<p>We are ending 2014 in a better financial situation than we started. It still has room for improvement, though it is better.</p>
<p>D (college '15) is on track for making plans for the rest of her life. She graduates this spring and knows what she is doing in the short term after graduation and has some leads for the long term.</p>
<p>S (high school '16) is starting to mature and pull his act together. There are more questions than answers for him, though the answers are starting to show themselves.</p>
<p>D had some very major health issues while in high school. We hit the 5 year mark of no reoccurences this past year. I am starting to trust that she may live to full adulthood.</p>
<p>All in all we are starting to heal from a very rough patch that lasted several years.</p>
<p>I always hope that the upcoming year will be as good or better than the one ending. This year was fine. My dad died on December 31, 2013, so this was a year of firsts without him. We all miss him a lot.</p>
<p>We are fortunate to be healthy, and happy. We have great friends, relatives and neighbors. We are thankful for all that we actually have.</p>
<p>Sure, there have been bumps in the road…but overall of cup is half full, not half empty.</p>
<p>I thought the year I had cancer was my worst ever. The my mom died suddenly, my FA had a stroke sitting by her in ICU, then died a year later (after several hospitalizations, dialysis,…) Then there was the year of separation, using 3 lawyers to get the ex out of “our” house, and restarting. Oldfort, I wasn’t married 30 years and can not even imagine how awful this year has been for you. From your posts, I believe you are one of the strongest woman I’ve known. </p>
<p>The years that are uneventful are a joy. 2014 has not yet been the easiest. Because my former landlord of 24 years sold his practice, I had a new awful doctor. I moved offices, but because of the hassles of changing address with insurance companies, I haven’t been able to bill for months. OTOH, I had the opportunity to buy new office furniture. I love my aqua couches and the new office manager. My patients enjoy the new space too. </p>
<p>Wow. I’m grateful for a relatively uneventful year. S1 is living with a lovely girl and is halfway through his doctorate. S2 was accepted to his doctoral program of choice and is getting acclimated. He and his GF bought a house. DH has had some health concerns, but seems to be very well managed by a cadre of doctors. I’m looking forward to his reaching Medicare age – one more year. I’ve been healthy, exercising, working part-time, and generally relaxed about life. I could use a bit more excitement, but I’ll figure out how to make that happen in 2015.</p>
<p>Biggest thing is S went back to school, graduated from the college he started at 10 years ago, and got a good job he loves with the first resume he sent out.</p>
<p>I applied for and got an actual full-time college teaching job—a heck of a lot of work, but a nice bump in income.</p>
<p>My 85 year old mom continues to plug along in pretty good health, knock on wood.</p>
<p>Not as good stuff:</p>
<p>Finding a lot of unrealized structural damage in the house we intend to retire to–spent money, will have to spend more, to remediate.</p>
<p>D dealing with an irksome issue which has us all concerned.</p>
<p>And, just this weekend, H hospitalized with a very scary arrhythmia, and we have now entered uncharted regions of health concerns.</p>
<p>“Yes, for almost all that’s what it is. For one, I think he got it confused with the brag thread”</p>
<p>I really like those Christmas letters, getting all the details of what friends and family are doing. However…in past years there are some from people out of town that we haven’t see for years (no, not from anyone on this forum), that are just obnoxious. I’m happy to hear about people’s awesome trips, new cars, exceptional kids, but there’s a way to say it. "Maggie’s teachers say she is just the most brilliant child they have ever taught! She was a little disappointed at her 3.99GPA, but spending 3 hours a day getting her blackbelt (also the most gifted child EVER) and practicing violin (first chair, best they’ve ever seen)…well, you get the picture. Reminds me of Kristen Wiig on SNL on one of her roles. I actually started to look forward to these letters to see if they could top the last years.</p>
<p>As far as the answer to the question, it has been a good year for my family. No major health problems (except for my dad, which could have been expected), and everyone is happy and doing what they want to. I can’t possibly ask for more, and have the futile hope that this will continue.</p>
<p>As far as I go, well, I haven’t been hijacked yet, and a bomb hasn’t gone off on my airplane. I haven’t crashed, bent a wingtip, got a tire stuck in the mud, or run into anything. I haven’t gotten a violation from the FAA, busted a checkride, been questioned about anything I’ve done, or gotten a nasty letter from my employer. Another good year for flying like the last 31 years, and I can only hope to keep up the good fortune for a couple more years until I retire.</p>
<p>Good:
S2 graduated from Tufts
S2 Was the top student supervisor at his summer job (third year at the same outfit, promoted each summer)
S2 Got a pretty prestigious internship for the fall
S1 seems fine off in CA
Still happily married
My business was crazy busy
The addition we’re putting on the house is great</p>
<p>Not so good:
S2 is now looking for jobs
Business is more stressful than I like
I haven’t been managed to get out the watercolors all year
DH’s Med school is going through a super stressful period, fights about tenure, possible takeover by a local hospital chain
My Mom’s Parkinson’s has its ups and down - the psychological affects more distressing than the physical ones
That addition isn’t finished, the architect (me) should have anticipated a few issues she didn’t and been more careful reading shop drawings and keeping track of orders.</p>
<p>I forgot. Five years ago I had one of my worst years ever and Im still getting on my feet.
