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Another wonderful Karaoke competitor.
Well I've been holding off on blogging because I was trying to get my blog book order. Check... Got it done. So now, that it's printed I can keep blogging. I wanted the last entry in the book to be the one about a look back on 2010. Two memorable things have happened in my life since the start of 2011. First, Karaoke Contest. I started karoking a few months back. I was sooo sooo nervous the first time I got up to sing. I had done it in high school but never since. But, I really got a great response and it was everything to hear someone come up to me and tell me they had gotton goose bumps, or the song I sang made them cry. Those compliments were just great. I mean, who would have thought that I'd find a lot of self worth out of singing silly songs. But, I have. It's been real fun and I continue to get great compliments so, with much pressure, I joined the Karaoke contest. there were 13 of us and some had amazing voices. I was totally nervous but refused to let on :) After the first two rounds, they announced the four top finalist. I sat there while all those around me didn't hear their name, but then.... they called the name, "Tara." YAY!!! I was so excited. So, I sang my heart out for the last song. At the end, they called us all up and announced third place, then second, then first. I got second. BUMMER! Oh well. The thing that really bothered me was that the guy that won, sung a song that was a talking song. You know what I'm talking about right? Like one of those country songs that you talk instead of actually sing. I don't know what the song was called or who the artist was since I don't listen to country but the crowd really liked it and knew the words to yell for the chorus so, he took the cake. However, I did find out later that one of the judges was his father. Either way, second was alright and if it actually came to singing talent, I may have just been able to win. Realistically, there was another girl in the finals that I thought was much better than me but she didn't even get third place. It's all for fun though....

The other thing that has happened this year already has been a huge reality check for me in regards to my father. My dad hurt his back a few months ago and has been nursing a bad back ever since. He finally went in to the doctor and found out that he actually had something wrong with some of the discs in his back but it would be an easy fix with surgery. During all the pre-op testing, they found black spots on his lung and after receiving one piece of bad news after another, we finally found out that it was NOT cancer. However, it is a disease that will need to be treated after he recovers from back surgery. As I write this, he lays in the hospital waiting to get released after a successful back surgery. I was so scared and have never had to face anything like that. I've never had a close friend or family member even come close to death; at least not while I've been old enough to understand what's going on. I tell you, I had no idea how to handle it and bawled for hours and hours a couple times. My dad is my rock. My hero. Even if I ever get married, he still will always be that. To see my dad suffer and the unknowing combined was more than I thought it would be. I just was really confused as to if I was overreacting, under reacting, or being completely unrealistic about the situation. But, in talking to my sisters and hearing their voices quiver as well, I knew that it was ok for me to struggle. Praise God my father is doing well and, with God's blessing, he may even start to feel better with his lung issues and his back as the months roll in to years. I can't imagine my life without one of my parents, and frankly, I refuse to.

Top 10 of 2010

A memory, moment, or person who has impacted me. New friends, old friends, family, new babies, big babies, trips to see the country, trips that didn't last as long as expected, people that have touched my heart, and times that I will never forget. That's what these pictures, from 2010, represent to me.


Winter birthdays

This girl is about the cutest 2 year old I can think of. Sophie Remier

Born November 19th at 3:30am Warren William Reimer

Danielle and I in Washington D.C.

Left over fireworks at Grace's house

Ahhh... the LAK. Great memories this year there. "Gideon, go apologize to the little boy" Especially when they're singing happy b-day to him!

A true old friend that I love to death

Think I started hanging out with this one when I was like 12:)

For the last couple weeks now I have beeen wanting to do a blog entry on the top 10 most distinguishing moments/chapters of 2010. I've been racking my brain over those last few weeks trying to remember back to the beginning of 2010; what happened this year vs. what happened last yeah and, to be honest, I can't even really remember where I was when ringing in the year 2010. I'm pretty sure, if memory serves me somewhat, that I was fast asleep in Custer, SD when most the rest of our nation was yelling "HAPPY NEW YEAR." I remember having to work the day before and am pretty sure I had to work the next day as well. Yes! I've got it. That's exactly what happened. I had to be to STAR at 7am cause I think the 1st of January fell on a Saturday; the Saturday I worked 7am to 7pm. So, yep. I was fast asleep knowing that I had to be up by 6am. I think it's safe to say that New Years Eve of 2010 won't fall in to my 10 distinguishing moments. Not only can I not remember the day it turned 2010 but it seems like the first half has been a big blur; like a picture you see taken from a moving car where everything's in motion and you cant seem to make out anything but the bright lights.

