2009: Your ups and downs

[Lizzy]

So 2009 was definatly a year of what my sister and I would call "chips and dips" (we had one road that leads to the beach that had little hills all along it- ups and downs.

I thought, since 2009 is finally winding down, we might take a moment to look back over the year and vent a little about all the drama, and maybe come up with what we learned from it all that we could use in the coming year.


My year was pretty crazy. I moved out and got divorced. But in that I got my own rental place that I absolutly love! Shortly after my long time friend and I realized that we truly love each other and moved in together.

We went to visit a very close friend that I met through INTERCOT years ago, but I am still confused about what really happened that weekend, but long story short, she and I will probably never speak to each other again. I am devastated.

My boyfriend and I worked at the same restaurant as managers, so I had to be transferred to a new store, in the mean time losing another dear friend from my original store.

We went to Disney for my birthday and had the best time! I hope we do it again sometime in the future. But we got home and boyfriend had the swine flu 3 days later. :( Then both my boys got it, and it was a miserable household. My baby who is now 2, just couldn't seem to get better. He had Strep infections, Flu, upper resp. infections, everything. So I yanked him out of daycare.

I had severly impacted wisdom teeth (upside down and backwards) and had to have major surgery. Recovery was longer than even the Doc had expected. Must have been on the antibiotics longer than I remember, because while taking birth control pills I still managed to get pregnant! We were both suprised but extremly excited. It would have been his first. But, it wasn't meant to be. I lost the baby 2 weeks ago and had to have a D&C.

Now, my uncle commited suicide earlier this year, and my cousin has a ruptured spleen and is in surgery right now.

I don't want to sound like a debbie downer, that's for sure but this year has been rough. But I think what I learned is to be grateful for my family and loved ones in my life, and never take a single day with them for granted. Cherish them.

Here's looking to the New Year, may 2010 bring many good things for all of us!

[vicster]

WOW - let's hope 2010 is a lot better! Think positive!

[pink]

Ups:

When to Disney World in March for my mom's birthday.
Went to Boston with my DBF for Spring break.
Got to go back to my home routes of Colorado a few weeks ago, it was a fun blast from the past.
(wow, that is a lot of trips :) )
I'm starting to do better in school.
I got a raise at my job.
We got a new puppy named Zorro.
I turned 20 and my brother turned 13.
My parents through me an amazing Twilight themed birthday party, it was great.
I started writing my first book and got some great ideas for future books and short stories.
Read some great books, found some new favorite TV shows, saw some great movies.
I was interviewed for a news segment at my house which was interesting.
I got to see New Moon with my mom, we love it

Downs:
I've had to go to the dentist about once a week for the past 4 months of so, painful and annoying.
My family is low on cash because of the economy, had to do a lot of cut backs everywhere.
My poor cat Stinky was poisoined by neighbors and died she was only 4 years old, the vets coulnd't even help her. I loved her because she was so attached to me, it was so sad.
I saw my grandma fall and she was so ill she told me not to let anyone know she was sick but I told my mom and she was in the hospital for 2 weeks, twice.
I've had to deal with a lot of bad people at my job, a lot of annoying people and teachers at my school.
I was in my first car accident.
I had jury duty for the first time.
I had to get an endoscopy done, not the worst thing ever but it was still pretty scary.
I've had my credit card information stolen quite a few times.


That is definitley not everything but overall, this year has had some ups and downs. I hope next year is better for everyone! :mickey:

[Disdude]

We traveled to Ethiopia in May to pick up our newly adopted 20 month old daughter. If there were any downs for us this year, I cannot remember them. One look at her beautiful face and all is right in the world.

[teambricker04]

We traveled to Ethiopia in May to pick up our newly adopted 20 month old daughter. If there were any downs for us this year, I cannot remember them. One look at her beautiful face and all is right in the world.

That's great!

Let me think...

Ups
DH did the WDW marathon... it was a great trip and he ran great
We moved to Chicago
I am about half way through my second undergrad degree!
DS are happy and healthy
I reconnected with some old friends via the internet
We got a cat... his name is Max.

Downs
* We moved from Denver after only being there about a year.
*My youngest was diagnosed with Autism
*I can't find all our Christmas decorations... I think they were misplaced or forgotten by the movers
* We only got one trip to WDW last year

[meldan98]

My friend and I joke about this a little...we wish they would come out with "I survived 2009" shirts.

Downs: My matron of honor (former bff for some reason that I still don't understand) and her husband (our best man) lost their baby boy to SIDS, my dh lost his job for the 3rd time in 3 years and then the next day my grandfather died and my computer died (again). My dh was unemployed for 3 months, my employer didn't have enough money to make payroll on time about half of the year. We didn't get to take my little one to DL for her 1st birthday.

