The biggest life event that happened in 2011 is our starting our adoption process and getting to the point where we are really just waiting for the phone call. The multiple documents, homestudy, applications, etc. all were started just this year. In some ways it is crazy to think that we started all this just a year ago, yet in other ways it is crazy that we have been in the process for so long and yet are still probably another 9 months to a year getting a child home.
Another main thing of this year was our trip to Ireland. I flew to another country and walked around there by myself while Blake worked! Probably so small of an achievement for many others, but I generally don't like being alone, so it was huge for me, and continues to encourage me as I try other new things on my own. March was when I first heard about the possibility of this trip. April was full of changing plans as we expected to go, then it was postponed, and then we eventually went in May.
This June we painted our house a whole new color and we also celebrated 5 years of marriage together. On the point of marriage, 2011 was the first full year that we didn't try top get pregnant at all. We started trying in 2009, and still tried through half of 2010. But 2011 was completely adoption focused and it felt great! All that stress is gone, and I feel like Blake and I really connected over this year, and lately I have been enjoying the time with him so much that I am truly fine with the waiting for a phone call, knowing that I will miss this precious close time.
The next significant post of 2011 was that in September I started running, and I am really happy with how that is going. I feel better, I think I look better, and it was so fun a few days ago when I was able to keep up with Blake a lot more on the bike ride. I am proud that I have kept it up this long, and look forward to achieving my goals in this area.
The other significant thing that happened in 2011 but has been purposely withheld from my blog up till now is that my brother got married this year. In January, so it has actually been almost a year now. The main reason that I have kept it off the blog is that there are a lot of issues that have come with this marriage for my family. If you think of it, pray for harmony for my family. I didn't want the year to end without mentioning it once, because I want to look back on this blog someday and remember 2011, and my brother's marriage and the results of it was a big part of the year.
Another less than positive key portion of 2011 was that Blake had a number of health issues this year. Fortunately the majority of them are either gone or under control, but for a number of months, he was pretty miserable, and the doctor didn't know how to help. We even had a trip to the emergency room for him this year. Hopefully we remember to stay thankful that none of his issues turned out to be something chronic and unfixable.
Over the course of the year, I also read 63 books! Even some of those show where my interest was this year, as a large portion were on Ireland, Ghana or adoption.
I also wrote 59 (including this one) blog posts this year. I am especially excited with this number considering that I wasn't focused on my CSA box and stopped posting pictures of the boxes after we had been getting it for a year. I felt like these posts were fairly well spaced out too, so that I could look back today and get a good picture of the majority of the things happening this year.
Before I finished this post, I decided to look back at my 2010 post. Here is a few things of note:
- In February I had written-
"I didn't write anything this month... and honestly don't remember much of it either... lol guess that goes with my 2011 goal of being better at blogging/status updates online." and I know I did better at that. No month had no posts, and the least in a month was 2. My facebook year in status also shows I did well in this area:
- Vacations were another thing of note. This year, besides our trip to Ireland, we didn't have a vacation at all (and arguably Ireland was not a vacation since Blake had to work the whole time). In 2010 we had gone with Blake's family to Morro Bay and my family to Colorado. Also, I traveled to visit my friend in Oregon too. I think my brother's marriage was probably a big factor in this difference. But it's okay anyways since Blake needed to save his vacation time for our possible Ghana trip. The fact that it is now falling in 2012+ means that he has more paid days off for it... yay!
- Green eating really started for us in 2010 with both the CSA box and bison... two things that we are continuing with still today, to the point that they are just accepted as part of our choices of food.
My main thought as I look back is that 2011 was a good year, and it really passed quickly. I look forward to seeing what 2012 brings!
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