Except for #1 on my list, the rest are not in order of least important to most important; best memory to worst memory, etc. I'm putting them all down from earliest 2010 distinguishable memory/chapter of my life to latest. So here goes. DISCLAIMER: As always, I use high discretation as to what I put in this blog. Therefore, some will be quite vague.
#1: Softball, T-Ball, and Baseball. By far, these memories pop out more than anything. Abby, Afton, and Gideon's summer games. Oh how I loved the sun-kissed burn on my back from sitting at the baseball fields for hours this summer, just waiting for their turn to bat. The drives to Spearfish, Sturgis, Upton, Hulette. Taking abby to practice with the windows rolled down, driving past Deckers on my way to the fields knowing a great night would be to follow. Watching Afton twirl circles and pay absolutely no attention while standing in their mini field. And Gideon, being more excited about the way his blue uniformed looked than the game itself. Oh how cute he was with his ears sticking out of his hat. Although it wasn't under the best circumstance, spending the first part of that summer with my family was something long overdue for me. 4 days after high school I moved away from Newcastle and never looked back. For the first time since then, I spent more than just a small ammount of time there. And guess what, I loved it. Don't want to move back any time soon, but I loved the flood of memories every night, the bumps on the road right by the baseball fields, the sound of the train in the middle of the inning, and the warm light breeze as dusk settled in. I absolutely loved it.
#2: Tuesdays at Hobbs street.
#3: My last day of work in South Dakota
#4: Indonesia: need I say more?
#5: Ribeyes and all the memories that would follow
#6: Sunbathing in my mom's back yard while everyone else worked
#7: Getting offered 4 out of 5 jobs I applied for and all the emotions that came with that
#8: Washington D.C. and Lily explaining an episode of "Cops" I laugh thinking about it!
#9: Warren William Reimer
#10 And finally... Sheridan, Wyoming

So many specific memories are attached to all these distinguishing moments, but those 10 made the year 2010 most memorable. It was a year of learning, growth, lost hope, new found hope, and new chapters.


The good ol' bag lady bash with great company

On the road in Indonesia

Gideon loving his Auntie. Doesn't happen often. Totally picture worthy when it does.

Oh... you three!

Grace, you're so special and it's the little moments like these that I love.

The plant in the background was my favorite ever. I grew it from just a few tiny green leaves. Now it belongs to DOC in South Dakota

Kaori, you're so beautiful

Mom and dad forcing me to get out of the house and do something in the midst of my depression after returning from Asia. Thanks for push me parents. I appreciate it.

Thanksgiving at the Pines in Jackson Hole. Great weekend Dessa. Thanks for all you do.

Surabaya, Indonesia Immigrations office. Praise you God for letting everything go smoothly here.

Leaving the country.

New friends.

Here's to ya!

I love you kids.

Spuddie, You went through a lot with me.

Afton, seriously... I know it was staged but you could have at least acted like you were sleeping with me!

Erin... You're great.

The Blogging Blues

I haven't blogged in forever :( I just haven't had time... But, as I went to sit down tonight and think about how cold I am, I was reminded of the snuggie my mother got me. Still haven't taken off my coat from work and I've been home for almost an hour. Finally went to sit down and saw the snuggie my mom got me. Funny part was, everyone makes fun of snuggie blankets, but when I got it in my stocking, my mom thought it was like the most ingenius idea. Don't take this wrong mom... It really is a good concept and I'm sure they've sold millions since coming out. I'm mean, you can find them anywhere, but it was just so funny to me grabbing it out of my stocking (my stocking is really big) because we always crack jokes about people that use snuggies. I tell you what though, I really want to take off this coat and may just replace the coat with the snuggie. THANKS MOM!

So, I also bought myself a present. I mean, we do a gift exchange in my family. Too many grand kids and nieces and nephews to buy stuff for so us adults just do an exchange where we only have to buy for one person to alleviate the expense. However, all my sisters have husbands that they get stuff from, in laws, etc etc. So me, well my parents pick up some of the slack still and get me extras but I had a sex in the city moment and decided to buy myself a crazy awesome pair of boots I've been wanting for a long time. I received them like a week before xmas but refused to wear them since I wanted to wrap them and put them under the tree for Christmas. You should have seen the look on my moms face when she grabbed the gift and read, "Ok, this is a gift to Tara from... Tara." She seemed a little confused. The rest of the fam caught on quick and all proceeded to roll their eyes at me, but I must say, it was a darn good gift!

had a blast seeing the family and now just miss them all sorely :) They're my biggest supports and greatest fans. thanks for a great Christmas family.