I have been working on our “Year in Review” special section, which will be inserted into Friday’s edition of the paper. This section features the top five stories from 2017 as well as a month by month account of significant happenings reported by the Newton Daily News. There are a couple thousand words that span the last 12 months and serve as a good reminder of what happened this past year.
As I read through story after story, I began to reflect on what the past year has held for me. I’ve come to the conclusion that 2017 has been a pretty good year, overall.
I turned 30 in February. I am not one who usually dwells on age. It is only a number after all; however, whenever a person hits a milestone number, it’s a good time to think about what you’ve done and what you hope to do in the future. For now, I want to focus on 2017, and I’d have to say my 30th year on this earth has been my favorite so far.
A lot of that had to do with my fiancé, Tim. We started the year as just a couple; no significant hardware had been purchased. We looked at rings in January, but I really didn’t know what Tim’s plans were at the time. The biggest moment in my life, so far, happened when Tim proposed to me on Valentine’s Day. It was definitely the highlight of the winter season.
This spring, Tim and I were hard at work on his house. We both really like his home; however, the location is the only issue. Ideally, we would like a home with reasonable commute time for both of us. So after some discussion, we decided to put the house on the market and find a home together after it’s sold. We devoted many hours on both nights and weekends getting the house in tip-top shape for its potential new owners. Every inch of the house has been cleaned and new paint has been applied. Tim will be sorry to let the house go, but he is completely on board with finding our own house to start our lives together.
Coming into the year, I was most excited about summer because we would be returning to Walt Disney World. Plans had been in motion for our Florida trip for nearly a year. My family and I have visited The Sunshine State on several different occasions. This year was bound to be our best visit ever, and the reality of the trip didn’t disappoint. Tim had never been to Disney World, and the Rodgers clan introduced him in style with a fast-paced, 10-day vacation. Tim and I spent eight days at Disney, going to each park twice. Tim must have liked it, because he agreed to let me plan our honeymoon there. Showing him around with my family was a blast, but I’m looking forward to our visit as a newly married couple. There are so many more memories to make at the “house of the mouse.”
Things slowed down for us after the summer months. The fall was highlighted by going to Iowa Hawkeyes football games and enjoying time with family and friends. Tim and I aren’t the only ones planning our lives together. My brother proposed to his girlfriend in September, and they will be exchanging vows just three months after Tim and I say “I Do.” Both my brother, James, and sister, Trish, have not only been my siblings but also two of my best friends. I am thrilled that James found his someone, too.
2017 has been quite the year for me, and I look for 2018 to be even better. Cheers to the New Year!
Contact Pam Rodgers
at prodgers@newtondailynews.com