2016 in a nut shell...

I can hardly believe that it is almost the end of another year. I had high hopes for this year and some of my expectations were exceeded and some were not. This post is going to be a long one, but I hope that you take time to read it.

January brought that huge snowstorm that nearly stopped Adriane and me from the Zumba cruise. But we were able to reschedule out flight (3 times) and fly around the storm. The cruise was a little rocky but an amazing experience. Adriane and I were front row for the LIVE tapping of a ZIN DVD with Beto. Wow. I can still hardly believe it. We visited Hati and Jamaica. We took many classes and enjoyed laying on the beach. Our beds came out of the ceiling which was really neat, and a little nerve wracking at the same time. We made some new friends and reconnected with some we haven’t seen in a while. And who can complain about 70-90 degree weather in January right? Oh and note to self for next year… lift your frog necklace and apply sun screen while laying in sun, other wise when you lay down and your necklace moves, you will have a frog burn on your chest…

February had me wishing I was back in Florida as we flew home on the first. It was a great vacation and I made a lot of memories. February also brought almost weekly dinner and bruin’s nights with the cousins (I miss those so much right now) and Carter and Carl celebrated birthdays (1 and 28). We had a leap year which gave us an extra day this year. I had many friends that got to celebrate their “real” birthdays for the first time in 4 years.

March always seems like a LONG month. The snow melted and its muddy. I looked at several houses and even made an offer on one, but it wasn’t meant to be, (I mean I was one of sixteen offers so that chances were slim!) I really felt like giving up, but I kept looking, daily, sometimes several times a day. I started taking the Intentional Peer Support 9 week course for work. I am really blessed to be in the line of work I am in. The skills I learned and brushed up on during this course are ones that I use daily at work and in my own life.

April brought the DVD that we filmed on the ship. It also brought my parents anniversary where they celebrated 32 years of marriage. I started to crochet them a queen size afghan for camp. It took me months to complete. I also celebrated 2 years of working for Youth MOVE Maine. I attended a baby shower for Kayla that turned into a surprise wedding and I said good-bye to a good friend who moved to Florida. I also celebrated 5 years of my fitness adventure. I took my first Zumba class on April 25 2011 and I haven’t looked back.

May brought my 30^th Birthday. Adriane conspired with my parents and threw me a surprise 30^th Birthday party. It was a great mixture of family, friends, Girl Power Fitness folks, church and Rainbow. I am a very lucky girl to have so many people in my life. I spent my actually birthday at MOOSESTALK dancing and enjoying the start of my third decade. Just a short week later I went under contract for my house. It was a dream come true! I also got to watch my Best Friend walk across the stage and receive her diploma –graduating with almost a perfect 4.0!

June seemed like a long month. I thought my closing date would never arrive. Then once it arrived it was time to get painting and making my house into my home. My parents and Adriane accompanied me to my closing and I was proud to have hand picked my team. I had a great real-estate agent (thanks Amy!) as well as mortgage broker (Julie you rock and still continue to answer my questions) and Kim did all my legal stuff.

July brought me my FAVORITE holiday. Yes, July 4^th, Independence Day, is my favorite day of the year. It means our annual out door movie night, where we project a movie onto a canvas on the side of the camp and boats from around the lake come and park and enjoy a night under the stars watching a movie on our very own big screen. Then the 4^th and the BOAT parade. We get up and start decorating the boat. Boats from all around the lake take part in this tradition. It is a time spent with family and friends and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.  I also moved into my house, one month after closing, lots of painting and all new windows and furniture being delivered. Marg also came home for a surprise visit and showed up at my class! I think Bruce could hear my screams from Florida!

August brought the end to Mum Moody being Supreme Worth Advisor and a huge Maine delegation to Rhode Island. We got to meet up with some friends between sessions and see the town. It also brought me my roomie. Elizabeth moved back from Arizona to attend nursing school and moved in to the second floor of my house. It’s nice to have someone to share my home, and bills, with. It was also a rough month for work, as we found out that we were loosing a major grant that funded a lot of our programing. It seemed to be an emotional rollercoaster but we were able to come out on top, eventually. The summer brought many weekends spent at camp, enjoying the hammock, the boat and the lake.

