Reflections

A fun little questionnaire to reflect on the past year. I found it on All & Sundry's blog last year (she has posted it again this year) and I think it'll be so fun to look back on it and read the previous years' answers.

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?


2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I honestly don't remember what my resolution was last year. I will make one this year... and try to keep it simple. I'm going to try to be the best person I can be and to try to grow in positive ways and be influenced by positive people/things. 


3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
 Does myself count? And yes... Heather, my sister, had Addisen; Missy had Carter; Katie had Nolan; Kim Turpin had Callie; Mandi had Maya, Denise had Boston and Cooper; WOW! The year of the babies!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
 Yes, Cathy my mother-in-law

5. What states/countries did you visit?
 Chicago, IL was the only place we went outside of Michigan.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
 Money. Can I have money, please? Oh, and patience?

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?


May 20th- Hudson's birthday
July 14th- the date we closed on our house
August 15th- our camping trip to Silver Lake
September 13th and 14th- the weekend Cathy passed away

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Becoming a better person throughout the trials I've faced this year. Recognizing my shortcomings, facing my demons, attempting to improve myself.

9. What was your biggest failure?
 Losing my patience with Porter so often.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
 if you count losing your mind numerous times an illness...

11. What was the best thing you bought?
 Our new house

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
 Hudson... can you say Super Baby?

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
 there are a few I can think of

14. Where did most of your money go?
 into our new-fixer-upper-house.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
 The addition of Hudson and our new house (omg... see a trend here?)

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?


17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder? 
 happier
b) thinner or fatter? 
 thinner
c) richer or poorer?
 poorer

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
 yelling and worrying about what other people think.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
 We spent Christmas at home with our families. It was wonderful!

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
 Most definitely. With my new baby boy, with Porter as he made me so proud being such a great big brother and with my husband- for sticking by me through some trying times.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
 Desperate Housewives. Its all I watch since we don't have DVR anymore.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
 I wouldn't say 'hate'

24. What was the best book you read?
 Llama, Llama Mad at Mama.... sadly kid books are all I've read this past year!

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
 I got an ipod... that counts, right? Although I still have only taken it out of the box to look at it HAHA!

26. What did you want and get?
 a new house

27. What did you want and not get?
 a new job

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
 oh hell... no idea

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
 27... and I did nothing but attempt to clean a messy house and take care of two cranky boys. Sadly... no cake, no special dinner, nada.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more
satisfying?
 While it was a year of trials and celebration, I'm not sure anything could have made it "immeasurably" more satisfying. We had a very blessed year. If I had to pick something it'd probably be to have gotten a full time teaching position, but I do have a job I love that provides for us and pays our bills and I'm thankful for that. So, I guess I can't really say anything for sure.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
 a repetitive disaster

32. What kept you sane?
 medication, probably

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
 Fancy? Who uses the word fancy anymore?

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
 Everyone dogging on Barak Obama... come on people... buck up, be American and support our new president!

35. Who did you miss?
 Cathy

36. Who was the best new person you met?
 Smiley, Smiley Hudson Riley

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
 Live life to its fullest. Lots of life lessons... see this post.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. Hmm... awhile ago I heard the old song by Meredith Brokks, I'm a Bitch. Thought it seemed fitting for me for some reason HAHA!

I'm a bitch, I'm a lover
I'm a child, I'm a mother
I'm a sinner, I'm a saint
I do not feel ashamed
I'm your health, I'm your dream
I'm nothing in between
You know you wouldn't want it any other way

So take me as I am
This may mean you'll have to be a stronger man
Rest assured that when I start to make you nervous
and I'm going to extremes
tomorrow I will change
and today won't mean a thing

**ETA** Another song that I think will always remind me of 2008:
Little Wonders- Rob Thomas

Let it go
Let it roll right off your shoulder
Don't you know
The hardest part is over
Let it in
Let your clarity define you
In the end
We will only just remember how it feels

Our lives are made
In these small hours
These little wonders
These twists and turns of fate
Time falls away,
But these small hours
These small hours
Still remain

Let it slide
Let your troubles fall behind you
Let it shine,
Till you feel it all around you
And I don't mind
If it's me you need to turn to
We'll get by
It's the heart that really matters in the end

39. How did you ring in the New Year? We had a "Good Fortune for 2009" Potluck/Game Night with a bunch of amazing friends. It was a great way to ring in the New Year!

40. Do you have a goal for 2009? I think my goal is going to be to get back into running. I got new running shoes for Christmas, an ipod, the Nike + system and basically I'm all ready to run... I just need the motivation. I am also going to try to make a goal of reading more books for myself.