Recap of 2009

I found this at my friend Shelly's blog and thought it would be a fun way to look back over my past year.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before? Live in "The South"

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I usually resolve to keep a cleaner house... I don't think I really kept it last year, but I'm making it again this year and so far I'm doing pretty well! My other resolution for this year is to do all my Christmas shopping before Chistmas Eve. Way before.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Me! Plus about half of everyone I know. I guess I'm at that stage of life.

4. Did anyone close to you die? My grandpa died in February. He died of a stroke, but he had had dementia for several years so in a way it felt like we had already lost him a while back. Still it felt so strange to drive past his nursing home and not go visit him.

5. What countries did you visit? Jonah and I visited Jon while he was working in the Dominican Republic in April. It was a great trip and definitely worth it, but vacationing with a toddler, while pregnant, in a foreign country where you don't speak the language is... not really relaxing. But it was fun and warm and good to be able to be with Jon in the evenings.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? Knowledge of where we will be going on the mission field.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? June 22nd, Benjamin's birthday. September 6th, my dad's wedding. May 23rd, my best friend's wedding.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Surviving the months of August and September when Benjamin was a newborn, we had just moved to a new town and Jon was gone for six weeks on work trips.

9. What was your biggest failure? Not keeping my house clean (see number one).

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? No. Thankfully we've all been very healthy and injury-free.

11. What was the best thing you bought? My fabulous maternity jeans! They were actually a Christmas present from my in-laws. I was never able to find jeans that fit when I was pregnant with Jonah, but I really needed some this time around. They are the most expensive item of clothing I have ever owned, including my wedding dress, and they are wonderful! I will be looking forward to wearing them again next time around... hopefully not too soon, though!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Jonah's! It has been wonderful to watch him grow and learn. What a difference a year makes in the life of a little one! He is a joy to be around every day.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Jonah's again. Toddlers are naughty and discipline is hard.

14. Where did most of your money go? Health insurance and medical bills. Having babies is expensive! Seriously. A quarter of our income went to healthcare. It's absurd.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Meeting Benjamin for the first time and having an incredibly easy labor. I was also really excited about my best friend's wedding. I had been waiting for the right man to fall in love with her since we became friends in college and I was so thrilled to see him come along and sweep her off her feet!

16. What song will always remind you of 2009? A Willie Nelson song. Jon found this video on YouTube last Christmas and he got hooked on the song and wanted to learn to play it on the guitar. He must have listened to it hundreds of times trying to play it. Eventually he started using headphones if I was around, but I could still hear him plunking it out on the guitar.


17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer? a. Happier, of course. b. I gained 55 pounds and only lost 50. So I guess I'm fatter, but I'm certainly happy at the weight I'm at. c. Just as poor as last year.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? I wish I had invited people over more often. I love having people over and I always wonder why I don't do it more.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Middle of the night feedings.

20. How did you spend Christmas? We drove 15 hours overnight to Jon's parents' farm in Illinois and spent four days with his whole family. It was so great! Eight adults and 13 kids. We can't wait to see them all again this summer. Then we did the overnight drive back home and my family came to be with us for four days over New Year's. This time only six adults and three kids, but just as much fun!

21. Did you fall in love in 2009? I fell in love with my precious Baby Benjamin.

22. What was your favorite TV program? I don't have a TV, but there are four shows I watch online. My favorite is “The Amazing Race” followed by "The Biggest Loser”, “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation”.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? I really don't believe in hating people.

24. What was the best book you read? I enjoyed a Christian novel a friend loaned me to read when Benjamin was first born and I was spending a lot of time sitting nursing him. But now I don't remember what it was called.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? I've enjoyed bringing out music from my childhood and sharing it with Jonah.

26. What did you want and get? A healthy baby.

27. What did you want and not get? To live in the same place for an entire year.

28. What was your favorite film of this year? A movie I found on Netflix called “Outsourced”. I liked it because of the cross-cultural aspect, knowing that we will be living cross-culturally.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 28. Jon was out of town so I threw myself a little party and invited four moms and their associated toddlers over for brunch. It was fabulous! I'm thinking of making it a tradition, or at least doing it again this year.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? If I knew the future. =)

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009? It's not about fashion when you gain and lose 50 pounds in the course of a year. It's about whatever fits.

32. What kept you sane? Jon. Always. Hands down.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Well, I don't have TV, I don't listen to the radio, I don't get a newspaper and I don't read news online so I'm completely out of the loop. I'm blissfully unaware of any celebrities or public figures.

34. What political issue stirred you the most? See number 33.

35. Who did you miss? I miss my mom every day. All the time. I especially miss her when I have a baby and everyone else has their mom come to help them when they have their babies. I need her. Why isn't she here?

36. Who was the best new person you met? Everyone in my life is someone I've met in the last year since we just moved here a year ago. So it's hard to pick out a best new person since everyone is new!

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009. Don't have a baby, move to a new town, start attending a new church and have your husband leave for a business trip all in the span of two weeks. You will have a breakdown. Probably several breakdowns.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Pump it, louder come on
Don't stop and keep it goin'
Do it let's get it on
Move it
Come on baby do it