2008 a Year in Review

So my little sister and her Meanderings, decided it was time to write a year recap letter. I don't even really know where to start completely because this has been one of the best years of my life.

2008 was the last year where I was in my 20's. I turned 29 on December 20, 2007. 29 years old folks.

I realized that for several years in my 20's I didn't do much. I looked back over past few years and couldn't remember a heck of a lot that was interesting. (Other than meeting my crazy husband, falling in love and getting married). I wanted this year to be about me and pretty much anything I set my mind to - I did it.

I tried connecting with some old friends. I connected my new friends with old friends and by bringing different groups together I was able to make for some really interesting moments. I planned two really awesome parties and went on trips. It was a great time. So here I go - recapping as best I can life since the start of 2008.

January started and I was living with my husband and my parents. Not the most ideal situation, but my parents are great. They give us our space and if we need some comfort, or a snack, they are more than willing to have us come for a visit. It's good. As we were shooting a wedding for our friends Phil and Vanessa, we went to the Butterfly Conservatory to take their engagement pictures. We had fun - but the pictures revealed a severe camera malfunction. This made me run out with some money I had saved to buy a new camera that would suit my needs. Came as a shock to James, but I really loved my new Lumix.

In February, I sat worried at home while my husband went ice fishing with the boys. Somehow the thought of them walking across a frozen lake didn't scream "safe" to me. But they survived and were bonded together for it. Us girls went to see We Will Rock You in Toronto. The play was great - and a really interesting fun time was had by all.

This leap year we went to a wedding for good friends of ours, Adam and Laura. Their wedding was touching and had a very whimsical snow filled wedding. They had a horse drawn sleigh ride and it was gorgeous. They looked very dapper in their black and white wedding.

March brought one of the largest snow falls in a 24 hour period. Of course it just happened to be the day that Vanessa and Phil were to have their buck and doe! I tried driving but only got into town and decided to turn back home. I ended up stuck at the end of the driveway and didn't leave for a day and a half until the roads were plowed enough. March also meant Easter time and we tried to make the most of it. We had dinner with James' family in Paris, drinks after with some friends and dinner with my family. My nephew Zak came over the weekend before to help dye some special eggs - proving yet again that he's one of the cutest kids ever! In March I started scheming for a big party to be held on Summer Solstice - the first ever Mount Clyde Beer Olympics. The event took over my brain for quite some time in the upcoming months.

April was all about the wedding. Having never shot a wedding start to finish, I wasn't completely prepared. Luckily, we took a ton of pictures and James was a great second shooter. I hope that we got a lot of great shots for Phil and Vanessa - as they truly are a wonderful couple. It was great meeting the family and friends from England too. April also saw us going to a hockey game at the ACC for the Leafs versus the Senators through James' work. We also got a hotel in Niagara Falls through Priceline. Normally this works out for us, but this time we had possibly the crappiest hotel. It was an interior room with a window that led to a hallway - and a heater that was so hot it made you think you'd melt. We had a great time together and enjoyed checking out the different museums and attractions on Clifton Hill.

In May, I had a lot of meetings and planning with the BOC - or the Beer Olympic Committee. I started gathering teams together, making a rule booklet and hammering out all the details. Devon and I got a trophy together and we just had a blast. By the time the games came around in June we were ready. May is a big time for family birthdays so much of the month was spent with family.

In June we participated in the Trifecta Birthday Bus of Doom. A crazy birthday bus that went through Hamilton to a variety of locations including Laser Tag, Zellers, Hooters, and after we left - the strip club. Someone bought some sexy shoes from a teenage girl walking across a parking lot. I would sell them too for $100! The night was crazy, but didn't even compare to the Beer Olympics. It was a huge success! We had so many games and activities and plenty of socializing. All in all I felt it was the best executed event I had. I just wish that more people were willing to be excited earlier, and more willing to help out with some of the cost. The party put me in the hole financially, but it was worth it to see the smiles on everyone's faces! James and I also started doing photo projects - hoping to build up our personal portfolio.

