New Year's Eve 2007

Wow, 2008 crept up on us like an ill-fitting pair of underwear. Ok, enough of the visual.

Here are some things I learned in 2007…

1. Miracles happen everyday.
2. Parents never stop being parents no matter how old their children get.
3. Artificial Christmas trees make life easier.
4. Even if I’m not working at school, I’m always invited to Taco Tuesday.
5. Rick and I always hold hands when we’re taking off and landing in an airplane.
6. I didn’t realize how ugly our flooring was until we replaced it.
7. Skinny is over rated (but oh, I how I want to be just a little over rated)
8. When we set goals, it’s ok to blow your expectations out of the water…Relay for Life 2007 Goal $102,000 Reality $176,000+
9. You can never take too many digital photos
10. Ok, I guess you can take too many photos if your kids get sick of posing
11. I think Angie was an animal trainer or vet in another life. Her smile radiates when she’s with an animals.
12. Non-fat, no whip, extra hot, grande, 2 pump peppermint mochas taste better in ceramic mugs inside Starbuck’s when you’re sitting in the comfy chairs than they do in a paper cup.
13. Work does not have to define you. But, when you do something, give it your best.
14. You can never be an Auntie too many times.
15. Most of my friends will all turn 50 this coming year (some already have) and they didn’t get “old”. Thanks for laying the brickwork, I’ll be joining you in May.
16. Kids grow up too fast.
17. The tastiest popcorn to eat is “tender white” with a little butter and salt. You’ll thank me later.
18. Plants don’t live if you forget to water them.
19. People don’t live if you forget to love them.
20. What I think is “funny” isn’t always “funny” to my kids.
21. You can still sleep with your spouse after he’s been given radioactive beads and not turn into a glow stick.
22. Cancer still sucks.
23. Some of the people you’re closest to, may not be related to you.
24. I can’t please all of the people, all of the time. So, I’m just doing my best.
25. Generosity comes in all sizes.
26. California with Bonnie’s family is one of my favorite places to be.
27. Amy needs her life to be in good working order at all times. Faulty internet, dead cell phones, flat tires, sick parents …not some of her favorite things. She’s a solution kind of girl with a big heart.
28. Some people have more air miles then they’ll ever use in their lifetime and they can give them to their friends.
29. Ellen is tinier than I had envisioned but had a bigger heart than I could have ever imagined.
30. People are still reading and commenting on the blog after all these months.
31. I’ve learned that I need to start listening better and talking less.
32. That, that don’t kill you, can only make you stronger (I think that’s a rap song, but it’s a good message)
33. When all of your children have completed college (with their own brains…no help from mom) you ooze with pride.
34. We should all ask to be bumped up to first class when traveling. It never hurts to ask.
35. Don’t be a wave maker unless you know how to drive the boat.
36. We love our children equally, just not always the same.
37. Give a Schmitt kid a task and expect a job well done.
38. You’re never too old to start something new.
39. Jake is legally employable as a certified teacher…I imagine him to be the one kids talk about when they graduate..
40. Believe.
41. Real love is when your husband is wearing an I-pod and singing out “loud” (without realizing it) and it doesn’t embarrass you, only makes you smile.
42. Megan will make a wonderful daughter-in-law, sister-in-law and wife.
43. Fruity drinks are best on Paradise Island.
44. The older I get, the more I love my life.
45. Instead of focusing on the things we don’t have, we need to embrace the wonderful things we do have.
46. Get a passport. It may encourage you to travel more.
47. You can never listen to too much music.
48. Wii may possibly be one of the greatest inventions of all time. Besides cars, CT scanning machines, high tread count sheets.
49. Keep smiling. It will improve your face value.
50. Being a wife and mother is the greatest job I’ve ever held. Sometimes it’s been the toughest one with the least amount of pay, but it’s always the one with the greatest perks.