The Year in Review

It's hard to believe that 2010 is at a close and tonight we welcome in 2011. This is the first New Years Eve that I have actually been excited to begin the new year. This has been a crazy year and I have so much to be thankful for so I thought I would give a quick year in review for all those events that didn't get their own posts.

2010:

January: Bobby and I rang in the New Year with family and friends and then a few days later found ourselves at the IU Med Center in Indianapolis. In late 2009, my dad was diagnosed with cancer and had surgery at the beginning of the year. The surgery was a success! and his follow-up appointments have gone well. Bobby was great and stayed with my mom and I and then drove my dad home in a horrible snow storm. That night we were so tired, we both practically collapsed in bed. Just as Bobby drifted off to sleep, he yelled out, "BUMP!" and jerked the whole bed.

April: Bobby and I celebrated our first anniversary! Marriage is tough and it is a lot of work but it's worth it. Bobby is a great husband and takes good care of me.

After several months of rotating partners at work Josh was TDY'd to Medic 12 for the month of April. He then decided to stay another month, then another and finally said he would stay and be my permanent partner. I am very fortunate that I have someone that I can rely on that not only has excellent patient care skills but is someone that I can be myself around. It makes for a very looooonnnnnggggg day when you're working with someone that is difficult to get along with. I have had the opportunity to get to know his wonderful family and consider them an important part of our lives.

May: I graduated!!! It's official, I am a college graduate! I graduated from IUSB with a BA in History and a minor in Anthropology. Bobby, my parents and grandmother all attended the ceremony and saw me walk across the stage- what a great feeling!

June: Bobby and I headed to Florida for a quick, 4-day trip to visit Jen and her kids. Ryan, Jens hubby and proud soldier in the US Army, was stationed in Germany and she and the kiddos were following shortly. I medicated my husband for his first flight and we arrived in St. Pete where I had a surprise for him: a convertible. Well, somehow the car rental people saw me coming because the offered us a 2009, yellow, Corvette convertible, at an affordable price, of course. It was a great time and we got to see Jen and the kids just before they left.

July: Bobby and I took our annual summer vacation at the lake and this year decided to take on the project of painting the cottage. It was a long process and there are still some things left to be finished but it looks GREAT!

It was a Hertel/Price fun night in July when we ended up in the ER with my dad and Bobby. Bobby broke his toe and dad had to be cardioverted because of A-Fib. I was back and forth between both rooms all night. Talk about an evening of fun...

September: After many wonderful, relaxing days and nights at the lake it was time to bring our summer to a close. The pier was taken out, the water turned off and leaves were raked ending another great summer.

November: Bobby went on disability after his shoulder surgery. The doctor said that it was not as bad as he thought initially so instead of 6 months, he should only be out of work for 3 months.

December: Christmas came and went and I finally found my Christmas Spirit! Bobby decorated the house and put up a little tree in hopes of helping me find it and it worked. He's a great guy!

I am excited about this coming year. To all my friends and family, may you have a healthy, safe and happy 2011. Please be safe tonight and use a designated driver- it's not worth the risk.

3 Years Since the First Beer

Today is the 3rd anniversary of the first beer Bobby and I shared together. Wednesday, August 1, 2007, while I was on my way home from mowing the yard at the lake, Bobby called me to talk and we decided to meet up at Mr. G's Bar in Osceola. We sat and talked for a few hours, drinking beer, talking and eating Tootsie Rolls. It was truly the beginning of our relationship, even if we were just friends. I remember that when we said we were going to leave we stood at the back of my Pontiac and continued talking. I think we stood there for another hour, just not ready to say goodbye. I made a promise that evening that when I came back from my dive trip to Canada that I would take him out for his birthday. Unfortunately, I forgot when I returned and never did call him to go out out and celebrate, but I think I made up for it when I called him a few nights later to go to Giannetto's, which has become one of our favorite places to eat.

August is a special month for us. Our beers, the Perseide shower on the 12th at Lake Michigan and Mojito night (ask me sometime why I can't drink them anymore- Yuck!) are all memorable events that happened in our relationship. It's funny how a single event can change our entire lives. Love is something that happens when you are not looking for it. And I will never say this again, but, I'm glad Bobby didn't listen to my advice 3 years ago. If he had, our lives would be completely different and I can't imagine my life without him.

Back Again

So, I am a horrible blogger. The last post was September 9th, and titled, "Goodbye to Summer," and just the other day we opened the lake house and are ready for another lake season. The boat is in the water and over the winter the interior was replaced- it looks great! It's going to be a great summer!

Updates:

At the beginning of the year Bobby's fire department merged with a neighboring one, something that had been in the making for several years. He stayed at the Anderson Rd station and is the captain on the engine. He enjoys the station which has affectionately been name "Flat Spot 5's."

I was fortunate to receive a "promotion" at the beginning of the year (it's difficult to explain but it's not really a promotion) when my LT went to Medic 10. I was supposed to be one of the float rigs, changing partners every month, but the Intermediate that was sent out here in April decided to stay and is now my permanent partner.

Bobby and I celebrated our first anniversary. He bought me a BEAUTIFUL necklace and we went to dinner at Clementines in St. Joe, MI. Unfortunately it was too cold to walk on the beach so we just went and looked at it from the car.

May 11th, I graduated from IUSB with a Bachelors in history and a minor in Anthropology. The ceremony was long but nice and Bobby, my parents and grandmother were able to attend. I was so glad grandma was able to go, mom borrowed a wheelchair from a local care facility so there was no walking involved for her. After the ceremony she wanted to go to dinner so we went to Perkins for a LATE meal.

This is definitely going to be a great summer. I can't wait to spend time at the lake, floating, boating and sitting around the camp fire. Hopefully I can be a good blogger and keep everyone updated on the Hertel-Price family... We'll see...