Quick year in review...

.:JANUARY:.

January brought in a Circus for my brithday, which I thought was highly thoughtful of them. Lori, Lauren, Nicholas and I headed to the circus to enjoy a fun day of cotton candy and many other delights that aren't good for you, but don't count when you're at a circus.

Just a few days later, I got a package in the mail that contained
this fabulous card.

In a random "stroke of luck" (that God had completely planned out) I won a random drawing on Facebook for a group that Target had created and I won a $500 gift card to said store. God allowed me to do some really cool things with that money and I was absolutely beside myself that I had actually won such a ridiculous prize. Following receiving this card, I have won more "random" door prizes and such than I think in the rest of my life combined. Ri-dic-u-lous. And Fab-u-lous all at the same time.

.:FEBRUARY:.

February rushed in like a lion only should in March and blew a F-4 tornado through my beloved Alma Mater. I spent the next 24 hours in full thought mode of the people I knew (and didn't know) that were still at the little UU. Much has changed on campus since this time. This is a picture I took a little over one week after the tornado hit Union when I went down to visit and hug on friends.

I,along with a bunch of sisters, helped marry this lovely lady off and I got to sing in her wedding in the grand second month of the year.

.:MARCH:.

In March, I married off this kid who I have known since 7th grade in a very strange but God-thing meeting at World Changers. We don't talk often, but I love her dearly and couldn't have been more honored to marry her off! It also snowed on her wedding day and I was super jealous.

Also in March, came along a much needed Spring Break. Arley and I decided to take a trip around Old Hickory (all the way around...and if you're from Nashville you know the magnitude of the OHB.) to see where all it would lead. The picture says it all. What?!

.:APRIL:. I have no pictures of April, but April contained a sad point in my family--when I was in first grade I got two cats around Christmastime. Bread and Butter. Butter had to be put down my senior year of college, which was hard enough, but at least I still had another little four-legger running around. However, in April, I had to make the decision to put Bread down due to some illness that wasn't getting better and was making him potentially uncomfortable. It was a really terrible decision, but I know it was for the best.

.:MAY:. I also have no pictures of May (other than school ones and I'm not allowed to post those...). However, May brought a little bit of a scary time at the end of the month. One night I was out with a bunch of friends because our friend Robin was in town and the next morning I was in the ER with a possible appendicitis. It did end up being that and so I had a very quick, but not quite emergency appendectomy. Not the most fun I could ever have. Memorable, yes, fun, not in any form or fashion.

.:JUNE:.

June brought two ridiculous weeks of high school and middle school camp that were absolutely fabulous. These kids made camp extra fun. My FABULOUS 10/11 (now 11/12) grade girls! Love 'em! :) I also spent some time in Alabama at the beach which was a wonderful way to recover. I was still crazy sore at the beginning of June but by the time the beach and camp rolled around I was golden.

.:JULY:.

July got Kicker all married and such and it was a beautiful event in Crossville. The same day, I also moved into a "big girl" apartment for the very first time with one of my sorority sisters and friends from college. It was a CRAZY day, but very fun and very worth it.

July was also the beginning of filming for the feature length movie "The Time Closet" which I got to work on with the fabulous minds of Seth Worley and Jeff Venable respectively. And with the other kids picture in this picture as well as Kristen and Ben (pictured with me below). They are all brilliant in their own rights and it was an awesome experience watching it all come together. Post-production is close to starting and I can't wait to see the final project.

(This picture serves as nothing but proof that I was actually on set doing things.)

.:AUGUST:.

Back to school. Back to third grade. Back to work. We also had a parade of birthdays as always which means lots of fun and family.

.:SEPTEMBER:.

(I LOVE THIS PICTURE!!)

We always head to the mountains in the Fall for a quasi-family reunion. This picture was taken when we were up in the Smokies and picnicing.

.:OCTOBER:.

Fall fun with friends! One of my Sunday school classes had a day of fall fun and we ended it all with caramel apples...that Laura and I were super excited about apparently. :)

.:NOVEMBER:. FULL week off at Thanksgiving. And it was awesome.

.:DECEMBER:.

Lots of fun decorating, hanging out with friends and a sweet time of family and remembering just why exactly we celebrate this special season.

My first Christmas tree as a big kid!

Adventure to ICE (with the GRINCH!) with some of my favorites...

And our first annual Gingerbread Making Party. Look at our awesome creations?!

This year has been full of lessons, laughs, tears, arguments, and a little bit more of the same. I can't say this year is one I'm glad to see leave...but I can't say I would really want it to stick around. I CAN say that I am excited about what the future holds and the people that are currently in my life that cause me to be a better me...as well as what God has in store. The past several years have been full of challenges in regards to my relationship with God and I FINALLY feel like I am on the upswing of things. I'm excited to see exactly what that means for me.

These pictures and thoughts are just quick snaps of my year in review...if I sat and made a list it would be a much longer entry based on experiences and lessons learned and fun had with the important and special people in my life. Its been a long year, but a good one overall...I know I'm in a better place now than I was a year ago...and I hope in 2009 as I am making my post about my year in review that I will feel the same way.

Bring it on 2009, I'm ready. I think.

:)