And My Timeline Makes 3!

My friend at This Stop Willoughby wrote a thought provoking post on her blog pertaining to the timeline of her life. She challenged us to to the same. Luis Bueno at Muddy Runner took her up on the challenge so I guess I'll bite too.

Today (August 18, 2009)

I am frantically trying to:

1. Understand this new homeschool curriculum.
2. Menu plan and get the house in order for a visit from our adopted seminarian.
3. Help Bethany prepare for a back to school party she is hosting.
4. Do laundry, all 8 loads.
5. Get ready to take Bethany to sing the National Anthem at another Intimidator's game.
6. Figure out the logistics of getting her to choir practice afterwards.
7. Prepare dinner.
8. Get a blog post posted.

My kids are 14 and 10. Mr. Sister and I have been married for 18 years.

Last year (August 18, 2009):

I am planning and packing for a trip to Kansas to see 1st through 4th sisters and visit with my parents. The trip was just me and the kids and we had a blast.

My kids are 13 and 9. Mr. Sister and I have been married for 17 years. We recently returned from a family vacation in Jamaica.

5 years ago (August 18, 2004):

I have submitted my application to go back to work at the new hospital they built in town. My son is 5 and is preparing for a 2nd round of Kindergarten at the local public school (I had used the previous year to get all the programs in place that he required: speech, adaptive PE, resource, etc.) Bethany, 9 will be going into 4th grade at the Catholic school on the other side of town. Mr. Sister and I have been married for 13 years.

10 years ago (August 18, 1999)

We are heading to Kansas. I have my 20th high school reunion and a family reunion to attend. Mr. Sister and I rent an RV to travel cross country and stay at assorted campgrounds along the way. We extend the trip to travel on down to Oklahoma and Texas to visit some of Mr. Sister's extended family. It was an adventure trip and very fun. I seriously doubt if we'll ever do it again...the RV was a gas guzzler, costly and hard to maneuver through the big cities. My kids are 4 and 11 months. Mr. Sister and I have been married for 8 years.

15 years ago (August 18, 1994):

I am pregnant with my first child. Mr. Sister have been married for 3 years and live in a teeny tiny bungalow in an old NC mill town (our 1st home as husband and wife). We have 2 cats, Winston and Phoebe and a black chow named Annie. Mr. Sister is into cycling (bike) at the time and I was throwing pottery in my my basement studio. I work as a department manager for a respiratory care department at an orthopedic hospital in the big city. It is an idyllic life.

20 years ago (August 18, 1989):
The turning point

I am single, living by myself in a 2 bedroom, 3rd floor condo. I recently adopted 2 cats: Winston, who was resuscitated after suffering smoke inhalation in a home fire, and Phoebe, who was adopted from a local vet to be a companion for Winston.

I have found God at a non-denominational church located on the Country Club Plaza. It was a welcoming place and I truly felt at home there. I will forever thank my experiences there for putting me on what was to become my spiritual journey into the Catholic faith. Through hard work, prayer and perserverance I have overcome depression and a pretty severe eating disorder.

I am also working as a sales representative and patient care advocate for a local home care company outside of Kansas City. I hate the job. In addition to my normal duties, I am busy developing a policy and procedure manual for the company to comply with regulations so that they will become accredited by the Joint Commission. These efforts eventually lead to my recruitment by a home care company in Ohio to do the same for them. After accepting their offer and moving to Columbus, I will meet my future husband at a party run by the local ski club I will join.

25 years ago (August 18, 1984):

I am a neonatal respiratory therapist at a large metropolitan hospital in Kansas City. I live by myself in a duplex near the University of Kansas Medical Center where I recently graduated with a BS in Respiratory Therapy. I drive a red VW Super Beetle. I am anorexic but do not realize it. I live off of coffee and cigarettes.

30 years ago (August 18, 1979):

I am almost 18 and have recently graduated from high school in a small Kansas metropolis, population around 30,000 at that time. I worked the summer as a Respiratory Therapy Assistant and am about to head off to college (Rock Chalk! Jayhawk! KU) My summer internship will eventually influence my choice of major. Presently my boyfriend of 3 years and I have just broken up: he wanted to get married right away but I wanted a college education. It wasn't meant to be as God had other and better plans for my life.

40 years ago (August 18, 1969):

I am 7 years old and getting ready to enter the 3rd grade. They tore down my old grammar school, South Park (yes, that was the real name of my school) and I will be attending Franklin, about 2 blocks away from home. I was outgoing at my old school but will become extremely shy and introverted when I attend Franklin. It will be a terribly difficult for me to make friends with the kids, at this new school, who have been together since Kindergarten. Oh the angst.

The Vietnam War is going on, Nixon is president, the news is full of war death tallies and scary stories of riots and protests throughout the country. I watch these events, with my dad, on our black and white TV being reported by Walter Cronkite.

Well, I can't go back much further than that. I have enjoyed reflecting back upon my life and hope you were able to get a small glimpse at what has made The 5th Sister who she is today.