The (Not Quite) Decade by Year

Yanking this from Misti and making my list before I forget anymore of what’s happened to me in the past ten years. Oh, and before I forget, for all you sticklers out there I realize that the decade isn’t over until the end of this year. The sticklers. You never cease to amaze me.

1999

• Maybe kinda sorta had a boyfriend at the beginning of this year. But it didn’t amount to anything, other than both he and his mother claiming to this day that I was his first girlfriend, so I don’t think it counts.
• Lots of personal tragedy this year. Lost a number of people. Very depressing.
• I turned 15 this year.
• Got really active in online forums, creating my own websites (I’d been doing so since 1997), and general internet culture. The very beginning of me being self-taught at all this stuff.

2000

• I got my first Livejournal this year and starting writing online more regularly than before. I’d had journals that I kept online, but this was the first one that I stuck to.
• Almost died of pneumonia. Lost 20 lbs in two weeks and looked like a stick figure. I missed 2 weeks of school and came back with 2 weeks left. I had A’s in all but one class and most of my teachers didn’t make me make up the work.
• Turned 16. Spent my birthday with Nannie (great-grandmother), Great Aunt Geraldine, her daughter Susan, and Susan’s twins, Brooklyn & Britton. We went to a soda shop and they played “Sixteen Candles” on the jukebox for me and I had a banana split. One of the girls said something I’ll never forget (they had to have been about 5 or 6 at the time, now they’re in high school): “We’we like twiplets, only youw biggew.” Ladies, if you’re reading this, I hope it doesn’t embarrass you! It was the cutest thing ever.
• Crazy ice storm at the end of the year that left us stuck in Nannie’s house for a week without running water and barely any electricity.
• Close friend’s family member committed suicide. Stricken with grief for them is the only way to describe that.

2001

• One of my paternal great-grandmothers died (not the one from the ice storm) and I sat behind Heather at the funeral. We didn’t speak, but I knew who she was and remembered her from vacation Bible school when we were 4.
• The summer that I discovered eyeliner.
• Started my junior year of high school. Everything was different. I think because of aforementioned eyeliner.
• Really began thinking about where I was going to go to college. I had it narrowed down to a handful and OU was not one of them.
• Finally got my driver’s license in August (before I turned 17 in November; I had been eligible for almost a year) when Mom dragged me to the DMV. Failed the first time in July because the instructor said I ran a stop sign. Apparently “running” a stop sign is sitting there anything less than 8 seconds, cause…dude. I stopped.
• Moved into my great-grandmother’s house after she moved to the nursing home. It was just next door, but over twice the size of the house I’d grown up in. Also, made me realize just how much I hate moving.
• Dad had the end of his right index finger pinched off right before the move by a spring in the garage door. Scary scary.

2002

• Junior prom. Good. Grief. Shy little wallflower girl (as I was and still can be) had five guys ask her to prom. Because I thought it was the only fair thing to do (and HELLO! I didn’t know what to do) I went with the first one that asked. I should have gone with the one who was my closest friend. It’s actually a regret of mine and I don’t have many.
• All the drama that accompanied said Junior Prom.
• Got involved with the color guard that spring to prepare for the fall.
• Spent a week during the summer representing my town at Oklahoma Girls State. I learned so much about myself. I opened up, became more confident, and really began to understand where I stood politically.
• Started my senior year. Dad suggests that I apply at OU. I do. And end up saying, “What the hey, I’ll try it out for my first couple of years.” Still do not know exactly how I ended up going there. My plan was to attend Chatham in Pennsylvania.
• Talk of GodlyGals started in 2002.

2003

• Went to senior prom alone — by choice. Wasn’t going through the previous year’s fiasco again.
• Graduated from high school.
• Saw my best friend from high school for the last time. (Well, there was once more but I don’t count it since it was in passing and unplanned.)
• GodlyGals started out as a community on Livejournal on June 12, 2003.
• Went on a trip driving to the east coast with my grandparents. Saw so many things and had the time of my life with them, only to be almost killed by a semi-truck on I-40 west of Nashville while driving home. God was with us that day.
• We were rushing home from that trip because my youngest cousin had been placed in Children’s Hospital in OKC because she was extremely ill and they weren’t really sure if she was going to make it. She is alive today. Diagnosis: juvenile diabetes.
• My parents moved me into Adams Tower, McCasland 701 in late August. They left and I cried. How on earth did I ever think I would make it in Pennsylvania?
• Met Ronnica shortly thereafter. She was discipling my roommate and cousin, Heather.
• Met Kevin for the first time downstairs outside of Burger King. It pretty much meant nothing to either of us.
• Had my most successful semester at college (up until my last one, which I finished with a 4.0). Very sad considering I had two D’s. I blame it on the fact that I had never studied before in my life for anything. Ever. Kids, pick up some study skills before college.
• Was majoring in Elementary Education.
• Saw John Mayer on my 19th birthday with two of my closest friends (Heather and Delisa)…and Colt

2004

• We started picking up “Crumpy’s Printer” on Heather’s wireless connections on her computer. I asked if “Crumpy” was his real name. Nope. Kevin Crumpler.
• Finished the school year not so well.
• Spent the summer at home laying out in the sun and reading for my summer classes.
• Started the school year in a pink & green room that was the delight of our hall. Not. Found out it was not cool to be an unpledged sophomore on a predominately sorority hall at the University of Oklahoma.
• Became friends with Aaryn.
• Close friends lost their dad. Spent a long evening sitting on the floor of our (private) bathroom while I was on the phone with them. Suicide, depression, and grief multiplied by 2 are just not pretty things.
• Disaster struck and I started dating The Biggest Jerk I’ve Ever Met.
• Came down with a stomach virus that took me out for a week starting on Christmas Day.

