HAPPY NEW YEAR! A decade in review....

Good bye 2009-Welcome 2010....cannot believe that a it is now 2010 and entire decade had gone by since I was sipping drinks at Bruisers and waiting to ring in 2000-the much anticipated Y2K-some people really thought the world was going to fall apart and all the computers would crash...but actually...nothing happened. Well I guess I would say that. I have been mentally reviewing all things that happened this decade. Really discovering that this decade was HUGE for me, my family, and all of my friends.


2000

I lost my grandpa Hess (Jerry) and then six months later lost my grandma Niekamp (Dottie)-both fought difficult battles with Cancer and lung disease, it was very sad to say goodbye and they are still missed. I distinctly remember sitting with my grandmother about 4 months before she passed away-she was at the hospital and not doing well. I layed my head on her lap and cried. She had been sick a long time and she was more accepting of this than most of us. I will never forget that she patted my back and stroked my hair and said "Emily you have so much ahead of you...you will get married and have children-you are going to be so happy. And I will be there, I will see it all".

My brother, Travis, married Tracy Hopp less than two weeks after Grandma died-I think the family needed a party because we had FUN! I was a bridesmaid and was happy to see Travis marry his best friend and someone that really was like a sister to me already.

Sadly a month later we found out that my dad had colon cancer...a total shock and scare-he quickly had surgery and we were assured that all was going to be okay-"they got it all".

I was working and going to school this year-I started working at Hickory Hills Golf Course and little did I know that this would change my life. I met Joe. We quickly realized that this was turning into a real relationship and by that Fall I was definately "in love".

I did an internship at Luther Hospital and found out that I might actually like being a social worker. December 23, 2000 I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

It was a pretty busy year....


2001
I found a real JOB! I stared working at American Lutheran Home in Mondovi WI-it was a small nursing home. Not my ideal job but looking back it was a good place to start out...and the people there were amazing.

This year was tough for my family because my dad was just not recovering from his surgery as we had hoped-after much frustration, illness and return MD appts he was diagnosed again-we were devastated and scared. He was referred to Mayo and the treatment plan was aggressive and intense. My mom and dad lived at Mayo for weeks-he had constant chemo and then radiation. It is hard for me to even think back to that time, it is emotional and so filled with fear that I cannot imagine how I ever got up and acted like a normal person each day.


In September our country was attacked-I don't think anyone reading this will ever forget 9-11.

2002


This year was a little less stressful...
I got another real JOB! I lucked out and found a position at Community Health Partnership as a Social Services Coordinator. I am still there......almost 8 years later! I found friendship with Erica, Larissa and Sara...the girls. They made me feel like Eau Claire was really going to be my home.


2003


I decided that renting was a waste of money. My girlfriends and I all bought houses...Erica, Larissa, myself and Sara. I think this was a natural change but funny that we all did it in the same approximate time frame. I bought the house directly across the street from Erica-let me say this came in handy! Many nights I would just trot across the street after a few drinks and never have to worry about driving:) By now Wednesday night was officially girls night-we drank, talked, laughed and enjoyed our silly reality TV show "The Bachelor".


Joe and I bought a dog!! Mulligan-or Mulli as we like to call her. She was a hard dog to win over...not very social and didn't like to cuddle-but that all changed and now she is a snuggle bug-all you have to do is get out a blanket and she comes running.


Unfortunately this year was sad too because Joe and I had been having some differences of opinion on where our relationship was headed. I, being the girl, of course wanted to get married and start my life of being a wife and hopefully a mom. Joe, being the guy, was scared of this (I hope he doesn't mind me writing that!). So in August I made the decision to leave Joe-it was one of the saddest days of my life, but I knew at the time I was doing the right thing. I was convinced things were over and I had to move on. Joe had other plans.....he worked really hard on proving to me how much he loved me. Flowers, letters, phone calls and lots of "I am so sorry-I really do want spend my life with you" conversations. By November he won me back. We were committed and started ring shopping (YAY!!).


New Years Eve he proposed and of course I said "yes".


