Please hold on. Please set luggage cart brakes to on.

Hanging out at one of my favorite airports - SFO. I wonder how many hours I've spent here over the past 10 years. It's nice and clean, laid out well, and there is always great people watching.

As I hoped, I slept in this morning - it was desperately needed. I saw a couple of inspirational stories on the Today show this morning. The first one was about a young lady from the US who had been in Haiti teaching English. She had been trapped by the earthquake and ended up losing her leg. Despite that she had the most beautiful, genuine smile on her face and she stayed focused on the blessings not the tragedy. Just incredible strength, faith, and courage in such a young woman.

The second story was about four young men who decided to create a bucket list and are traveling around the country achieving their top 100 items.

We have so little time on this earth - we should always be in the mode of prioritizing and focusing on the right things. We waste so much time on trivial meaningless activities. I guess it's a little late, but that's my new year's resolution - learning to better focus my time on the things that matter most.

Missing my boys...

SF class wrapped up today... what a great experience. As always, just incredible people! One student is taking the exam tomorrow at 1. I become very personally involved in their success... I'll be on pins and needles until I get the call from her in the afternoon.

Having a tough time still with the boys being gone. It just hits me like a wave... like a big, drowning wave and it hurts in my heart. I think of laying on the floor next to my Sam Bone, giving him a big hug and snuggling with him. He would come up to me throughout the day in his lazy, slow-paced style and paw at me with a big, heavy foot. I will forever hold the image of him laying in the kitchen, chin up on the divider between the kitchen and family room.

I think of Bangara, that very first night in India. Falling in love with him and knowing in my heart I would bring him home with me, no matter what it took. I think of him flying all that way, wild yet tamed. Unpredictable yet consistent. He would dance when I came home off the road, always happy to see me.

I try to tell myself that I gave them both time. I gave them both love and kindness that they wouldn't have had otherwise. Sam would have died that day, had I not rescued him. Bangara would probably have only lasted a week or two. I gave them a few years and I have absolutely no doubt that they knew every single moment of every day how much I loved them. I was there when they got a 2nd chance and I was there when they took their last breaths. And I just want them back.

Addicted to Chaos

Today is day 3 of my San Francisco class. I only have two students, but it's so fun! We are in a boardroom and it is definitely very intimate. Because it's just the two of them, we're able to take time on the topics they may struggle with and move at their pace. One is taking her test on Friday and the other would like to take it within the next few weeks - still working on his application. As with all my classes, I end up having great encounters - this was no exception. Both of my students are Christians and we all attend very similar churches. It was great to have spiritual discussion and talk about the challenges of walking the walk in our day to day life. I thank God frequently for the people that He puts in my path!

I am looking forward to heading home on Friday - two weeks is a long time to be away. But I do have to say that it definitely helps the marriage. I miss Devin a lot when I'm on the road and it really makes me appreciate the time we are together. And we are WAY past due for a date night, so it's on this weekend! I can't wait!

And on that note - we make one hell of a team. The craziness has continued and he has stepped up and taken on a huge role in our company. I could not do all this without him. We have a lot of irons in the fire, not to mention the newest course book (which, by the way, is being sent off to print today!!! YAY!!!!).

I'm thrilled to be starting classes at BU today... not sure how I'm going to squeeze any more time out of my day, but I will do it and I will be successful. I think it's important for me to have not only the practical / real world knowledge but also the academic side. And I just love higher education!

So my primary goal is going to be much better time allocation during my day and a better prioritization of what's important. One critical thing? EXERCISE. I cannot believe how much weight I've gained and how quickly it went on. Ah, the beautiful joy of being 5'2", 40 and post-menopausal. (Wow - that makes me sound really freaking old!!!!) Can't have that.

Yummy, yummy vegetables!

A new year has started and I can honestly say I'm definitely looking forward to it. If the past two weeks are any indication, it's going to be a huge year for us and our business! I guess "doing the right thing" does pay off in the long run. I feel great knowing that we have a growing loyal fan base out there. Although 2009 may have ended on a low note, a wise young woman frequently reminds me, everything happens for a reason. And it seems like we will not only survive, we will thrive.

So to sum up 2009:

1. Brandy got stationed in CA
2. We decided to author our own courseware
3. And got crazier still when we decided to launch an extension to our company - Passionate Project Management
4. Delivered classes in over a dozen cities
5. Brooke graduated from high school, boot camp, and got stationed in Pensacola
6. I got to spend two weeks with my niece, Sinara Dawn :)
7. I was able to continue the annual ritual of a drive up Route 1 in Maine with Kim, with an incredibly relaxing overnight visit to Camden and a stop in Bucksport to visit with Stacie
8. FINALLY went to a Red Sox game at Fenway (Thank you Kim!!)
9. We backpacked RMNP (and I survived a massive gluten OD in the back woods - with very little style, but a lot of humor!!)
10. We went to the Dominican Republic with K & T - and learned that four friends CAN share a small hotel room... and still be friends.
11. Devin experienced his first Fryeburg Fair and autumn in New England
    
12. We did our first home exchange - to Paris! It was absolutely amazing - a great place to celebrate my 40th birthday!!
13. We officially welcomed Celia to the Fremouw family (I have the most amazing nieces!)
    
14. We made the hardest decision of our lives... and lost our two boys. We will love them forever...
15. We learned a very hard and painful business lesson.
16. We celebrated two holidays with no major family drama.... (wow? really???)

I remember last spring thinking how crazy July through October were going to be, with back-to-back trips. Now I realize, that's not crazy, it's just my life. And I wouldn't change it for anything!

I'm in Boston this week - spent the last two days with Kim, went to the Bruins Legends game at Fenway in a snowstorm, and was reminded why I moved to AZ! The snow is beautiful, but can't imagine having to drive in it or shovel it.

Got the call moms always dread - Brandy was in an accident, dumped her bike. Her bike is totaled but we are very grateful that she is alive. She has a lot of road rash and a sprained ankle and sprained knee. Poor kid. Just so happy it wasn't worse.

Class tomorrow here in Boston, off to San Fran on Sunday, Atlanta the following week, and then two back-to-back Phoenix classes. Let the fun begin!!