September brought someone into my life. Its funny how when your not looking for someone that they find you. In had just said to a few friends that I was done trying to find someone and tired of being in the “dating world” A month earlier I had received a friend request. I don’t accept people I don’t know, even if we have 16 mutual friends. So I had let if sit there a little while and at the end of August I, for some reason, accepted it. The day we found out that we lost the grant, I posted how thankful I was for Zumba as an outlet, hobby and job and Tim posted that I could always talk to him. I said, in my out loud voice, I don’t know who you are, why would I talk to you. HAHA. Then one night, after I hadn’t slept, I wok up to a message. We talked back and forth all weekend and then met for a game of mini golf. From there… well… it’s been a fun ride.

I also got to attend my cousin Sarah’s wedding this month in New York. I got to see some west coast family and I’m looking forward to the next cousin wedding next summer in Seattle. This was the same weekend that there was an explosion in the city. The location where it happened was right outside our friend’s apartment, where we had been just a day before. We were so thankful to be safe and to finally reach our friends and learn that they were safe as well. And how could I forget that I started teaching swim lessons on Saturdays at the YMCA?! You may think that being at the YMCA every Saturday morning could be a drag, but I get so much joy watching the kids learning how to swim. How much they grow and change over the course of the 6 weeks that we have them. Watching them advance to a new level and build such confidence. I truly love getting to do it week in and week out.

October brought fall weather. Tim met my parents and Mumsy came home for a visit and joined us for dinner. Tim and I took part in a rainy and cold corn hole competition and came in 3^rd place. We were lucky to advance with little effort, as the two teams we were suppose to play in our first two rounds didn’t show up so we got to advance. We also attended Jeff and Belinda’s open house/ Halloween party as a lifeguard and swimmer, (thanks for dressing up babe). I had a cookout/ fire and handed out over 200 pieces of candy. Elizabeth and I hung up a sheet in the front window and projected “spooky” images along with scary music on the front window. People kept coming by to see it. It was a success.

November didn’t slow down. I had an open house where I opened my home to family and friends to see what a wonderful place I have, that I get to call mine. I enjoyed having everyone sign a photo of my home, that now hangs on my wall. We attended out first Holiday party the week before Thanksgiving and had a great time. On Thanksgiving we had lunch with Tim’s family before heading to Jeff and Belinda’s for Thanksgiving with my family. The following weekend brought breakfast at Cole Farms with Dads family.

December. Here we are. There have been concerts, more holiday parties, snowstorms, tree cutting, decorating, Christmas movies and crafts. I celebrate six months of being a home owner and fulfilling my dreams of having my own home, with everything that comes along with it. Mom and Dad both celebrate birthdays and in just a few days I will get to attend the Christmas Carol, on Dad’s birthday, with family and my guy. Next weekend we will celebrate the birth of our Savior and King. I have enjoyed doing the reverse advent calendar and look forward to bringing those items to church Christmas Eve. I look forward to seeing Alicia while she is home and will miss having Hanna, John and Erin this year. Part of my heart always seems to be somewhere else. But I guess that is what happens. People move away, but it doesn’t mean that you don’t miss them and wish they were still hear. The end of the year will be here soon. I’ll celebrate Adriane’s birthday before the close and cherish another year of friendship, (Jeeze we made a lot of memories this year didn’t we girl… I didn’t write about two events that happened at Sapphire, but we both know what those were ;) )

Before we know it, in less than 2 weeks, it will be 2017. I may not have accomplished everything that I had hoped to in 2016 but that doesn’t meant hat it wasn’t a great year. This past year, as in every year, there were ups and downs. I experienced heartache and love. I found a guy who accepts me for who I am, my good days and my less than good days. Who supports my hopes and dreams and tells me I can do anything I set my mind to. I am grateful for that day that by chance I accepted his friend request, that I opened the message and responded to him, that I took a chance. I’m beyond thankful for all of the people in my life. I know that I am continuously busy. That I seem to have every second of every day planned. My goal for 2016 is to try not to be so planned out. To take time for me. To try new things. To be happy. To work hard. To set goals and crush them. To enjoy time and make time for family, friends and my man. To have date nights, friend nights and me nights. To make 2017 the best year it can possibly be.