<p>Such a sweet story, zoosermom! And also sweet, 07DAD.</p>
<p>Fallgirl, it just occured to me that my dad will be turning 80 in about 18 days. Yikes! Haven’t planned a thing.</p>
<p>I arranged a 60th wedding anniversary celebration for my parents in June. My siblings and I all went, and it was the first time in 28 years my parents and their four children were in the same spot at the same time. The last time had been at my wedding. My parents are in their 80s and are experiencing some health issues, so I’m glad we were able to all be together.</p>
<p>I guess it’s always about the kids. I have had a good year healthwise,but I have a scan in January (colon cancer). The bright points in 2012 are all kid related. D got a job at Google and is very happy there. Middle child, S, graduated from Brown in May and landed a great job as a software engineer. And, youngest S just got into Harvard SCEA. Our highs are high and our lows are low here.</p>
<p>1) when I woke up from a coma to see DH, S1 and S2 smiling at me.
2) S2 saved my life
3) climbing Masada
4) S1 graduated
5) S1 got married</p>
<p>Wow, CountingDown, you help us put everything in perspective. You had quite a year! Glad many HAPPY milestones!</p>
<p>“Highs are high and lows are low.” That’s how we roll too:)</p>
<p>I had 2 major surgeries this year, but S1 and S2 had a good year. S1 finished 2 years at cc and got his job as a city police officer. He spent the 2 years previous working a crappy job as a jailer so he paid his dues.</p>
<p>S2, on his 2nd try, received an offer from the state police. Application to graduation was a grueling, multi-step 14 month process. 5,000 applicants; 83 offers; 48 made it through academy. Graduated last week.</p>
<p>I have felt such a huge sense of relief once they completed their education and were hired in their chosen fields. Now to the not worry part. Somehow I thought once we got to this part the worrying phase was over :)</p>
<p>S2 graduated from college, a day we often thought we’d never see when he was in h.s… and he got a job. </p>
<p>DH and I celebrated our 30th anniversary in June… took a fun trip…had a really great summer together. </p>
<p>Sold our house after only 24 days on the market.</p>
<p>Dh and I celebrated our 40th Wedding Anniversary with a wonderful trip to Lake Louise and Banff in August. While we were there, we received a call from our son telling us he had asked his long-time girlfriend to marry, and she had said yes. Toast to love!</p>
<p>CountingDown, what a year your family has had! I’m curious and would love to hear the story of how your S saved your life.</p>
<p>finished my grad school classes and got my dream job!</p>
<p>(still working on the stupid thesis…)</p>
<p>“Highs are high and lows are low.”. Yep, that is my life for the last four years. </p>
<p>My biggest highs this year are that I am still alive and D2 graduated (with high accolades) and we are no longer paying tuitions after 9 years. She is also starting a paid internship related to her major next week after not working since graduation. (She has been dealing with some of the “low” part of the lows.) I also may have ended a 1 and 3/4 year long and arduous task of being the executrix of my mother’s estate. Monday’s mail might prove me wrong. One never knows. (Just a hint at how it has been). But I hope it is over.</p>
<p>There are several things up in the air right now concerning health and employment. So I hope 2013 is a great year, but…see first line.</p>
<p>Anyway, many of you have had wonderful things happen in 2012 and I am very happy for you.</p>
<p>Great idea for a thread, MissyPie!</p>
<p>Wow, lots of great news here. Congratulations to all! And sending good wishes to all with health and other challenges.</p>
<p>Favorite moments for our family: After criss-crossing the country for 2+ months doing residency interviews, Match Day 2012 arrived. Our D was blessed to match at her first choice for residency. Her dearest friends also matched at first or second choices. Six weeks later she graduated from medical school. S was able to be home for graduation, and my elderly mom was able to be here, too.</p>
<p>Simple things like memories of the whole family spending a couple days at our cottage on the beach doing the same simple things we have done for years - lounging in the sun, nighttime campfires, late night Yatzhee games, etc. Priceless.</p>
<p>One time moments - bursting with pride and tears as I listened to NPR doing a story that featured my 10 year old nephew who I adore and his opportunity to be on stage at Lincoln Center having the full NY Philharmonic play an orchestra piece he composed - at age 10!! To hear his talent recognized but also to hear his reaction afterwards as captured on NPR - the excitement and thrill of a 10 year old fully enjoying a moment!!!</p>
<p>2012 was a year of many good highs ( and I prefer to forget any lows)</p>
<p>My favorite thing is getting all of my family together in one place.</p>
<p>So, in August, H and I went to visit our younger two boys, who live together in DC, and also flew in our oldest son and his wife from DC so we could have a nice long weekend together.</p>
<p>Saturday morning we were sitting in the boys’ apartment when S1 said, “Gee, there is something I forgot to show you” and goes and takes a paper out of his backpack, and hands it to me…</p>
<p>AN ULTRASOUND PICTURE</p>
<p>of my first grandchild.</p>
<p>What a wonderful shock. I started crying and couldn’t stop. And H was as bad as I was.</p>
<p>2013 is also looking to be a year of highs. The baby will be here at the end of March. S2 will be receiving his MPP degree in May, and S3 will graduate from college the same weekend. (same university, thank goodness). DIL will graduate with her MBA from MIT in June.</p>
<p>I refuse to look at any possible lows before they get here.</p>
<p>boysx3, what a year of joy you have had, and simchas coming in the next year!!</p>
<p>hayden, I went into full cardiac arrest at home – dropped dead at the kitchen table while on my netbook. S2 performed CPR on me. He learned it when he was a counselor at an archaeology summer camp during HS. He had just come home from spring semester at college. The docs and nurses made it abundantly clear that the odds of surviving a full arrest outside the hospital were very low, and told us repeatedly that S2’s efforts are why I am still here.</p>
<p>I wish I could divulge it here.
But if I did…I would have to have you all “disappeared.”</p>
<p>^^ countingdown, wow! That brings tears to my eyes. So glad that your S was there.</p>
<p>^^^^ Ditto! What a wonderful son!</p>
<p>boysx3 - Congratulations! That is very exciting.</p>
<p>syrstress -congratulations! You must be so proud. 
And CD - glad you’re still here with us!</p>
<p>So many blessings and so much to be grateful for. Thank God for CPR and babies and good health and success and family and music.</p>