From Sundry's blog - though I should have done this in December, I guess, but December wasn't a big blogging month around here, what with all the travelling, etc. But I figured I did this last year and it wasn't bad, so here is 2011's version.
{Feel free to do this meme - just remember to post a link at this post (and let me know too - I'd love to read anyone's yearly recap!)}
1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
I sent a child to high school for his last year, and went on a college visit with him. And I just can't believe it. I also went on a train AND a plane alone for the first time in years. It wasn't something I'd never done before, but I managed to go away with my husband for five whole days by OURSELVES. That hadn't happened in... um, since pre-kids.
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Here’s what I wrote for 2011, and what happened with each one (in bold):
I don't plan to make any real resolutions this year. Goals maybe. Here they are:
- Potty train R. Once and for all. Please God! Well, not 100%, but he's in underwear. Some weeks are better than others, some days I want to throw in the towel, and other times, I think we're about there. At least for once we didn't try and fail spectacularly.
- Keep teaching R to swim. He loves the water so much and it will be much more fun for all of us when he is less likely to drown. SUCCESS. He can keep himself afloat the entire length of the pool. We need to keep working on it, and he doesn't swim in a perfect sense, but he does this half treading, half forward motion thing that works just fine at keeping himself up. He is definitely LESS likely to drown - but that doesn't mean we don't watch him constantly.
- Go to Zumba. The goal is to make it there at least once. Once will probably be all I will manage, since my body will probably die in protest. Complete and utter failure. I didn't go even one time. I'll try again this year.
- Sleep a full night. At least once. Yes. I did this. At least once. It was a pretty low bar, after all.
- Go on a camping trip with my family. No, we didn't manage this one this year. Almost but not quite.
- Go on a real vacation with my family. Hopefully to South Dakota, but anything that isn't Florida would be nice. Also note: combining camping trip and real vacation would be fine. Especially if it is to South Dakota, which was one of the best camping trips that K and I ever had, pre-kids. Well, we did go on a half Christmas trip, 1/4 visit my family, 1/4 vacation trip. But that 1/4 vacation was in the Everglades area. That means Florida. We just didn't have the funds for a separate trip this year.
- Get out of all non-mortgage debt in 2011. I hope we make this one! It is possible. Difficult and will require discipline, but possible. SUCCESS!!!! We're so stoked about this one. Now to build an emergency fund and send a child to college. Yikes.
My one-word resolution this year is Rest. I think new goals is a great idea though.
- Finish pottytraining Robbie. Pray that it will happen.
- Go to a Zumba class. Just one, I am saying to my couch potato self. Who knows, I might like it?
- Keep teaching Robbie to swim. It's fun and we both enjoy the pool.
- Sleep better. That means going to bed earlier more often.
- Go on a camping trip with my family. I'd still like to go to South Dakota again.
- Be more thankful for the blessings I've received.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
A few friends, but nobody super close. I'm moving into where my friends are becoming grandparents, not parents.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Not this year, thankfully.
5. What countries did you visit?
Not me. My daughter went to France and England. I did drive through 10 different states in one trip though. Yes, ten. In a very giant circle.
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
Peace. More stamina. More sleep. And as always, more healing for Robbie. Please.
7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
August 24. The day my mother called me to tell me that she had just found out that she has lung cancer.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting Robbie onto a GFCF diet instead of just GF and getting him to eat more foods. Definitely my biggest achievement.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not sure.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yep. Hurt my neck somehow and that cost me two weeks of life, just laying around doing not much. Of course it helped me get more rest ;-).
11. What was the best thing you bought?
My Kindle. I am amazed at how much I love it.
12. Where did most of your money go?
Paying off both cars and the last credit card. WOOHOO.
13. What did you get really excited about?
Going away with my husband. For FIVE! WHOLE! DAYS! I think I'd like to do it again too.
14. What song will always remind you of 2011?
"I'm Going to Love You Through It" by Martina McBride. It came out last summer and I heard it for the first time right after my mother found out she has cancer.
15. Compared to this time last year, are you:
– happier or sadder? Sadder. By a lot.
– thinner or fatter? Thinner. Not by much, but I'm still trying.
– richer or poorer? In absolute numbers? Poorer, but with no debt, we're managing even with less income. Not that I wouldn't welcome being able to say richer next year.
16. What do you wish you’d done more of?
More exercise, more sleep, more time with my older kids. More talking with my mom. Not my dad - I've done more talking with him in the past 4 months than I ever have. I'm loving him through this as he supports my mom. Somebody has to nag him about his own health...
17. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Lots of things.
18. How did you spend Christmas?
We travelled to K's family - more here.
19. What was your favorite TV program?
Still NCIS. I'm working my way through the past seasons through Netflix, just to make sure I've seen them all. Just yesterday, I saw one from season 3 that I'd never seen before!
20. What were your favorite books of the year?
I read more this year, but it wasn't much that was memorable. I'll keep trying.
21. What was your favorite music from this year?
I listen to a lot of music. Love Pandora stations, love watching country music videos, love lots of things. But favorite? This year, I'm drawing a blank.
22. What were your favorite films of the year?
I enjoyed most of the films I saw in the theater. But... I don't remember names. I'm feeling like I'm getting old. Or nothing was all that memorable. Oh, wait, I did finally see The King's Speech. I mostly liked it a lot.
23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Um, complete and utter healing of my son's autism? Or at least complete potty training. Sigh. And how about having my mom's cancer discovered BEFORE it went outside her lung and became stage 3. It would have been very nice if they could have just cut it all out and been done with it.
25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
I don't have to answer this one. Sundry said: This question is so abysmally stupid I hereby renounce it from all future questionnaires. I am in full agreement with her.
26. What kept you sane?
Sane? What's that? If anything... I just keep walking. Because insanity is not an option. Appealing to some extent, but not an option.
27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
Bacon is even more yummy when you get to share it with Robbie.
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