Ups: My dh finally got a job and we were able to fix my computer without losing everything. We didn't lose our house.

[Kennywife]

Ups:

I went on my first solo trip to WDW :mickey:
I got promoted again
Kenny got a new job
We started doing better $$$ :cool:
Began writing a lot more
Lost 50 pounds
Kenny and I made it to 9 years together and 3 years married! :bride:
I decided to stay at the Poly next fall with Kenny for our 10 year anniversary!
I went back to school

Downs:
I was diagnosed with fibroids
Had a major seizure
I lost both my fur and featherbaby
My g-ma had a bad year health-wise
My FIL was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Anna

[oticketc]

2009 for me is simply another routine year. Like the previous one I mostly spent it on works.

[diz_girl]

Seems like more downs than ups this year.

Ups -
DS is a wonderful two-year-old
Family is relatively healthy
Still have a well-paying job, as does DH
Bought DVC at BLT
Lost 10 pounds

Downs -
Gained the 10 pounds that I lost - because I got pregnant in July
Two miscarriages (August & November) :(
Had two surgeries related to fertility issues, including one for the August miscarriage
Currently undergoing fertility treatments - not IVF, but something else - I don't know how diabetics do it, but I'm tired of being a human pin cushion.
My uncle died of a stroke in August, after celebrating his 50th wedding anniversary only a couple of months earlier
Turned 40

[DVC2004]

We had a pretty bad year here too. Fortunately we are all healthy. I am thankful for that.

I lost my job early in the year and I was devastated. I loved my job, I was good at it and it was very unique. It was very rewarding both professionally and financially. It came as a complete shock to me. I never saw it coming.

After losing my job I searched for months to find something even remotely decent. I finally after more than 6 months of being unemployed I accepted a job in a different industry. It pays a quarter of what I used to earn and I do not enjoy it. I feel I am overqualified however I cannot find anything else. Needless to say we have been pretty financially affected and life going forward is going to be very different. I still wake up every day so sad about my old job.

[Katzateer]

Uh, not the best year

Downs: Sold our house for a lot less than we hoped and moved away from Ohio after living there 19 years

Brother-in-law lost his job and has been looking for 6 months

Brother lost his job

Daughter quit her gymnastics and dance programs which she had been involved in for over 10 years and took up a lot of our free time but were a lot of fun. Have lost contact with a lot of friends we would spend weekends at competitions with

Various health problems that come with age

No Disney trip this year since we moved


UPS: Sold our house in Ohio after trying for over 8 months

Discovered Baltimore which we have enjoyed going to and some fun areas in PA. Spent weekends at the Jersey Shore which were fun also-love the ocean

All are living together in one house after my husband living 4 hours away during the week and just coming home most weekends for over 2 years.

My daughters have become best friends

[amd780]

Down:
-My family moved away in July; they used to live about an hour and a half from us. However, I understand that the town that they live in now is beautiful. I do miss them, but I'm looking forward to seeing their new home!

Ups:
-DH and I bought a house
-WDW trip in September
-We got an adorable kitty :cat:
-I was hired full-time at the company where I'd been temping for almost a year
-my family invited us on their WDW trip in January

[Georgesgirl1]

We traveled to Ethiopia in May to pick up our newly adopted 20 month old daughter. If there were any downs for us this year, I cannot remember them. One look at her beautiful face and all is right in the world.

I'm with you...although DH and I have had some downs this year, the birth of our baby boy in January makes us focus on the good things!

[yjgirl32]

UPS- Ds turned 6 and is healthy (knock on wood). He is on the swim team and came in first in one of his events which got his name in the paper. He had won a trophy in wrestling. Went to Hershey Park camping, Diseny in Sept. and got DH's parents to come along which was their first visit- had a blast. Dh's job is going well. Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup- Steelers won the Super Bowl, and The Yankees won the World Series. Got to visit my family in Indiana and got to see a cousin who had joined the Air Force- hadn't seen him in like 5 years- BEST TRIP Ever- missed him.

Downs- well unfortunately this one happened after the great trip to Disney and Indiana- Aunt went into the hospital a week after we got back and eventually ended up dying a week after Thanksgiving. Very sad and she will be missed very much.

[EpcotFan182]

This year has certainly been a year of ups and downs for me as well.

