead, maybe it has something to do with the ADD!  So this should be right up my alley, right?  No.  I'm actually finding it rather difficult to put together this post.

So much has happened in 2010 for the Global Geraghtys that is may just be easier to note the highs and lows (I do love my lists).

2010 Highs
PFF passed the FS orals in February.  Little did I know just how much my life was about to change.

Barnes Family vacation to Disney World.  This was Princess' and The Boy's first trip to Disney and they LOVED it.  I always love Disney and having kids is an easy excuse to embrace my inner child.  And by the way, there is a relatively new ride called Expedition Everest in the Animal Kingdom.  If you love roller coasters, this is a MUST on your next visit!  

154th A-100.  PFF started A-100 in June and we met some amazing people through this class.

We sold our house.  This may seem odd as a high, but with joining the FS, we didn't see how owning a home in a Boston suburb would be a good thing.  It was on the market for four months, sold for close to what we were asking, and closed early.

Our first assignment.  Ok, maybe this is really PFF's first assignment, but we're all in this together.  He loves his job, the people are really nice, and we have amazing housing for the next two years.

Family.  We're all together after PFF being in Iceland for an additional year without us.  Single parenting is really, really hard.  And we are all healthy.  You just can't beat that!

Flopster.  We adopted a bunny for Princess for Christmas.  I've never really had a pet, but this bunny is really adorable!  I'm not sure what I expected, but he acts a bit like a puppy.  If he's out of his cage, he will greet people at the top of the stairs when they come in.  If he's in his cage with the door open and you walk into the room, he will jump out of the cage, smell your feet/legs, and then run circles around you a few times.  He will follow me from room to room, and if we're watching TV, he'll come into the living room and just hang out with us.

2010 Lows
     I'm happy to say there really weren't any noteworthy lows.  Granted we moved away from our families, but we can still talk to them on a regular basis (thank you skype and VoIP).

2011 Expectations
     I gave up long ago on making resolutions for the coming year.  They never seemed to work out and I always ended up feeling guilty/stressed.  I can tell you that this is what I expect to happen with the Global Geraghtys in 2011:

Travel. And lots of it.  2011 is the year that I start 1:1 long weekends with Princess and The Boy.  The Boy and I are booked for a trip to London and Princess and I are booked for a trip to Paris.  I also want to see all that Norway has to offer.  I know we're here for two years, but I'm hoping to see a lot this year.  

Visitors.  I'm hoping that our family and friends will make good use of our spare room in 2011.

Skiing.  How can you be in Norway and not ski?  We've never tried cross country skiing so that is definitely on the agenda.  It has also been a long time since we've been downhill skiing, but we can see a slope from our street, so there is opportunity not too far away.

Fotball.  What Americans call soccer.  Princess is mad for soccer and I've been trying to find a girls team for her.  No luck yet, but I'm not giving up.

Fekting.  What Americans call fencing.  I found a club for The Boy and he starts on Wednesday.  He really enjoyed it in DC, and I'm hopeful that will continue.  Now I just need to find out if they offer adult lessons as well.

The Usual.  These are my daily expectations.  To see the bright side of every situation.  To see the humor in everything.  To laugh.  To love.  To hug my children and let them know how much they mean to me.  To let PFF know how happy I am I married him - even when I'm wondering what I was thinking!  To enjoy every day, even when the day is not enjoyable (I must add meditation to my honey-do list).  I'm not always successful in this, but I'm trying!

I wish everyone a Happy New Year and a wonderful 2011.  I can't wait to see what 2011 brings us all!

6 comments:

  1. I'm curious to know where you did fencing in DC. My son and husband just started and as we're moving to DC for the March class, they'd like to continue there if possible.

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  2. Consider taking a trip on Hurtigruta from Bergen up to Kirkenes and back. The best way to see the western coast of Norway, the fjords, and all the little fishing villages and islands.

    Ha en veldig Godt Nytt Aar!

    ~Bethany
    http://www.raisingawanderer.com

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  3. Virdis - Both my son and I did fencing with the Virginia Fencing Academy (www.vafinc.com). Our lessons were through the Arlington Recreation Department, but the VAF is located in Springfield, VA. My son's lessons were in Olympic Sport and I had lessons in Historical Swordsmanship. The instructor was quite good and we both enjoyed our lessons.

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  4. Bethany, I will certainly look into that trip. Best wishes for 2011 and with the PNQ results!

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  5. You are most welcome! I lived in Norway and speak Norwegian - my host family lives all over Norway from Oslo to Hamar/Stange to Trondheim. Send me a message if you'd like me to hook you up with them. They're great people and very welcoming!

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  6. This week’s State Department Blog RoundUp is here, and you're on it!

    http://sadieabroad.blogspot.com/2010/12/state-department-blog-roundup.html

    Please let me know if you have any objections and would like to be removed. Thanks, and Happy New Year!

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