Reflections

Happy New Year 2009! What a beautiful day this is. My favorite kind of day to start off the year - very bright, sunny and COLD!!! I found this list on another blog and decided to bring it to mine. I am going to answer these questions while I am sitting on the couch in my pajamas next to my sweet 10-year-old son. What a gift! So, complete with pictures, here goes:

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before? Started (sort of) a blog, snow tubed, went to an American Idol concert with Erica, watch my kids swim on the swim team, begin traveling for Taylor's soccer games, served on a committee at church, volunteered at the Joy Prom, served lunch at a homeless shelter with my family... lots of things!

My brother, nephew, dad and another volunteer making lunch at the uptown men's shelter on Christmas Eve:


Claire at a swim meet:

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I can't even remember if I made any besides the generic desires to eat healthy, exercise more, and spend more time in fellowship with God. I would say I did all of those things adequately (at best).

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? No, but my brother and sister-in-law are expecting their first baby in June. Very exciting!!!

4. Did anyone close to you die? Mike's aunt died last year unexpectedly, but besides that we were very blessed in that way.

5. What places did you visit? We began the new year in Boone with the Smiths and also went back in the fall with the Grovers. We spent 10 days in July/August at Sunset Beach - the longest we have ever stayed there. It was awesome! Our big family trip was to Boston and New Hampshire when we traveled with Mike to a race. We had a great time visiting Plymouth Plantation, walking the Freedom Trail and enjoying the beauty of New England. In addition, I accompanied Mike to New York twice, Sonoma, CA and Boca Raton all for work. Mike and I also went to the beach win SC ith our supper club - the Drummonds, Collins, Bobos, Jarvies and Rousseauxs.  We had a lot of fun!!

Mike and Claire snow tubing:


Taylor and Claire at the bridge at Sunset Beach:


The Burch and Grover kids in the mountains:


Cassi and I with Guy Fieri in Sonoma, CA:


The Burch family at Quincy Market in Boston:


One of my favorite places in the world - The Waldorf Astoria in NYC:


Cassi and I before the Nascar banquet:

6. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Probably Dec. 14 when both of my children were baptized. What a great day it was for us to watch Taylor and Claire outwardly express their devotion to Christ. The day my brother left for New Zealand is also another. 

7. What was your biggest achievement of the year? I give all credit to God for any achievement I might have accomplished.  I can't really think of any major ones - maybe simplifying things at home, having family nights, when my children were kind to others, learning how to sort of use my Macbook.

8. What was your biggest failure? When I said unkind things to anyone, speaking before thinking, not spending time with God daily, being critical...

9. Did you suffer illness or injury? Not really - nothing beyond colds/allergies. Praise God! 

10. What was the best thing you bought? I am thinking my new family room furniture. I love how it makes the whole room look soooo much nicer.

11. Where did most of your money go? Private school tuition, household expenses, church and other charities.

12. What did you get really, really, really excited about? My Christmas-time trip to New York ALWAYS excites me. I also got excited about school getting out for the summer, Taylor's soccer team winning the championship and him making one of the winning kicks in OT, my new iPhone, our family trip to Boston/New Hampshire, a quiet Christmas day with my family, going to Boca with Mike, watching UNC play in Charlotte in the NCAA tournament, and I am sure there are others I don't remember.

Taylor's soccer team after they won the championship:

13. What song will always remind you of 2008? Cupid Shuffle - my kids listen to it ALOT and any rock song (particularly Eye of the Tiger) on Guitar Hero that my family discovered and played incessantly last year.

14. What do you wish you'd done more of? Read, spend time with my grandmother, spend time with Mike, exercise, spend time in God's word. 

15. What do you wish you'd done less of? Watch TV, read people.com, worry, eat

16. What was your favorite TV program? House, Survivor, American Idol, Top Chef, Ace of Cakes.  I also stopped watching some shows that went downhill - Grey's Anatomy especially! I really wanted to watch the new Beverly Hills 90210 but it was HORRIBLE.

17. What was the best book you read this year? Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Friday Night Knitting Club, Calm My Anxious Heart. I started reading Pillars of the Earth in 2008 but it is continuing over to 2009. I really like it.

18. What was your greatest musical discovery? Guitar Hero/Rock Band was a discovery for my family and I credit it with getting Taylor interested in starting guitar lessons.  As far as artists go - I found a few new ones that I like - Adele and Jason Mraz.  

Taylor and Claire playing Guitar Hero:

19. What did you want and get? New family room furniture - see #10!

20. What was your favorite film of this year? Mamma Mia, Four Christmases, Bedtime Stories, 21

21. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? On my 39th birthday - yikes - I had dinner at Red Rocks with some moms & the teachers in Taylor's class. I had lunch that day with the girls at work. I had different lunches with friends throughout the week. I had dinner that weekend with my parents and family at Greek Isles - YUM!

Birthday dinner at Greek Isles:


22. What political issue stirred you the most? The presidential election, of course. It was a great reminder for me that God is ALWAYS in control.

So that was a fun look back at 2008.  2009 promises to be HUGE, I know.  Taylor will go to middle school, I will turn 40, I will have a new niece or nephew, and I am sure there will be many more surprises along the way. I am so thankful that I serve and love an awesome God that will be with me every step of the way.  I praise Him for EVERYTHING he did in 2008.  We are so blessed.  I pray that I will have a spirit of thankfulness and gratitude at ALL times this year.  I hope those that love me will hold me accountable to that!