Ups:
- My family got a puppy - his name is Ugo and he's a lhasa apso/bichon frise mix. It's amazing how quickly he became part of the family - I'm crazy about him :)
- I went on my first official rotation as a pharmacy student this past summer - I spent 5 weeks at a community pharmacy. While I have experience working in community pharmacy, my rotation was at a different chain so it was like a whole new experience for me. The people I worked with were really nice and overall I had a good time.
- After 5 months of suffering I FINALLY went to physical therapy to treat my sciatica. It helped a little and now it is currently in remission *knock on wood*
- Being on academic probation this past fall semester at school really lit a fire under me, and I got my act together and got off of probation!
- I moved into a new apartment complex this past fall which housed a lot more of my peers. Overall it's a better living situation and I'm a lot happier :)

Downs:
- I served jury duty for the first time back in January. Overall it was a less than pleasurable experience since I was never called for a case and sat in the pool room for 8 hours a day, 3 days in a row. Not only did I miss 3 days of work without pay, there is hardly any parking near the courthouse so I had to rely on either public transportation or my mother to pick me up and drive me there. Even though it was only three days, it was a huge inconvenience.
- My sciatica returned in my left leg this past January. It had flared up last year but it only lasted for a couple of weeks. This time it didn't go back into remission until this past May, so for 5 months I was in considerable pain while walking and my mobility was limited. This definitely had a negative effect on all aspects of my life
- I let my grades slip in school and wound up being on academic probation at the end of the spring semester this past year.
- Because of my sciatica I couldn't participate in my college's relay for life

These are just a few that I could remember. I'm really looking forward to 2010 - a new year, a new decade, and a new me. Here's to a great 2010 everyone!

[alphamommy]

Here goes:

The Good:
* DH's job was in limbo most of the year, but at least he still has one.
* DD turned 9 in January, and continues to do well in school. She also plays hockey, and her team last winter won the regular season championship (she was the goalie!).
* Most of our family was healthy this year (see "The Bad" for more info.).
* We had a nice vacation in the Upper Peninsula this summer.
* We still have our house, cars, etc., in spite of the bad economy.


The Bad:
* While DH still has his job, things there weren't great. There were two pay cuts, all vacation days were dictated by the company, and several people were laid off.
* We had A LOT of friends who were laid off this year, some with lots of years at their companies, without the chance to retire and with little in severance.
* I found out in early December that I have cancer for the third time. I will be starting radiation in late January.
* I also began suffering from plantar fasciitis this summer. I now have to wear more supportive (read: more expensive) shoes, and sleep in night splints. I'm able to walk much better, but the splints are a pain.

[Beach Club Babe]

Ups:

1.The birth of our 5th child and 4th daughter in April.
2.Our DD Courtney turned 19 and had a great freshman and hlf of sophmore year in college at Florida Tech
3.Our DS Matt turned the big 21 and he decided to go back to school after taking 2 semesters off to work.
4. Our DD Ashleigh turned sweet 16.
5 Our DD Emily just turned 7 on the 20th of this month.
6. W had a wonderful family vacation as WDW in August and a couple mini ones when picking up or dropping off Courtney at school.
7. We had a great Christmas that we shared with our old friends since neither of us has much family left.

Downs
1. DH's hours have been cut so it has been a little difficult.
2. My parent's are getting older and more dependent on us. I'm an only child so it all falls to me.
3. My parents and mine relationship is suffering because of it and other issues they have faced and unl;oad on me.
4. Our good friends have had a rough year with illnesses to them and their DD and it is hard to watch.

[SBETigg]

Downs:
My grandma's dementia continues to worsen. My 92 year old grandfather takes care of her in their own home, with help from the rest of us, but I see it taking a toll on his health. My grandparents took me on my first Disney trip in 81, and I love them dearly.

My best friends lost some dear ones this year and it broke my heart for them.

We hit a financial crunch when we started paying for my son's college tuition. It wasn't anything we couldn't handle, but it made finances tighter than we expected.

Ups:
The husband and I had a fantastic mini-break at WDW without the kids in April (before we realized tuition would be such a crunch).

My literary agent sold my fifth book at auction, which was very exciting and a bit of a career dream come true. It comes out in April 2010, and I'm looking forward to it with great excitement. Cheers to 2010!

[PirateLover]

Downs:
Lost my job, but got it back. But it's not a well paying job and to be frank I'm pretty miserable there.
Gained weight and am currently the heaviest I've ever been in my life. Have gained 10lbs in the past 2 months alone.
Started having sciatic pain in my left buttock/leg
Fiancee passed over again for fulltime despite being the best worker in the department

Ups:
Moved out of my parents. I love them dearly, but it was time to go.
Had a great Disney trip
Made it through the year without any major deaths or hospitalizations in the family (Knock on wood, still 2 days left)
Aaannnd that's about it.

