This morning I realized that it has been two years since our family drove away from Colorado to start over again. Two years. So much has happened in two years.

Daughter is ten. She's about to begin fifth grade, and she's becoming a young woman. She has become a force on stage and an extraordinary wit in her own right. In the past two years she has truly begun to figure out who she really is.

Dog the Elder has left us and Dog the Younger turns two today. Cat has gone from mild mannered house cat to fierce neighborhood hunter.

Husband has learned so much about himself, how he learns and how he is motivated. He's been lauded for his successes at work and made us proud every single day. He made it so we could move to his hometown in the first place, and he's kept us afloat here. He has shown me how much he loves me, no matter what, every day. He makes me laugh and let's me cry. I've become even more grateful for him.

In the past two years I have figured out what my heart and soul need. I discovered that teaching wasn't just my passion but my calling and that I can do so much more than I knew.

I've discovered my own strength and resilience. I've discovered my deepest weakness and fears. I've battled them and continue to do so. I've become a better person and friend to many and a worse one to some. I've become political, loud, afraid, and courageous. I've learned the love of family, both Husband's and mine, and learned what it really means when you are an adult and can rely on them to take care of you.

730 days.

There have been triumphs and failures, elation and despair. New friendships made, old ones lost, and some which continue to grow, despite distance, and are valued beyond measure.

There are no ways I can thank God and the Universe enough for the gift of these days. I am humbled and forever grateful.