By Nici Holt Cline

Today I have been on this planet for 32 years. More than a new year, my birth day pushes me to look at the last year’s accomplishments and struggles, to set resolutions. This last year has been the biggest, fullest, hardest and most satisfying year of my life.

I didn’t know it but I was actually pregnant on my birthday last year. My due date was bumped up an entire month when I was 20 weeks, er, 24 weeks along. It threw us a bit to get pregnant so quickly, as in it only takes once.

Watching my belly grow so fast, an inescapable reminder of imminent big change, pushed our family to make some major decisions. We decided I’d leave my job of seven years. We decided Andy would have $10,000 in mouth surgeries in an effort to finally fix the damage from an eighth grade bike wreck. I dug a bit deeper into writing and making. Andy is in his final year of his four-year electrical apprentice program, working full-time, studying, taking tests. I threw my entirety into my work at the museum, giving it my best self, wanting to leave a legacy I could be proud of.

Andy had his first major solo art exhibit. I grew a human.

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