Goodbye 2019, Hello 2020

They say hindsight is 20/20, so is this going to be the year of reflection? And if so, what kind of reflection? Self? World? Otherwise? I personally would like to close this chapter of my life by doing something I have never done before and reflect back on the past year at some of my favorite (and maybe not so favorite) memories.

I spent a lot more time with my family this year. My parents, sister, nephews, and friends that I consider my family. And for reasons that aren't totally appropriate for a public forum, I had to work extra hard on my marriage this year. I'm proud to say that all the extra hours we put in are working and we just celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. So everything in 2019 is a little bittersweet for me, but that's okay.

My sister and me after Mardi Gras!

Cheers! At Tomball German Fest with my BFF

Me and my Mom

My son Tim turned 18 this year. I officially have two men in the house. He also graduated high school and I have never been more proud. He got a full time job and is taking a gap-year while he decides whether a culinary degree is worth the time and expense. He has sought the advice of other chefs and cooks and heard their stories of people who went the education route and who went for the experience. All were where they wanted to be in life. Now it's up to Tim to decide what's best for him. If anyone else wants to chime in, I'm happy to pass the info along to him. Leave me a comment or message me!

Our next big event was Rebecca's Sweet 16. No car for her, though. She's terrified of driving at the moment which is just fine with me! She was also inducted into the Texas Thespians, one of the largest chapters in the nation. She's super active in her high school theatre, landing one of the starring roles in the Fall production of The Revenge of the Space Pandas or Binky Rudich and the Two-Speed Clock, which turned out to be the only production they've done so far this school year. One of the downfalls of going to a brand new high school is a lack of support and funding for the arts.

In April I chopped all my hair off, but that's not super important. We spent a lot of time at the beach with my parents and in July my mom and I went zip-lining at Moody Gardens. It was on our bucket list and was pretty amazing.

Diana turned 14 at the beginning of her very first marching season. She adored every about marching band. The camaraderie, the skill level, the athleticism, the music, the discipline, the tan... The only thing she hates is how white her feet still are compared to the rest of her legs. Guess we'll need to spend more time at the beach in 2020. Diana was the first freshman to make region band at the their high school. She is also to first bass clarinet player to make region band, making her the first clarinet player to make region band. I could not be more proud of her accomplishments. She has decided she wants to be a nurse and is taking the appropriate high school level classes to achieve her goal.

My Theatre Nerd

Couldn't live without these guys

At the end of the summer I spent two days in the hospital after suffering a pretty scary seizure. I was eventually diagnosed with Todd's Paralysis and sent home. I was out of work for two weeks as I recovered not knowing how permanent the effects would be on the right side of my body. I eventually had a full recovery and went back to work but was unable to drive for three months. It's no fun putting everyone on your speed dial just so you can get home from work safely. As I was having problems with my head, Victor started having problems with his feet. He has plantar fasciitis. It's apparently really painful. I hope we find a solution for him soon.

When I said at the beginning that things were bittersweet, it was because there was a leftover air of misfortune that followed us from 2017 and 2018 into our lives to 2019. Things have been extremely difficult in the Romero household for nearly three years now and we are just now getting over the hurt, pain, and scars caused by the misdeeds of others. New Year's 2020 is the first one in our recent history where we found ourselves celebrating. We celebrated our marriage (we got married on New Year's Eve), we celebrated our lives together, and we celebrated our future. And you know what? It felt good.

Happy New Year!