i cannot believe that the end of 2008 is here already. it seems like the year was just starting not that long ago. i guess it is true what they say about time flying when you get older. this year has been an interesting ride. lots of new adventures and lots of getting back to normal. both of which feel great!
so first things first...a list of firsts for me this year...(in no particular order)
...the first time i ate lunch by myself, i know it seems trivial, but i have never eaten out alone, it was only mcd's, but still
...my first trip to arizona - loved every second of it; gorgeous scenery, an enormous connection to sean, warm!
...my first hike - next time i should know that starting with the grand canyon may have been a little ambitious for a newbie like me, but i survived and even enjoyed it (and i didn't have to have my foot amputated :) )
...i bought my first new car! it's a nissan pathfinder and i bought it all by myself and it's my very first brand new car, and i <3 it!
...my first trip to cedar point, which coincides with my first camping trip in a camper and my first camping trip with shawn's family; super great time!
...my first thanksgiving at the house without sean...i decided this year that i wanted to have thanksgiving back here at the house and so the whole fam-damily was here, the carabines, the partos, and the grimes' came for dessert...it was awesome
...my first stab at
geocaching (with shawn of course) and i love it soooo much! it is so much fun! i look forward to doing it more in the future
...my first time to go to the cramer reunion, my mom's family's annual reunion in wva; this is not technically the first time i have attended the reunion, but it is the first time i remember. it was a lot of fun, and it was good to have my good buddy shawn with me.
...my first trip to boston. not all it was cracked up to be, but it was a week away from home and that is always fun.
...also my first trip to salem, loved salem! such a fun place.
..my first visit to historic coney island, lots of surprises here, both good and bad, shawn and leah and i went for a long weekend, we had a great time. it was my first time to a sideshow and my first time seeing a burlseque show, it was so much fun! coney island itself left a little to be desired though...
...i completed my first year of teaching! woo hoo! it was a great year, i loved my students from my first full year, now i look at them as big first graders and they look so old!
...my first HonFest; every year Baltimore has a big festival in Hampden, to honor the baltimore hon, most fun was convincing courtney to get some "hon hair"!
...my first drink out of a fishbowl!! well it was not technically a fishbowl, but it was a giant flaming volcano bowl of alcohol, this is one i was waiting for! :)
...my first visit to assateague island, shawn and i jaunted over there during one of our weekends in ocean city and it was so neat! the wild horses were so cool and it was a gorgeous day to be out there
...my first time trying some new craft endeavors outside the paper crafting arena. as you may remember, the last few months i was working on an online class with an artist that i love and i have been trying my hand at a few new things, shawn's mom even bought me a sewing machine for christmas!
...my first christmas morning at home with a new family. the grimes' all spent the night on christmas eve and amber made us all breakfast on christmas morning and we sat in front of the beautiful tree and fireplace and opened our gifts, it was so nice. it was the first time there were more than two people in this house on christmas morn :)
...my first year without sean, there has been goodness and sadness and lots of in between, but i am glad to say that i have made it through and was happy to celebrate his life (as i do quite frequently) with family and friends in east hampton in april for the unveiling of his memorial bench...such a special time and place
well as much as i was looking to expand this list into the "normal" things that happened this year, my "firsts" list is pretty all-encompassing and, boy, i did a lot of things this year, a lot of new things! i am so excited for this next year and all of the new fabulous adventures it will bring. last year was all about survival and making it through, it feels so good to come out on top of that heap and be so excited about life again. that got a little preachy i guess, but every word of it is true. so on to bright and sunny days...
