I can hardly believe yet another year has gone by. The older I get, the quicker the years go. Its insanity and almost hard to grasp. Here is the rundown of 2011 (or what I can remember of it...hah!)
Lets start with favorite things....
Favorite TV Shows: I watched ALOT (too much) of Reality TV...my newest and favorite addiction is Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. I also fell IN LOVE with Glee and now can admit to being a Gleeaholic. Modern Family, Revenge, Once Upon A Time, and of course, Dancing With The Stars.
Favorite Music: Love Love Love Adele. I fell in love with the LOVE (The Beatles) soundtrack after seeing the show in Vegas, Katy Perry found her way (alot) onto my ipod as did Lady Gaga and of Course my ultimate favorite Taylor Swift. Also enjoyed a lot of OneRepublic, and a little RiRi and Nicki Minaj. Oh did I mention I'm a Gleeaholic? so lots and lots of Glee music.
Favorite Song: I have way more than one... Enchanted, Fearlesss, Sparks Fly, Haunted (T.Swift) ET, Set Fire to the Rain, Rolling in the Deep, Good Life.
Favorite Movie: Is there any competition? Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2. End. of. story.
Favorite Book: I read so many interesting books this past year...The Help stands out, as does Sarah's Key (both are must reads) Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and then of course the array of Kennedy books - Jackie Ethel, Joan, Sons of Camelot, Caroline Kennedy, The Kennedy Imprisonment, Mrs. Kennedy, Bobby and Jackie (which was pure crap in my opinion).
Moving on to Experiences....
Concerts: Taylor Swift in September. With incredibly amazing seats. Brittainy scored us row 6. It was an incredible experience. There were fireworks, there was a lot of sweat, and ALOT of screaming. We got snowed on, and confettied. (is that a word?!) anyway, confetti. was. everywhere. and it was glorious.
Shows: I was very lucky to get to see The Beatles LOVE in January. All I have to say was...WOW. It was absolutely incredible, and if you are in The Vegas, I highly recommend it. I also got to see Mary Poppins (my favorite childhood movie) with my Mom in the spring. Another amazing show. We also saw the Living Christmas Tree in December which is always a fun one to see. I love the live music and the message that goes along with it!
Vacations/Trips: I deemed 2011 the year of the Vegas, as I went three times. In January for my StepMom's 50th Birthday. Saw LOVE had steak dinner at STACK and got to visit with my sister and step-sisters and came home with some Vegas winnings! My second trip was for Father's Day which was an extremely relaxing trip, and third was to celebrate my 25th Birthday. It was my first time staying on the strip (NY NY). We went to the Palms to celebrate and schmoozed our way to free all access passes into the Ghost Bar, Moon, Rain, and somehow the VIP section of the Playboy Club (don't ask.) a really fun trip!
I also went to the Oregon Coast with the Allan Clan where we celebrated Josh's 21st Birthday at Lincoln Beach, and I learned the game of Farkle! In the summer, Mom and I went to Long Beach for a couple of days, where the wind tosseled our hair and we watched numerous people get their cars stuck in the sand, and had to be dug out quickly...especially with the tide rapidly coming in! We also made many trips to Camano Island where we had campfires, walked on the beach and just had fun girl time!
In December I finally made it to San Diego where we spent Christmas with Mel, and I got to see Uncle Bob and Aunt Patsy. Of course a trip to CA wouldn't be complete without a trip to Disneyland! It was our second Christmas Eve in Disneyland, and it was just a wonderful day!
People I met: When I worked for the Mariners I met all sorts of exciting famous people, not so much anymore. However, I did get to meet somebody famous this year that made me beyond excited. Caroline Kennedy. As most people know, I have this weird need to read and learn about the Kennedy family. I have written papers and read countless books and articles, and have an entire bookshelf shelve filled with just books about the family. So when I found out that Caroline would be at the bookstore down the street, I was beyond excited. It was thrilling to listen to her and of course eventually get to talk just a wee little bit to her. I think she is an incredibly brave and humble person, and it still seems surreal to me that I saw her in the flesh.
Miscellaneous....
The Royal Wedding...was my obsession. I was up at 2am watching the entire thing with a scone. I watched every documentary, every pre-wedding show I could before the big day arrived. I was so anxious to see Kate's dress, and squealed like a child when I saw it. she was breathtaking. It was so.much.fun to watch.
The Mariners....this was my first year that I can remember in, well, FOREVER, that I did not attend ONE SINGLE GAME. I was on a boycott. Granted, I have been spoiled with free tickets, but I refused to pay for a team who in my opinion, is doing nothing to better themselves. So far, the boycott is on for 2012 as well. (well maybe. I dont know if I can hold out another year...)
SeaFair.....holy moly. I had so much fun at SeaFair. Who doesn't love the Blue Angels?! or Hydro Races?! I made it out two of the four days, it is truly a unique experience that we in Washington are so lucky to get to have every year! If you live here, and havent experienced it...it should be on your list for this year!
The Good News Bears...was our Co-Ed summer softball team....and if I say so myself, we were pretty A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. We lost ONE game, and brought home the championship!!! It reminded me of how much I missed being a part of a team, AND how much I missed playing ball. I loved every minute, and cannot wait to get back out there again this year! :)
Gingerbread War...First of all I would like to preface this by saying, that normally, I do not brag...however! THREE YEAR champ RIGHT HERE. yes. My gingerbread houses have won the last three years, even when there were saboteurs amongst me. I'm very proud of my creations, and have to say....I couldn't do it without my amazing partners!
Feeding a Giraffe....yes you read that right. For I think about $5.oo I got to feed a Giraffe at the Zoo. It has a loooong gooey tongue. I also saw Dinosaurs. but the highlight was definitely the Giraffe.
Jobs, Jobs, Jobs...was Baby Ellie's nanny for most of the year. As you can read in my previous blog post, leaving was incredibly hard. Being Ellie's nanny was an amazing and rewarding experience and everytime I see her, I am reminded of the special bond that we have. I entered the corporate world for awhile, and just as I was getting acclamated, I experienced the effects of being the low man on the totem pole. For the first time, my hardwork and dedication were not rewarded. It was a really hard lesson and experience, and now I am living the life of a temp employee which really, isnt all that bad :) I'm back in the nanny arena as well, which I love.
In 2012.....
I have so many Goals, hopes, dreams and wishes for 2012...
Give up Diet Coke, and eventually Coffee...or really, the coffee creamer
Eat more naturally, and much much less if at all from boxes and cans
Slowly get back into the gym and build up my knee. I WISH, HOPE AND DREAM for NO MORE knee problems. Now that it has been rested for a couple of months, I am hoping that easing back in, and not going like mad (like I did last year) will keep it calm.
Spend more time with ALL of my family
Keep reading more, more, more (and maybe expanding my selection...)
Expand my music selection...
Figure out what I want to do with my life. (oh there are just so. many. things....) narrow it down, find a path and stick to it.
Explore the outdoors. (I really am a homebody, inside kinda girl)
Finish getting finances in order
Plan a trip to New York
Continue to live simply. Minding my P's and Q's, thinking before I speak, and truly think about how I want to be treated when dealing with others...
BLOG more...sharing experiences, feelings, and moments so that I have recollections of my life in the future :)
and finally......to be Fearless.