2004

I spent the first month of this year frantically making wedding plans. We set a June 5th wedding date and this meant that everything needed to be booked, ordered and planned ASAP. In April my brother and Tracy had their first child, Tye Dalton-we adored him.

We had a beautiful wedding in Stevens Point and we were so blessed to have all of our family and friends with us. I loved this day-I actually cried when the reception was over...it just went too fast. We honeymooned in the Duluth area and enjoyed every minute. The summer of 2004 was busy, we were married and I was also lucky enough to be in two other weddings! My cousin Jill and my good friend Erin. In between this we also attended two other weddings...by the end of the summer I was exhausted:)

Unfortunately 2004 was not a good year for my friends....we went through a lot that fall and winter-and in the process found that our friendship was actually much deeper than just a few cocktails each week.



2005

My sister was engaged and married in March this year. We LOVED it that her wedding was in Las Vegas! By this time I was in full "baby mode" and wanted to get pregnant...my dream came true and I found out in May that I was expecting. I will never forget calling Travis to tell him and his response was "Wow, really...well, we weren't really going to say anything yet-but Tracy is pregant too!". Turns out our due dates were less than one week apart.

Dexter Kohl was born December 30th and our sweet baby girl Katey arrived just 5 days later...



2006

Katey was born on January 4th-it was of course the single most amazing experience of my life so far...she was beautiful with a full head of immense black hair. Two weeks later we found out she had colic and the fussiness began...the first three months of this year were a bit rough. I spent a lot of time crying and in my pajamas. Thankfully by the time I returned to work Katey was out of this phase and all of her crying was apparently out of her system, she was a sweet and adorable little baby girl that was as happy as could be. The rest of the year was spent being a mom and learning how to get by on a lot less sleep! Being a new mom was rewarding but also really, really tough and I found myself struggling a lot during this time. Insert "the girls"...they helped me survive the first year and for that I am forever grateful!



2007
Continued to work on being a mommy...new challenges of course as Katey grew...she was a fun little girl and by the time she was 18 mos old, I felt like I was already looking forward to having another baby. Joe and I thought the time was right...then some things happened and we decided to wait...but guess what??? Makenna Ann decided the time was right for her! We also added a few more little ones to the Niekamp family
Travis and Tracy welcomed Brooke Ryan on October 11 and my sister Stacy welcomed Joelle Virginia into our family on December 17
My moms friends at work used to joke with her and call her kids "rabbits"....they might have been on to something.

2008
We welcomed Makenna in August-amazingly enough she was born on Joe's dad's birthday! She was a week early and I think it is very special that she shares this day with "Papa"....

2007 and 2008 were very busy years...having a toddler and then being pregnant was tiring and there were many days that I was absolutely exhausted-to the point that I would count the minutes from the time I got home from work until I could go to bed again!
In July of 2008 Joe lost a very good friend-Joey-it was just before Makenna was born and I believe this really changed Joe. Losing a friend at our age is scary and difficult and Joey was a good father and this was especially hard on Joe (to know that a sweet little girl out there was now without her daddy). I found him to be more committed to our marriage and our children because of this experience.
Joe began working at Gold Cross in November and he seemed to have finally found a job he enjoyed.

2009
This year FLEW by...I think we are just busy. Busy working and then working when we get home! Katey has definately been a challenge this year-she is so fun and so active, but also pushing her limits in so many ways!
Makenna is now wearing glasses...we found out in November that she is very farsighted and needs glasses-this was traumatic for me. I was devastated and terrified of how this would work out, and what this meant for her. Luckily she has adjusted so well, now we look at her and she looks so normal with her little spectacles on-she is much happier too now that she can see her world and enjoy life more!

2010
Here we are...Katey turns 4 tomorrow. I cannot believe my baby is going to be four! We are excited about the year ahead of us...hoping to continue to enjoy our girls and our time together as a family. We might try to sell our house...we might not, that is still up in the air. I feel blessed to be heading into new year and a new decade with my best friend by my side, two adorable girls and lots of family and friends to share my life with.
As I look back at this post the one thing that sticks out is how much I have grown up!! I went from a young party girl to a mother of two! I have a job and health insurance! Wonder what the next ten years will bring? Hopefully more good things:)