10 Years Ago Today .......

Here is a picture of me yesterday, May 13th. Do I look any different? And here is a picture of Tony and I ... 9 days after we got engaged.

Ten years ago today I graduated college. A full decade! That's insane to me. So much has happened in this decade that in some ways it travels through my mind as slow as a turtle and others it flies by so fast like a bullet.

Here's a little re-cap of what this last decade has brought us ...

The avg price for a movie in 2005 was $6.41. - Fun fact, the movie theater in Huntsville Texas STILL is $6.00 for an evening movie!

The avg price at the end of 2014 for the same movie was $8.17. For you non-math lovers that's an increase of 27.6% year over year in the movie price!

At the end of 2005 the average gas price was 2.197 - which doesn't seem like much. Until I think about the very first gallon of gas I bought in 1999. That week the avg gas price was 1.11.

At the end of 2014 the average gas price was 2.403. That shows a 9.38% increase. You would have thought it was more! When you look at 1999-2014 it's a 116% increase! That feels and seems far more drastic!!

And since this IS a book blog ... the best selling Amazon book of 2005 was ................ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince! Hey at least I've read that one. I have NOT read book #2, The World is Flat: A brief history. But I HAVE read Book #3 AND I recommend this for EVERYONE! FREAKONOMICS!!! Seriously GO READ IT!

In 2014 the best selling books (I looked up Amazon and thought they must be wrong so I went with Publishers Weekly which was the same books just in a diff order, go figure!) The Fault in our Stars at the top followed by Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Long Haul and then Divergent. None of these I've read. I did however see the movie for The Fault in our Stars.

In 2005 one of my television addictions happened to be the #1 show that year. Desperate Housewives.

All these little things bring me back. Back to a time when life was easy and everything was just, simple.

Something else that happened in 2005 was my engagement. The man of my heart and soul dropped down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was so sweet and lovely and ... perfect.

Thank God 10 years later we are still together or this might be awkward!

Here's the photos from that day ... just so emotional.

As I look through them I think of all the different changes. Mostly that three of my very loved family members are no longer here with us.

My Uncle Mark died June 6th, just 23 days after we all saw him. It was the last time my whole family was together. And even then his son, my cousin, was missing from the event. I can't help but feel tears weld up inside as I think of Uncle Mark. Then Grandpa Pete, died May 31st, 2012. 7 years later. Almost to the day. 7 years and17 days. And then last year, August 14th, 2014, my father-in-law passed on.

Three men that I loved, very deeply and in very different ways. Each one touched me so special. memories of each that I will always cherish.

My graduation day being one of them.

Then of course there are the friendships. Ones that stand the test of time and ones that come and go. Some people you couldn't live with out while in college now you never speak to. Others you only drank with end up being your BFF's to help get you through the work day. I am  blessed to have a small number of people whom I know no matter how much time passes ... from childhood through college and into adulthood - will always be friends.

And some of you may wonder what I graduated in ... excellent question ... I received my BBA from Sam Houston State University with a Major in Economics and a minor in Political Science.

And now I am SURE you are wondering what I am doing with this degree and if I am utilizing it properly ... well of course I am! I use my Economics degree daily at United Rentals!

So here in this blog are the pictures of the memories of this day, 10 years ago. The Ultimate Throw Back Thursday for my adult life. When everyone I loved was there ... and when I could spend time with Everyone who mattered to me .... I love all of these people ... in so many different and special ways.