Looking Back

Looking back on the past year it is crazy to think about how much has happened, how much has changed, how much I've grown, how much I've learned, and so much more.... It's so interesting to think about the year in the life of a person, even if that person is only yourself. Actually, I think that can be the most interesting year to look back on, a year in the life of yourself, because only you can remember how you felt, what you learned, and all of the little things that no one else sees. I don't always take time to look back into the year I just lived when it is about to come to a close, which is a shame because I think that it is worth the time. So here I am, remembering the past year.

(These are just some and they are in no particular order)

Things I loved about 2011

- Experiencing all the "Firsts" with my husband (Ex: first Valentines Day, first Thanksgiving, etc...)

- Figuring out that paying bills doesn't have to be as scary as I thought it was.

- XANADU!

- Getting off of birth control (not to try to get pregnant, but to stop the insanity)

- Getting a doggy

- Having a Valentine for the very first time in my whole life!

- Being able to attend the temple often.

- Really getting into my vintage clothing style/obsession :)

- Learning to play improv and being asked to be on the troupe (a life long dream)

- Learning to roller skate! And owning my very own pair of roller skates! Another lifelong dream :)

- Gavin coming home from his mission!

- Teaching the 16-18 year old Sunday School class

- Legacy

- The last Harry Potter movie coming out.

- Starting the Harry Potter books again.

- Voice lessons with Jim

Things I didn't love about 2011

- Having our house get burgled.

- Not getting to spend a lot of time with Brandon during school semesters.

- Getting super chubby on birth control.

- Being super overwhelmed with school.

- Not being able to handle Cooper for the first little while. And a little bit now, but it's better.

- The hundreds of dollars that we spent on medical bills for me.

- Demanding people.

- Not having air conditioning or heat (it wasn't THAT bad, but it wasn't super comfortable)

- Gas prices reaching $4.00

Things I will always remember about 2011

- It was the first year with my husband!

- Macey and Curtis, Ellie and Brandon, and a BUNCH of my friends got married :)

- Celebrating our first year anniversary

- Learning so much about myself and making big life decisions

- All of the above and below things

Crazy adventures I had during 2011

- Birth control. Gah.

- Getting a dog

- Going to SLC with Brandon for our anniversary

- Going to St. George with Brandon and Legacy

- Cooper

- Putting our house together and figuring out how to work the married life.

- Learning how to very effectively use public transportation

- Public transportation

- Learning to cook

Movies I saw during 2011

- Thor

- Captain America

- Harry Potter 7.2

- Kung Fu Panda 2

- Cars 2

- Justin Beiber: Never Say Never

- Alice in Wonderland

- The Muppets

- Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

- The King's Speech

Some of my favorite things during 2011

- Costa Vida

- The color yellow

- converse (I have 18 pairs!)

- vintage clothing, especially skirts and dresses

- Coldplay

- UP

- Tangled

- photography

- painting

- ice cream

Things that happened in the world during 2011

- 9.1 earthquake and tsunami in Japan

- Royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton

- Osama Bin Laden killed by USA military.

- 7.2 earthquake in Turkey

- USA declares an end to the War in Iraq

- Elizabeth Taylor and Steve Jobs died (among others, but still...)