Ahhh, it's that time of year

to reflect on our actions that have passed and things we look to accomplish in the year to come. Hmmmmm...

2009 has been surprisingly spectacular.

Life with 2 kids has been fun..and trying. I guess sibling rivalry begins at birth of the 2nd child. Jealousy runs thick. Kicking, smacking, biting, pushing, yelling, and stealing toys began almost instantaneously. But, at least I've got an honest kid..."Momma, brother's crying." "Why is he crying, Kira?" "Cause I bite him." As I watch their relationship evolve and witness the endless torture, I keep reminding Kira that Ryan will eventually be bigger and everything he's learned about fighting, he will have learned from her. In this house, we have a name for that. "What's that called, Kira?"... "Karma."...And sometimes karma hurts. They do keep me smiling and laughing and believe it or not, they keep me youthful, although you would never be able to tell by my changing hair color.

Today....we are brought together...for this thing called marriage...Holy shit, did you see that flying pig? Indeed, Joe and I got hitched after 9 years and 2 kids. The actual date had its own transgression. I wanted 2/29 but that date wasn't on the calender for 2009. Then April 1st was tossed around as a prime choice, but life on and around that day didn't pan out. Sooooooo, Cinco de Mayo became the next top pick and we giddily marched into the courthouse, witnessed ourselves as husband and wife, and celebrated with margaritas and some of the BEST spanish rice we have ever encountered. Yes, the rice was THAT good, that I have to mention it in the year in review. So, next time you are on main street in Durango, stop by No Way Jose and tell them not to skimp on the rice. The decision on my name change prooved to be harder on me than I anticipated. I tried convincing Joe to take on Page but that was turned down without a 2nd thought. Then the idea of combining last names became humorous...Le'Page, Pagely, and my personal favorite, Lempage...all were laughed at but none were accepted. As of December of this year, I officially changed my name to Tiana Page Lemley; no hyphen...no more Janell.

Hello class, welcome to the radiology program. You can call me profesor Lemley. That's right, folk, I have landed myself in a position I never thought I'd see myself doing, teaching. And, I landed there by default. After my maternity leave ended, my position at the hospital slowly deteriated from full time to part time and during this time, I was approached about this teaching position. Seeing how my paycheck was dwindling to next to nothing, I accepted the new role. I couldn't be happier with my new family. Larry, Marlene, Shawna...all fantastic people, each with their own personality and loads of support for me. My only complaint is they are 5 hours away and over a few mountain passes. X-ray is a small world, I cannot stress that enough to the newbies. The funny part about my newest employer...while in x-ray school, all of the dropouts from my program went to join this program, so I was somewhat aware of whom I was dealing with. Little did I know how much fun this program is! Right now, I only have 8 students. I teach the positioning lab and a film critique class. I organize everything clinical including 2 days a week at the hospital working along side with them. Surprisingly, I enjoy it more than I thought I would. All other time spent with them is as the "room mother" proctoring the classroom and exams. Oh, and by the way, they call me Tiana.

Like the saying goes...It takes a village...and I couldn't be happier with my daycare provider. I may not have family around but I have the next best thing. She's definately out of the way and almost doubles the amount of time it takes to get to and from work but she is FANTASTIC. I wouldn't trade her for the world. She's taught me things I would have never even imagined trying with a 2 year old. Instead of saying "no" constantly, how about "Do the right thing, Kira." Hahahahahahaha, yea right, that'll never work. But sure enough, I try it out at home and voila, Kira chose correctly. Or maybe Kira was afraid of Karma. Perhaps a combo of both. Knowing that your kids are safe and loved with whoever you leave them with is priceless. This is a huge weight lifted. Trust your gut, that's my advice for those with little ones. That's how I chose Holly!

This was the year of family and friends. We flew. We drove. We traveled close to 10,000 miles. It was a great year for this gypsy family. Kira had become an expert going thru airport security. Her shoes were removed and her backpack were in their appropriate bins before I had the chance to assist. The whole time in line she sings, "I'm waiting my turn, I'm waiting my turn, I'm waiting my turn..." She makes me proud, with her gypsy blood. And Ryan, well, give him food and he's a happy camper. He'll even do the worm on his way to get it. If you didn't make the list this year, look for us in 2011.

And to sum it all up...We have upgraded our 1982 appliances to meet the codes of the 21st century... After 5 years of dreaming, Joe finally has a storage building on the premises... Ryan's only word is Uh Oh and is currently practicing for his new role as Godzilla...Kira needs a helmet for all things she does...I am attempting to step out of my mommy role and joined the local Roller Derby League....

Chin Chin 2010! Up your nose with a rubber hose! Cheers!