Overall 2009 wasn't a horrible year, but it wasn't a great one either. I'm ready for 2010. I'm particularly looking forward to my wedding in May and honeymoon in June, and hopefully a better job.

[divinedi]

Ups: :thumbsup:
Two of my 3 daughters started college/university in Sept. and are doing well!
Youngest has two jobs and bought her first car this year, she was/is so excited.
Parents turned 80 and 82 this year and are in good health and we are very hopeful that they remain in good health!
WDW trip with middle daughter in January - great time and did Keys to the Kingdom Tour for the first time-very good.
Brother paid for me to come out and visit him in BC (4.5 hour plane ride, WDW is only 2.5 hours away!) and had a great time with him and his family.
Got our new puppy in June, very lovable and well behaved little guy, looks like Chewbacca!

Downs: :(
Got laid off in July, unexpected!
No new job as yet, and it's starting to really get me worried and down.
Christmas was lean this year, but everyone was here and relatively healthy (we all got a cold).
Lost our other little dog to cancer in April, he was only 1.5 years old .
Good friend and former neighbour died early in the year.

Here's hoping that 2010 will bring a new and great job for myself and anyone else out there who is without a decent job!

[Disney4us2]

I will start with the down and work up

:(Downs: Jan 09 had to be phased out of my job with Disneyland due to being on state disability for 12 months.

Went on to unemployment until June and finally hit bottom when I had to apply for public assistance. I never thought I would be in this situation.

DD got sick the day after Thanksgiving and is finally better now a month later.

My 89 yo father was admitted to the hospital just after Jessica got sick. He had CHF. Was in the hospital for 5 days, came home and was admitted again the next day with a kidney infection and intestinal infection. After a total of 2 weeks in the hospital he has been home and doing fairly well.

Yesterday my DF. Dbrother and I had to have a talk about advance directives for my DF. Not a plesant subject, but necessary.

:)Ups
Most impotant my father is doing well

DD is stil ice skating and doing well.

In March I filed for social security disability (denied, but filed with my lawyer for a hearing, can take over a year for that to happen)

I was able to renew my Disneyland passes with the payment plan.

Our family had a wonderful Christmas and we are all looking forward to a healthy/happy new year.

I wish everyone a very Happy New Year, my all your wishes and dreams come true.

[Dznygrl79]

Wow its great to hear so many ups and I really needed that today because

In May I fell and injured my back at work (spondylolsis and disc herniation) a definite down as I had found a dream job working in the concessions at the local zoo it was so much fun. -Down

In June I thought I would be better and able to go back to work but my sympotems worsened. I had to be replaced at my job because I was still unable to work. -Big Down

In July not much better but tried thereapy and met some great people I will never forget who kept me going -UP

August Sciatica set in and I began walking with a cane, also had to cancle my Disney trip as I was still getting worse -down

September First Lumbar injection some relief - UP

October - not is Disney- Down

November- symptyoms worsen again second injection, no relief, I couldn't even cook Thanksgiving Dinner for Mom.- Big Down

Today- Found out that I may not be able to avoid surgery -in tears big down-
Reading that we are still all hanging in together for another year :hug:

I just want to say I am so happy for everyone who welcomed a littleone.
To the people who lost loved ones I know I beleive they are truely in a happier place, no loner able to suffer and while we may be sad that they can't be with us rejoice in their memory and the thought you may be together again someday.
For jobs keep trying I know people all around who are in the same boat it HAS to get better.

Love to all my fellow Intercotees
:party: 2010 has to look better for all of us!

[QTPie68]

My baby who is now 2..


Gosh, time flies by.....it really can't be that long.....

Sorry to hear about your year, and also your loss of sweet Leroy.

[citizensnoopy]

Ups:
- my brother got married
- lots of trips to Disneyland
- my family got a puppy in June
- I graduated from medical school
- I successfully endured "The Match" and get to stay in CA for residency training to be near to my family (see the first bullet point under "downs")

Downs:
- my dad has young-onset Alzheimer's disease and has had significant decline this past year. He's only 57 and it seems so unfair. :(
- residency is hard --- there are times when I work 120 hours per week

[SBETigg]

My 2010 has started out very badly. My best friend died suddenly and unexpectedly of a heart complication on New Year's Day. She was so looking forward to 2010 because she lost a few friends of her own in 2009 and now I'm mourning her. It's a terrible feeling. I miss her so much.

My deepest sympathy to everyone who lost someone in 2009 and thank you for sharing your ups and downs-- but reading the ups and especially about new babies makes me smile (much needed this week). Group hug!