Annual Recap: 2011

This is the third year I've filled out this survey (second year on the blog) and it's kind of a unique perspective on a year.  If you are at all interested or are THAT bored at work, you can ready last year's here.

As for 2011...

1.   What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before. 
  a.   Stayed in a hotel room ALL BY MYSELF.
  b.   Went to the top of the Empire State Building (I could go on and on with our NYC trip
        alone)
  c.   Received a 90 MINUTE massage; I don’t treat myself to a massage very often, but
        when I do they are usually 60 minutes and those extra 30 minutes are LOVELY.
 
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions and will you make more for next year? 
       This is what I wrote at the end of 2010 for 2o11: "Embrace Life and be patient.  Tough
       to measure, but I’m pretty sure I will know if I have succeeded or not when 2011
       draws to a close."

       I am going to give myself a B on this.  I would say I get an A for embracing life and a
       C (which dragged down the average!) on the patience portion.

My 2012 resolutions/goals are a bit more black and white:

• Pic-A-Day: I am going to take one picture every day.  I saw this on another blog and it seems like a unique way to keep track of a year of life.  This will be challenging for me for a few reasons.  1. I’m wordy.  I like words.  I like adding my two cents.  I like explaining things, talking through things, etc.  And for this exercise there will be none of that.  I am not going to allow myself to explain the pictures or even put a caption by each one (other than the date). 2. It will force me to just take a damn picture.  Instead of stewing over whether the picture really sums up the WHOLE day, or thinking into what the picture will portray to everyone else, the goal is to capture a quick glimpse into each day.  Harder (for me) than it may sound.  But I’m excited to look back on it in a year and see where I landed.
• Make mornings easier: The good news is that I know how to do this.  For starters: get up 15 minutes earlier than I think I need to, prepare coffee and hit that good ol’ “delay brew” button the night before, pack my gym bag the night before, pack Lucy’s bag the night before, have quick options on hand for breakfast.  The bad news is that I know all this and still don’t always do it.  But in 2012 I’m going to try harder.
• CLEAN THIS HOUSE: Paul and I are attacking this one together and trying to approach this reasonably; this doesn’t mean nonstop cleaning, REALLY.  I don't want it to feel overwhelming; the goal is to clean for a short period of time (really short, I’m talking 15 minutes) about three days a week, most likely after Lucy is asleep; if we both do this, our combined weekly cleaning time will be 90 minutes, though HOPEFULLY it will only feel like small snippets of time dedicated to cleaning.  Also, this has to be real cleaning; not picking up toys, making the bed or doing the dishes, those already come with the territory.     

3.  Did anyone close to you give birth? 
         More and more friends are having babies - yay!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
         Thankfully, no.

5. What countries did you visit?  What states did you visit? 

          Didn’t go out of the country.
 
          I’ve added states to this questionnaire.  Instead of feeling lame every year that I
          don’t make it out of the country, I’m going to celebrate that we do get some
          traveling done!  States visited in 2011 include: Minnesota, Georgia, New York,
          Nebraska, Missouri, Arizona, Wisconsin and Iowa.
 
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
           Patience.

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
           November 1 - Lucy's FIRST BIRTHDAY!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
           Surviving a year of parenthood AND having it be the best year of our marriage yet. 
           No, seriously.  We do a really good job parenting together and our relationship has
           only been strengthened because of it.  Go us!

9. What was your biggest failure?
           Allowing myself to worry about things I can't control. 

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?           
           KNOCK ON WOOD, we were pretty healthy in this house this year!  Lucy has colds
           on and off but I think that comes with the whole daycare routine (strengthening
           that immune system!!); she was sick once throwing up and it broke my heart. 
           Also, Paul wrapped up the year with a case of bronchitis AND pneumonia, but all
           things considered we are feeling good about everyone's health!

11. What was the best thing you bought?
           Plane tickets to New York for our anniversary!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
           Lucy's; unbelievable trooper; she has fit into our lives seamlessly.
           Lisa, Lisa, Lisa. 
           Paul's; he deals with me, he works hard, he's always happy, he's loves being a dad,
           he's always trying to make us happy, he's the best.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
           JERRY SANDUSKY.

14. Where did most of your money go?
           Mortgage.  I don’t see this changing for a while.  Daycare is up there too.   

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?            
           Our anniversary trip to NYC; Christmas - having both of my brothers home!

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?             
             I need to replace this question with something else.  What food will remind me of
             2011?  What color?  What word?  What mood?  Taking suggestions for next year...

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:  
a) happier or sadder?

        Happier.  The older I get and the more I see and experience, the more I know that
        the life we have is always at risk, so we can’t take one thing for granted.

 b) thinner or fatter?

          About the same.

 c) richer or poorer?

        Hmmm, probably about the same.  There have been raises earned this past year, but
        there has also been daycare... 
 
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
        Crafting!  I can already tell there will be more in 2012 - I'm getting more creative, I
        found Pinterest and I have a little girl who is rounding the corner on getting involved
        in some very messy projects; yay!

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
         Worrying.  I can make myself physically ill worrying about dumb things;
         meetings at work, Paul heading to his routine doctor's appointments, Lucy - anything
        - her  future, bullying, healthy eating, providing her the right opportunities, etc.,
        ETC., I could go on.   
 
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
         Christmas was great fun!  If only Lucy had received some gifts and attention!!!  We
         were all over the place which was fun but exhausting. 

21. Did you fall in love in 2011?             
             A little deeper each year; with Paul, with Lucy, with my family, with the family I
             married into, with my life-long friends, with the happiest black lab I've ever met!

22. How many one-night stands?
            This question needs to go.
 
23. What was your favorite TV program?         
          Not much television gets watched in our house; I'm not saying this as if
          we're too good for TV, but it seems like everytime we sit down to watch something
          Lucy has other plans in mind; so when we do find the time it is usually after
          Lucy has gone to bed and we pop in a movie, or watch a KU basketball game or
          something.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?        
          Don't think so.  

25. What was the best book you read?
          I loved Cutting for Stone, also Water for Elephants was a fun read.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?

            The Book of Mormon on Broadway. 

                       “I belieeeeeeeeeeeve…”

                        “Orlaaaaaaaaaaando”
 
27. What did you want and get?            
            New flooring in the dining room and new carpet in the living room; along with
            some additional paint and general freshening up in each room. 

28. What did you want and not get?           
            A newly renovated bathroom on the main level.  I'm still pleading my case.

29. What was your favorite film of this year?           
           This answer is probably more of a reflection of the number of movies I actually see
           on a timely basis (I should answer this question about 2011 NEXT year because I will
           probably be caught up by then), but I thought Bridesmaids was hilarious.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
            Big one.  3-0.  We had Lucy stay the night at my parents house and we went out
            for dinner and drinks with some friends.  Fun night!  
 
31.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? 
           A cure for cancer.

 32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
            Full-time, working Mom with a side of lazy Sundays.  

 33. What kept you sane?
            Exercise - especially when I can do it outside!
 
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
            I think the word “fancy” kind of asks for this response, but man those Middletons
            are hot little numbers.  
 
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
            Where do I start?

36. Who did you miss?
            Friends that live far away.

37. Who was the best new person you met? 
            No one is jumping out at me... 

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011. 
           Life is good.  So, so good.  Soak it up, we aren't guaranteed tomorrow. 

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
           New question needed here as well...