The End and The Beginning

The End of 2009. To recap:

My baby took his first train ride to Chicago to the Children's Museum.



He rode in the Bobcat with me while we dug up our yard to make room for a patio.



My baby turned four. He got a big boy bike and fell down a lot.



He lost two teeth and got a broccoli car.


Yeah, I think McQueen's expression says it all, don't you?

We dressed up as pirates for Halloween.



He got his very own dog.



And for Christmas, he got toys and snow to sled on.


Notice how he's creating as much drag as possible? All the better to wrench his dear ol' Dad's back with. Also notice how Gater is thinking about biting him. He thought about it for a long time, too.

For me, 2009 began with getting an agent to request the full manuscript of my first western book. She didn't sign me, but in May, Laurie did. On my birthday, which means I have no problem admitting I got another year older, since representation was my present this year. (I'm 33, say it loud and proud!)

I went to the Romance Writers of America National Conference in D.C. with my mom (Hi, MOM!). We did the Museum of the American Indian.



I won second place in the Chicago-North Fire and Ice contest for Warrior, Lawyer.



We did our own paver patio, and remodeled my office (since I'm a real writer now, with an agent and everything!)



My husband and I celebrated our seven year anniversary. This fall, we got gussied up for a black-tie optional dinner.


Yes, I only own one really nice, fancy dress. So? He only owns one tux. We're even.

I got a second (third?) job teaching English as a Second Language to this fun crowd:



We had our first ever fondue dinner.

Trust me, there's a hot pot of chocolate in front of us. And then we inhaled it.

And my wonderful agent got my rodeo book in front of a whole lot of eyes.

2009 was crazy good around here. (Although, frankly, I could have done without large chunks of October. Otherwise, it was crazy good.) But now it's over. Stick a fork in it, done and done.

What does 2010 hold? I don't know for certain, but I can hazard a few guesses.

We'll do at least one more insane remodeling project. The sunroom and the kitchen sink are currently duking it out to see what goes first.

My baby will turn five, and probably grow another five inches. He'll lose more teeth, but probably won't stop sucking his thumb or loving his Pooh Bear. Not yet, anyway. He might also learn to read, and he WILL be going to kindergarten.

My husband will work long hours, but he will remain gainfully employed, with benefits. He will continue to be an awesome dad and a hell of a cook.

And me? I'll keep playing trains with my baby, walking my dogs, and doing laundry. I'll keep working two jobs and trying to figure out how to squeeze in date nights and movies in the theater.

And, above all else, I'll keep crossing all available body parts as I wait to hear back from editors.

2010 is going to be crazy good. This is just the beginning.