Happy New Year!

2010 is officially in full swing, and I am in awe of what's ahead of me this year. I know 2009 was a downer for many. The economy affected many I know through the loss of jobs, loss of homes, loss of credit and loss of loved ones.

A good friend of mine who had a pretty rotten 2009 admitted that she had a rough time when writing out her Christmas cards last year, because the only thing that went well for her family that year was in the area of finances.

"Given what's happened to everyone else in 2009, that's just not the sort of thing you can brag about," she said. So her Christmas cards were general and basic with hopes for 2010 to be better all around.

Brian and I were discussing 2009 over the weekend. We know it was a tough year for the nation in general. But even though we faced our own challenges over the year, it's hard for us to deny the incredible blessings we experienced throughout the year:

• We were married in a fairytale ceremony in the company of our dearest friends and relatives.
• I had the once-in-a-lifetime experience of coordinating media when First Lady Michelle Obama visited UC Merced.
• We discovered I was pregnant, despite being told such a feat was impossible without medical intervention.
• Brian was cast as Cogsworth in Playhouse Merced's production of "Beauty and the Beast," one of the best shows he's been in.

The year was far from perfect, but we really can't complain. We survived it relatively unscathed. And now we're looking ahead to 2010. This is going to be an equally big year for us, with a baby coming, increased involvement in our church and our first wedding anniversary all in the next few months.

I'm not doing resolutions this year but I do have goals. My primary goal is to enjoy life and my family. I love leading a busy life, but priorities are the key to harmony. When everything is urgent, nothing is important. I want to make sure I spend this year putting first things first. Everything else will fall into place after that.