12/12/12

December 12, 2012… 12/12/12.  The last repeating number day I will see in my lifetime.   I could not let this day pass like any other.  I had to remember it somehow… so I decided to blog.

I was thinking this morning about all of the other repeating number days that I’ve experienced and what my life was like on each one of them.   I couldn’t help but think of how much time changes things.  To commemorate 12/12/12, I have decided to take a look back on the last 12 years of my life.   Enjoy.  J

01/01/01 - I was 14 years old and a freshman in high school.  I felt much better about Y2K and computers and the end of the world, since a whole year had passed since that craziness.  I probably had a slumber party the night before with my best friends – Megan, Becky, Kelsie and Jaclyn.  I was doing my best to make all A’s in school, and stay away from the scary senior cheerleaders.  January 1, 2001

was my Grandma Lansdown’s 78^th birthday.  We will be celebrating her 90^th next month.  She is the strongest woman I know, and I look up to her so much!

02/02/02 - I still could not drive, but I had a countdown on a whiteboard in my bedroom.  I could not wait to drive.  Two of my friends could already drive, so I liked to ride around with them as much as possible.  This is about the time that my dad bought my first car – a 1997 Suzuki Sidekick.  The Sidekick taught me some valuable lessons:  how to drive a standard – and power locks, windows and steering are a luxury!

03/03/03 - A junior in high school, and my first real Spring Break vacation.  Yes it was with my mom and dad... but being an only child I got to bring a friend along.  Kelsie and Sarah do Gulf Shores, along with our first Flat Stanley adventure.  We wanted to get awesome tans for our upcoming Prom, but ended up freezing our butts off to get sunburned.

04/04/04 - Days earlier I had toured the University of Arkansas campus.  I thought the students were crazy to be so excited about their Hogs.  I had no idea a few months later I would become one of them. I hadn't decided on a college or a major... but I was enjoying the last few weeks of my senior year of high school, and still doing my best to make those straight A's.  

05/05/05 - Through so many ups and downs, I made it through my freshman year at the University of Arkansas.  I'd passed all of my classes, survived living in the dorm and I was thinking of switching my major from business to... MATH?!?!  I thought teaching sounded fun.  May 5th also happens to be one of my dear friend's birthdays, and I can't think of this date without thinking of all of the trouble Amy and I got into when we were little. 

06/06/06 - In June 2006 my Grandpa Gipson went to be with Jesus.  The weekend before he passed away, we spent the weekend with him in Branson for my grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary.  He laughed and laughed as he kicked my shoes away from me - and I am so thankful my last memory of him is his laugh.  He was a good man who loved the Lord.  He was a self-taught mathematician - and was the best at his trade.  

07/07/07 - The day before my 21st birthday.  I drove down to Fayetteville to spend time on Dickson Street (the only appropriate thing to do!) with my friends.  I was allowed to go into a bar one hour before midnight - which I thought was pretty fantastic.  It was on this day I found a new love - the amaretto sour.  

08/08/08 - By this date, I had met my husband and knew I was going to marry him.  I'd graduated with a degree in mathematics and had started graduate school to become a math teacher.  I spent the summer working at camp, attending weddings and going to summer school.  In August I started student teaching, which lead to my first almost-first-time job.

09/09/09 - Engaged!  Planning a wedding!  Buying a home!  Starting a new job at a new school!  Most stressful time I'd had in my life in 23 years.  Three years later, I would probably do things a lot differently.  But at the same time, it's all led me to where I am today.  And I can say that I am an H1N1 Survivor.  Boom.

10/10/10 - Four months into my new job at JB Hunt and tackling the project of "fixing" the Anheuser-Busch publication (for the first time.)  I've had a new desk partner for about a month, and we get along pretty well.  Little did I know she would become such a great friend.  My friendship with Kendra is such a testimony to God's plans and His timing. 

11/11/11 - I remember looking at the clock at 11:11 on this day, and thinking "11:11 - Make a wish!"  We said it all the time in middle school for good luck, and I have no idea why... can anyone remember?  Speaking of school, I was starting to think that I wanted to teach again.  I would spend the next several months checking out leads, sending emails and filling out application after application.        

12/12/12 - Today.  It's a Wednesday.  A pretty normal Wednesday.  The first semester at my new school is wrapping up, and I am exhausted, but really happy that I decided to give teaching another try. I have so much support at my new school, and I know God placed me in the right place at the right time.  Tonight I got to have dinner with Megan.  I haven't seen her in nearly a year, and our time together was so good for the soul.  I have an amazing husband, who works so hard each day to become an even better person (and he is already great to begin with.)  I am so proud of him.  I am so fortunate to have two loving, supportive parents.  And am blessed with the best in-laws a girl could ask for.  Not to mention the best pup-cake around.  Life would not be the same without Hamilton.  

I wanted a reason to celebrate today.  To be a number nerd... but writing this blog has allowed me to look back on my 12 year journey.  Although I will never again see a repeating number day, I do look forward to the next twelve years - and beyond.  And that is a reason to celebrate!

Plus... I've still got two consecutive integer days to go!