New Year's Eve

Well, it is New Year's Eve, and like most people, I have reflected on the excitement of this past year. It was a tumultuous but exciting time, filled with adventures, challenges, heartache and joy.

In the past year:
-I applied for and got a full time English teaching position
-We moved in with my in-laws (something I swore I would never do) and stayed with them for 4.5 months
-We watched Julia's seizures become very severe, to the point of hospitalization in March
-Elena became more vocal and increasingly active
-We bought a house (a single family, no sharing walls with anyone house!) in late April
-Dwayne was accepted into Keyano College's Co-op Work Experience to become an Electrician
-Julia was finally diagnosed in July after an abnormal EEG showed a blip in her right hemisphere. She has Benign Rolandic Epilepsy which they say she will outgrow by 16
-I was sent for training in Victoria to be able to teach Advanced Placement English (I got a nice vacation out of it too!) and offered a probationary contract in the fall.
-Julia started school in the Early Entry program.
-In September we found out that we are expecting Baby #3!! I got so huge so quickly that everyone thought I was having twins. As it turns out, I am just having OHB (one huge baby!). Sometimes I fondly refer to my belly as "The Whale"
-I had glowing teacher evaluations and hints have already been dropped about a continuing contract when I return to work in 2008.
-I fought for Julia to not be labeled even though they lost funding because I made them change her IPP. She was labeled as having a "mild speech language delay" and being pulled out for mixing up "his/her" pronouns and had a one-on-one teacher's aide. I didnt think it was necessary that she was labelled as "gross motor delayed" becuase she couldnt jump 18" with both feet together, landing with both feet together. Heck, I dont know that I could do that or that she was "fine motor delayed" because she couldnt cut within a half and inch of a line in a smooth continuous motion around a circle. Who makes up these tests? Anyway, I know Julia and agree that if anything she could use more work on her gross motor skills but language delay? Give me a break, she tells me the difference between a cheetah and a jaguar.
-My fathe moved into the basement with us whenever he is on shift (10 on, 4 off, how's that fpr a terrible shift?) and it is actually not bad. We get a minivan out of the deal so no complaining here!
-We are starting to save our pennies for a house back in Edmonton. Now that housing prices have skyrocketed there, I am not sure that we will be able to upgrade our house down there as originally planned when we first bought real estate here.

I am looking forward to 2007, even as I know that there will be many more challenges that will face us. I am excited and freaked out, just the way any adventure should begin.