5 Minutes

"Prompt: 5 minutes.

Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010." (Author: Patti Digh)
--reverb10.com

1)  Finding out my church (and employer) wants to keep me on full-time!  What a relief and a joy!
2)  Nights at Open Sanctuary and the night of our Prayer Vigil - seeing the power of prayer in so many people's lives... and growing in my own prayer life.
3)  Making new friends on our trip to Europe. Especially listening to Jim and Vera's stories of how they fell in love almost 50 years ago... and seeing the twinkle still in their eyes!
4)  Spending my birthday in Belgium!  The morning in Brussels, a lunch of Belgian waffles and frites!  Having our tour group sing happy birthday to me in the square outside our hotel in Bruges.  Drinks and exploring with new friends, a quiet romantic dinner with the hubby, and getting lost in the circular streets of Bruges on the way back to the hotel...  Wonderful memories!
5)  Standing on the Eiffel Tower, looking out at the Paris lights - beautiful.
6)  Standing in the St. Chappelle chapel - as the sun pours through the amazing stained glass windows!

7)  My first Indonesian meal in Amsterdam - Yum-o!
8)  My church surprising me for my birthday with kind notes, presents, cake, and visitors...  So fun!
9)  Having my family over for an "authentic" Irish St. Patty's Day meal - so fun to prepare and eat!
10)  The many times I got to visit with my goddaughter, Elly - and how she squeals and giggles when she sees me.  Does anything feel any better than that?

11)  Spending time getting to know the farmers market this year - cooking all kinds of fresh meals, canning yummy jams, salsas, and jellies, and learning to make my own breads, rolls, and pizza dough!  So fun to have fresh food in the house!
12)  Singing "Amazing Grace" with my youngest sister, Kayla, at her last all-school high school choir concert (all the alumni are invited up for the last song).  Very cool.
13)  A mission trip to the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota - a wonderful group of women, an amazing place, a lovely day spent with elementary kids tutoring them in reading, a sweat lodge ceremony, and a visit to the Badlands and Wall Drug...  Very fun!
14)  A visit from my blogging friend, Andrea - sharing Open Sanctuary with her, talking about books and family, going out for pizza, chatting over breakfast... and being sad when she had to leave!  (You just never know where new friends will pop up!)
16)  Spending TWO fun weekends with Amanda this summer!  Exploring the Twin Cities, exciting nights out, fun mornings lazing around and chatting...  So fun.

17)  Visits from Em and Elly for time at the pool!  So fun to share it with two of my favorite people!
18)  My visit to Alaska...  So cool.  Loved time with my sister and her family, loved giggling with Fin, loved seeing the beauty of the mountains, the water, and the animals!  Best moment, though?  Standing on the wildlife/glacier cruise with my sister, laughing at the cold wind and the sheer awesomeness of the experience - and probably the first day we've had for just the two of us in YEARS!
19)  Blueberry picking for the first time.  At an absolutely STUNNING farm - gardens, rolling hills of beauty, the river near by.  Amazing.  Can't wait to go back!  (And the blueberries were delicious!)
20)  My trip to Portland with Jill.  Sitting in the "Storyline" conference, listening to Don Miller speak, being so inspired and realizing there is so much more for my life, and wondering what my story is...  A weekend full of looking forward - and enjoying it with a new friend!
21)  Throwing a Halloween cook-out for our neighbors - so fun to meet each other and spark some fun new relationships!  (It took a lot of guts for me to go through with this - a great first step in reaching out!)
22)  An evening with my friend, Em, working on her Halloween costume - amidst lots of giggles and girl talk.  So fun!
23)  The hubby and I backpacking in to a campsite on the North Shore - and I made it!  It felt so good to meet the challenge (even if it was a small one).  We had a wonderful trip up to Grand Marais this fall - LOVED it!
24)  Watching a beautiful fall sunset with the hubby from Granddad's Bluff in LaCrosse, WI.  A frustrating day ending with a magical colorful sky!  Totally worth it.

25)  But the best memory of this year?  I had to give a "faith statement" during worship at church.  I wrote out my story, taking a look at where I've been and what I believe now.  I asked my hubby if I could share it with him, asking him for a critique.  I read it out loud, and when I looked up, he was teary-eyed!  When I asked him why, he responded, "You know yourself and you know what others need to hear."  He was proud of me.  That was the best. 

I think this counts as my "Things I'm Thankful for Today" list, too...