By Jessica Tanner - Jan. 13, 2020
I cannot believe it is already 2020—not only the start of a new year, but the start of a new decade! As I reflected on the past year I began to contemplate the past 10 years and how much life has changed.
Ten years ago I was still pretty fresh out of college and looking to start my next chapter. Andy and I were planning a life together and by the end of March 2010 were engaged. We spent the next several months planning the wedding and were married in July. I then started my first journalism job at the local newspaper. Although I was overwhelmed I quickly learned the life of a journalist and gained an even deeper love for this great community.
I rode my first plane in September 2010 to attend my first NFL game in Texas watching my Bears take on the Cowboys. The next plane I rode I jumped out of for my first skydiving experience. The next would take me across the US to Florida for our first cruise and a fun trip without kids to the Bahamas. All have been great and I hope there will be more trips like this in the decades to come!
By the end of 2010 our Christmas pup, Dalco joined our family and 2011 started off on a high note when we moved into our first home!
We focused on our careers and over the years have had job changes—some which seemed a bit scary, but ended up making life better. We have pushed ourselves to grow and fueled our passions—making our dreams become a reality!
Our little family of three was making memories and building the foundations for this beautiful life, but it was not long before the thoughts of a little bundle of joy entered our minds.
By the time the Box Elder County Fair rolled around in 2012 we were ready for our Baby Brock to make his arrival! Our party steadily grew over the years and we were then joined by Baby Ray on Mother’s Day 2015! I was heavily outnumbered with the four men in my life, but our little girl helped even the numbers a bit when she arrived in November of 2018!
In between those perfect days were plenty of trips to the lake. We camped, hiked and made memories in Logan canyon and visited Yellowstone. We rode rides at Lagoon and even visited Disneyland for the first time. We hit the road a lot and watch hundreds of games. There were lots of parties with family around the holidays and nights where we laughed so hard we never wanted the day to end.
However, there have also been days filled with tears, sickness and late nights. We had a few casts, cavities and plenty of health bills. We have suffered loss, faced heartaches and days that seemed bleak. However, we have been lucky to have most of those days few and far between.
One of my greatest sorrows came when I found out my Dalco pup had lymphoma in February of 2019. We were told he only had a couple months left and it was a hard pill to swallow, especially since he seemed totally himself. I like to think we gave him the ultimate life, but I know in those last days we spoilt him enough to last a lifetime. Saying goodbye was not easy and I still miss him every day and probably always will.
Over the past decade I’ve been knocked on my butt and at times didn’t know how I would get back up. Sometimes it’s easy to write of a year as a bad one—one we want to forget. But the truth is we need to embrace each and every year of our life. Whether it was filled with joy or sorrow, that year will help shape you into who you need to become.
As you reflect on the year or over your life I hope the highs outweigh the lows and that the lows help you better appreciate the highs. I hope you become stronger and able to face anything life can throw your way. When you fall, take time to learn from those moments, but don’t stay down too long. Dust yourself off and be ready for brighter days!
I personally cannot wait to see what the next year and this decade have in store for my family and me!