July means Canada Day - my favourite holiday. I had a group of friends come over for a barbecue, a swim and a ride on the wagon. The kiddies were there and we had a good time. We also got a new fish tank off Kijiji in July. We spent quite a bit of time trying to find a balance and to keep fish alive. We went with a bit of a stone theme - with a stone henge and some easter island heads. The fish have really grown to like it too! I also got a tattoo - which was one of the things do before turning 30. Huge thanks to Ally for going with me and being my support! We also welcomed a new "neice" Tailor to the family. Tailor is Lindsey and Richard's new puppy. She's a German Short Hair Pointer and a real sweetie. She's set to be a hunting dog so lots of training for her! Also, an honourary neice Aubrey was born to Devon and Steve. She's a super soft babe of the human kind and I love her to pieces! The end of July took us off to the bustling town of Cleveland. I'm sure many are wondering about why we would go - but it was a good trip. They have fantastic architecture and we got some great pictures. It truly is a town for young urban professionals - with a bustling night life and really unique places to go and spend an evening. We wished we had friends and wouldn't go back without them. But we had a fantastic hotel - it was gorgeous. It is the first indoor shopping mall in America that has been converted. Definitely an architectural gem.

August was all about enjoying the sun, camping and being outside. I wanted to go camping and with the help of a few friends, we were able to meet Rob halfway. He lives in Ottawa, and we are in Southern Ontario, so we picked the beautiful Presqu'ile Park. It was gorgeous to see and I wish in a way we had more time to explore everything. One extra day would've been fantastic! We did recieve a noise complaint - and therefore that goes to show that we had a good time! We also went to a kegger or two in August and generally tried to make the most of time with our friends. Also this month, we were told of some townhouses that were being built in the area we wanted to eventually end up. They seemed to be in our price range, and so we went and had a look. This started my complete obsession with looking at houses and visiting www.realtor.ca but we realized that we weren't quite ready to buy yet - let alone build. It did force us to sit down and start to buckle down on saving money so that we could get a place of our own.

Labour Day in September always signals my family horseshoe tournament/reunion. I ended up taking over in the planning and got a lot of thanks for it. Unfortunately, I was clocked in the big toe. It's still black to this day. I've been told that it will be eventually grow out - and I must say that I really hope so. We spent a lot of Sunday afternoons out looking a houses. We saw some gems and some real duds - including one that smelled like death. I went to a really awesome car club reunion for my dad's old car club the tyrods. I loved shooting all the unique fenders and interiors. They really don't make cars like they used to!

In October we continued our work at looking at open houses, and I started to think about different ideas for getting money to pay for the house. I even toyed with the idea of a part time job with a party supply store. Halloween night I had the pleasure of helping Heather's kids get ready for the big trick or treating. Zak was awesome as a pirate, and although Victoria originally wanted to be a clown princess, she ended up as a frog. Either way they were both really cute! October allowed me a lot of time to work with my Halloween Party project. As we were hoping it would be our last out in Mount Clyde, I wanted to add an outdoor element. With help from a smoke machine, a strobe light and some wonderful creative handiness with a jig saw - I was able to create a little outdoor haunted area. Everyone was scheming ideas for costumes and many people were keeping things very tight lipped. The party was a huge success and we were glad to have the party back on familiar ground.

November was an interesting month and a very busy one. I found out that I was getting hired on permenantly with my job. Something that made me incredibly happy. I enjoy where I work and staying there really means that I can plan my future. After getting hired on, we met with a real estate agent that my sister recommended and she proved to be an awesome individual. As a baby present for Noel and Tiff, I had offered to take some pictures of their daughter Grace. I went over one Saturday and took some shots to surprise Noel after he got back from a trip. Grace was a true sweetie and we had a lot of fun. Unfortunately, I was a bit distracted in that I had just found out that my cousin had a stroke the day before. He is 30 years old, only a few months older than me, and due to two brain aneurism's he had a stroke. We spent a lot of time praying for him and although it doesn't look like he'll ever talk again, he can write now and has been able to sit up and move part of his body. It's a blessing, but was really scary for a while. Our house hunting got a little off track in that we were looking at big old houses in Galt needing a lot of work. We went to my work Christmas party in Guelph on the first snowy night of the season. We ended the month by going on a trip to Buffalo/Niagara Falls, NY. I finished Christmas shopping and James got to see his beloved San Francisco 49ers. His team won, we got everything done before December even started - and all in all it was a good time.

With all the presents bought, we made our party mix in December. We've had a holiday dinner party in Cambridge, an impromptu computer game night in Burlington, I've baby sat my neice and nephew, baked cookies and went to a cookie exchange, we reevaluated what we wanted in a house, went to go see some, picked one, put in an offer, countered, and finally agreed. We had to secure financing and do a home inspection and now we've bought a house. I also volunteered with the Humane Society taking pictures of pets with Santa. And this is only the 15th! My plans from here on out - James' work holiday party, two potluck lunches at work - which means work the night before, a company paid luncheon on Wednesday, Christmas, New Years, Boxing Day and my birthday - which is this Saturday. All in all - going to be a busy month - as it's been a busy year. Why end the year any different?