But lots to be thankful for
Oldest D got married. Both she and her husband are through with grad school and they have good jobs, in an area that they like.
Youngest D graduated from college and is smart enough to live life now, not when she has time/money.
Im so proud of both of them.
Both Hs parents are still thriving in their old house.
And H and I are still in OUR old house!
I have big plans for 2015!</p>
<p>Thank you, oldfort! I’ve been thinking of you, and what an example of strength and grace you have shown during a difficult time–congrats to you on your dream job, and I hope 2015 treats you better!</p>
<p>A pretty good year–it went so fast! Stressful, too–a lot of changes, a few surprises–but a good ending. Other than my mom’s (expected) declining health (now bedridden, in a nursing home. . .) things have been going well for our family. Happy to have all my kids home for Christmas. </p>
<p>2014 was one of the best. Marriage of 32 years ended, but I made a conscience decision to “embrace life” and have had a great year of traveling, hiking, new friends, and getting closer to my siblings. There were some losses and disappointments, but it’s been easier to have a positive attitude about the future.</p>
<p>I am really struggling with my daughter who is going to break up with her live in boyfriend. We kind of thought they would announce their engagement soon so it is kind of a shock. We support her 100% but feel very bad for him. And we don’t think he has any idea it is coming. At the end of the day, it is the right thing to do, but still hard and has created some challenges for her and us as well. </p>
<p>Seems like many have had challenges in 2014 and are looking ahead with hope that 2015 will be better. Best of luck to all who are struggling that the future will be brighter and happier.</p>
<p>This has been a good and bad year for us too.</p>
<p>The bad:
Hubby diagnosed with Stage 2 rectal cancer. Unfortunately the rumor was located exactly on the sphincter muscle.
Around the same time, Hubby was accused of driving negligently and ultimately fired from his job.
Living on one paycheck AND paying a lawyer to sue for wrongful termination.
My boss is going through one of his phases and I’m feeling down. Hoping I can get through this down slope because my work is paying for my graduate school tuition and I don’t want to change jobs (yet).</p>
<p>The good:
DS graduated from college in May with a Comp Sci degree and then he found a job in September making good money.
DS has a plan to pay off his college loans totaling $40K by March 2016. (He is super frugal and I can see this happening).
DD graduated high school and attending auto mechanic school
DD who is highly introverted got her first job at Arby’s! She has to talk to people! AND she hasn’t quit! Woo hoo. I am so proud of her.
I finished my B.S degree in June and just started my Master’s program in IT. I plan to be finished by May 2016.
My mom in the nursing home has taken up applique quilting again. She is bedridden but something finally clicked on and she sews once again. She has also started to read again.</p>
<p>So it has been a mixed bag for our family. Money is extremely tight and I’m not sure how we’ll continue on, but both kids (who are still living at home) have offered to help pay for anything if we need their help. Hubby has completed chemo radiation treatment and we’re looking into options for not doing the surgery. Hooray, the tumor is completely gone. Standard of care is to still remove the tissue where the tumor was, but this would result in colostomy for life. Found alternative treatment and working with Hubby’s surgeon to see if he will abide by H’s decision.</p>
<p>But as I always say (much to my husband’s annoyance)- it could be worse. We have a house, and our health (for the most part) and everyone is mostly happy. </p>
<p>I guess it all depends on how you look at it. Yes, I was diagnosed with cancer and subsequently developed sepsis 7 1/2 weeks after surgery, but the glass half full says the cancer was caught early, and my health care team did a great job helping me recover from the sepsis. In the process I learned a lot of people care about me, more than I ever knew. I am grateful for the wonderful friends in my life and the chance to appreciate them in new ways. And yes, we were burglarized in the middle of the night this summer while we were home, but no one was hurt, and the things that were taken could mostly be replaced. In between all these crises, I was able to partake in some wonderful travel adventures. </p>
<p>H had probably the greatest pinnacle of his career on Friday. Ds are both happy and engaged in life in ways that are meaningful to them. And the cute little trouble maker you see to the left of this post brings us endless entertainment (we were out at dinner last night and I remotely logged in to our security camera inside the house, only to find pooch had purposely knocked over a box of tissues onto the family room floor and was having fun pulling them out one-by-one, and tasting a few of them!)</p>
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