Decade in Review

Happy New Year!

I'm stealing this idea from another blogger, and although I don't think I can achieve her eloquence, it's at least comforting to get some of these things written down. I've reached that age where I can't remember when things happened (or even that they happened)... I definitely didn't inherit my dad's crazy ability to recall dates and times.

Here is a short synopsis of my "2000s." It is very incomplete (in fact, if you have things to add that we shared, please do so in the comments section... I would absolutely love it), but it's a start... and please excuse the changes in tense and lack of complete sentences. Perhaps I will get around to doing a picture collage to go with it, although it seems unlikely, as I'm just now putting together a 2008 Christmas post. :)

2000: World does not end with Y2K. Participate at National Debate Tournament in Portland. Graduate from high school. Work during the summer at Ruttger's. Travel on camping trip to Bighorn Mountains with Katie Marshall and company. Start school at Concordia College in Moorhead; pick Chemistry as a major. Meet Jordan.

2001: Briefly date Jordan. Meet Sarah, Kim and Marie. 9/11. Spend midsemester break traveling from Moorhead to the Twin Cities to Paynesville to Bismarck. Start at Sources of Service as coordinator for tutoring program.

2002: Lead Habitat for Humanity group to Myrtle Beach over spring break with Marie. Spend May in China. Jordan professes his undying love for me, and we *finally* date (for real this time). :) Become Issue Area Coordinator for tutoring in SOS. Serve as senator in student government.

2003: Live in Fargo with Laura over the summer while working as an intern at BlueCross BlueShield of North Dakota. Experience a bout of depression for a couple of months. Take additional summer school classes (Management and Spanish) to ensure timely graduation with newly added Healthcare Admin major. Become co-director of SOS. Get engaged.

2004: Spend spring break in Florida with Jordan (Disney World). Graduate from Concordia. Marry Jordan. Honeymoon in Duluth. Move to the Twin Cities and start job as Analytical Chemist at CIMA. Grandpa Randall dies. Meet Jessica.

2005: Visit Marie in Washington DC and Adele in NYC. Dan moves in with us for a few months. Jamie and Andy marry. Meet Salwa. First annual (until 2009) Murder Mystery Dinner with CIMA friends.

2006: Trip to NYC to visit Adele and Laura. Skiing adventure to Montana with Jordan, Tom, Kim and Kristina. Janis & Jim move to Seattle. Eleanor Rose Culloton is born. Jordan and I vacation at Island View.

2007: Chicago trip with Kim and Sarah. Belize trip with Laura. Las Vegas trip with Salwa and Marie. Jen and Eric get married. Visit Janis and Jim in Seattle. Brenna and Tony get married.

2008: Jordan graduates from dental school. Leave CIMA. Move to Grand Rapids. Buy first house. Alissa and Josh get married. Start working as a receptionist at Jordan’s clinic. Take piano lessons for the first time. Florida trip with Mom and Kristina. Mexico trip with Salwa and Jessica.

2009: Miscarry first baby. Stop working at dental clinic. Dad has aortic dissection. Miriam Grace Culloton is born. Become pregnant again. NYC trip for Salwa’s bachelorette weekend. Salwa and Jake get married.

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Wow - it's a bit odd to reflect back 10 years and feel like it was yesterday. I wonder if I will find future decades as full of changes as the previous one. In any case, Happy New Year, friends and family. Best wishes for 2010!