2005

• That awful “relationship” escalated into worse territory and it took me forever to get over it. Could not understand how someone could treat another person that way.
• Had to change my phone number (for another reason).
• Started looking for a house with Mom and Dad.
• Spent the end of May moving into the house I live in now. Painting, decorating, and all that fun stuff.
• Took a summer course at OU and sat next to Rhett Bomar. I didn’t know who he was until the class was over. Ha.
• Kyle started school at OU and moved into the house with me.
• Sang a few solos. In front of people.
• Started ballroom dancing.

2006

• Sat next to Kevin at Aaryn’s 21st birthday party and we talked the whole evening.
• Went on a few dates with another guy that spring.
• Got my puppy, Lulu in April.
• Kyle moved back home to work for the summer.
• Lived alone this school year.
• Began working at the day school.
• Got ridiculously ill for about 4 months from working with babies and toddlers.
• Kevin started talking to me and running into me at the BSU.
• Kevin asked me out on November 27.
• We went on our first date on December 9, 2006.

2007

• Made things official with Kevin on January 5, 2007
• Spring semester of 2007 was my English Capstone, plus a writing class, PLUS 2 other English courses. Which basically meant the first few months of our relationship I was doing homework. And little else. I think my friends though I was ditching them for a boy, when in reality I was ditching everyone because of school.
• Did really well on my final project and was officially done with the English portion of my degree.
• Flew on a plane for the first time.
• Met Kevin’s parents in Pennsylvania that May.
• In an interesting turn of events (have I ever explained this?), Kevin told me he loved me.
• Oh, and I loved him back
• Helped Heather here and there where she needed it for her wedding.
• Heather moved in with me for the summer and fall.
• Life was spent working and going to pilates class. That’s all. It was fabulous. (We should do that again, Heather)
• Kevin spent Christmas with my family and then we flew to PA to spend it with his parents, Brian (his brother), and Brian’s new girlfriend, Beth.
• Got back in time for Heather’s bachelorette party.

2008

• Heather and Colt got married!
• I caught the bouquet!
• Started the last class I needed to graduate. Spanish 4. Gah.
• Lulu had started acting very strangely a few months before, but finally snapped at the end of January. I lost her in the middle of the night and was really distraught. It took a long time for me to realize that it wasn’t my fault.
• Kevin and I went out for Valentine’s Day and I cleverly suggested that we waste time before dinner walking around the mall (this was a ruse to look at rings). Found ring and little did I know that Kevin drove back the next day in an ice and snow storm to buy it.
• Got hired at EGM as their temp receptionist and met some of the best people I know. That job was a huge blessing.
• Started looking into the Alternative Certification Program for teaching in Oklahoma. Took my first test.
• Kevin started working during the week in Tulsa. Boooo.
• Started the GodlyGals Podcast with Jolene.
• After my time was up there I got hired at Fowler Productions, Inc. Worked as their receptionist for the next year and made some wonderful friends. I miss those folks.
• One week after I started working at Fowler, Kevin took me to see Phantom of the Opera in Tulsa and proposed to me later that evening. June 28, 2008.
• Then began The Great Wedding Planning Saga. Literally chunks of my life are missing. I have little recollection of this period of time for other, more stressful reasons.
• Took our engagement photos.
• Applied for the rest of my teaching tests.
• Spent Christmas without Kevin. I couldn’t get off work and he went back to North Carolina to celebrate with family. It was depressing.

2009

• Still planning the wedding…
• Dress fittings, showers, making my invitations…
• Fallout with a coworker.
• Panic attack at the end of February. Everything had been closing in and I just could not take it anymore. Funny thing is that it had very little to do with the planning of the wedding. It was all the other stuff that was going on.
• More wedding showers, fun times with girlie friends, bridal portraits…
• Took the last of my teaching tests (and passed!) exactly one week before the wedding.
• Our wedding was June 6, 2009, with all the sparkle and splendor I’d imagined.
• Honeymoon in Maine and Prince Edward Island.
• Got back with one day left before returning to work. Started looking for jobs in schools as soon as we returned.
• Flew to Baltimore and drove to Virginia for Brian and Beth’s wedding on July 4.
• Interviewed for a high school English teaching position. That was a total shock.
• Didn’t get that job, but got hired on at another school. As soon as I got the call I put in my notice because I had to report to work in less than a week. I know. I felt awful.
• Got acquainted with things at the new job and really started enjoying the new work I was doing. Something different every day.
• August was a painful month and I kept it to myself far too long.
• Visited Branson with Heather and Colt and my family.
• Time really flew by during the school year.
• Thanksgiving and before you knew it The Christmas That Almost Never Was.

And here we are. Wooboy. Glad to be done with that.

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1. Notebooks, pencils, erasers…oh my!
2. 23 Things That Happened in My 23rd Year
3. Though none go with me…