As always, it’s hard to believe another whole year has come & gone. Everyone seems to say that with each new year, but it’s true! Are there people out there who anxiously await the end of a year, and feel as if every square on the calendar was long & drawn out? I suppose there are, and that the anxiety & slow pace is likely due to an unfortunate circumstance, so I will consider myself lucky that the year has passed in a glow  & a blur. Indeed, it was a good one.

I always feel some sort of urge to spill words, memories, and thoughts on the closing chapter  about this very time each year. Like I need some physical documentation somewhere, lest I ever forget any events that happened in a certain year, & as a giving of thanks to a deserving family of days, weeks, & months that made up a year of my existence. Either way, I shall share a few personal highlights here, though I have been a lazy, bad blogger for most of the year. Here’s a small snapshot of my 2009:

~Traveled the globe, from Ft. Lauderdale in March, New Orleans in April, Savannah & Charleston to celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary in May, ventured to San Antonio in June to co-host a baby (!) shower for my best friend, July offered a beautiful couple of weeks to drink in London & roam around England (Liverpool!York!Durham!The Lake District!), spent some time in the Smoky Mountains with family over Labor Day weekend & again for Thanksgiving, returned to TX in September to meet the baby boy that my BFF birthed, and finally experienced Las Vegas in October. Yeah! Long live the travel bug!

~Celebrated my honey’s milestone birthday, as he entered his 40s. I love him more & more each year, and 2009 set the bar high. <3

~Witnessed the lives of my best girls each grow by one – Felicia welcomed her son Robert Carlisle Goodman Floyd into the world in Septemer, and Kelly married her love Jeremy in November. Beautiful babies were also brought into the lives of my good friends Lisa, Sarah, & Christy, when Tripp, Amelia, & Isabella were born happy & healthy.

~Successfully trained with the Couch to 5K app on my iPod & completed my first 5K on October for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Loved it! Glad to welcome running back into my life after drifting apart, and I look forward to pushing myself through many more miles & fitness goals in 2010!

~Became the proud owner of a spiffy new Amazon Kindle, which is hands-down an all-time favorite toy. It’s changed my reading life forever, and to date I’ve completed 5 books since it was gifted to me from J & my mom just before Thanksgiving.

~Officially made the commitment to further my career & education by going back to school in pursuit of my BSN, and got everything in place to start classes on the seventh day of the new year.

~Celebrated a milestone birthday of my own by making the transition from early 20s to mid 20s with the arrival of my 25th birthday. Strange feeling to graduate to an entirely new age bracket in the world of surveys, and to have someone point out that you’re a quarter of a century old (har har). But, 25 feels fine & I am happy to rock&roll on!

~Impressively witnessed my little brother declare himself PreMed, transfer to UGA, and gracefully transition into a full-fledged university student, live on his own, learn to clean, wash, & to cook some serious food. Go you!

~Watched my baby brother grow by leaps & bounds, become a great guitar player in an awesome band, and turn into a driver with a license. Can’t believe he’s more man than boy these days!

~Witnessed a strong marriage bond further as my parents weathered an extremely dry economic year through their self-employment struggles in a city that suddenly stopped building houses. While making smart choices & cutting corners where needed, they also maintained a grip on hope, love, reality, and life – very effectively as to keep calm & carry on. They’re amazing. <3

~Participated in a community-wide curbside recycling program that unfolded into a successful bi-monthly pickup schedule after helping to collect pledges from neighbors last year through the VNA. Also in the process of switching all our home lighting to fluorescent, energy efficient bulbs and making our lives more green.

~Supported our President through his first year, as he faced & still faces much negative opposition that tries to spotlight the strife, rather than the real issues at hand. Looking forward to seeing some changes in healthcare as someone who is surrounded & involved firsthand in it daily. Hoping improvements for education are next, and proud to be part of a household that upholds the importance & necessity of these two cornerstones of humanity.

~Continued my education through my career at MCCG, and worked extra hard as my floor grew big enough to splint into two complete levels of care. Thankful for my good job in a time where many people cannot find a job at all.

~Learned to make really good half-sweet tea, memorized the recipe & put my own spin on it! I now make it often, and get compliments regularly. This is a big deal for a Georgia girl, ha ha.

~Thankful for all the days before, after, & in between the ones noted above, and for another year of health, happiness, and love.

Goodbye, 2009. Welcome 2010 – may you be a beautiful year of prosperity, happiness, and adventure. Happy New Year to you & yours!