JANIE TOOK A STEP TODAY!!!!! AHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! this is going entirely too fast! i arrived at amber's to pick them up and she let go of the chair and took a step to me...::sigh:: the times, they are a changin'!

also today, kev and celebrate the big 0-4 anniversary! and i'm not sure if i mentioned this before...but a few weeks ago i tried on my dress. it still fits!!

remember playing candy land as a kid? i'm sure a lot of girls out there can relate to me when i say all i wanted in life was to grow up to be princess frostine of snow flake lake. kev and i recently bought candy land for elias and we played it tonight for the first time. he pointed to the princess and said "that you, mommy" -- i'll be happy forever thinking of that moment (he also pointed the little black boy and said, "that me" even though there was a blond one right below him...)

since christmas, i have been planning a trip to chicago to surprise my sister for her birthday in july. i have gotten several people in on the surprise and sent out e-mails entitled, "SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"

 

i should have read my own writing.

 

today i got a message on facebook from a cousin regarding a trip. another cousin responded to the thread that june or july would be good. i responded that i was going to chicago in july, but to let me know when they wanted to go and i'd see if i could work something out to get the extra time off. i hit reply all.

 

that's when i decided to check who the "all" in "reply all" was.

that's when i saw my sister's name on the list of recipients.

 

did you know that facebook doesn't let you retract message posted to a thread?

1) Where did you begin 2008?
not sure, probably at home talking about the fact that i was totally knocked up.

2) What was your status by Valentine's Day?
pregnant and already showing...

3) Were you in school anytime this year?
bradley childbirth classes 

4) How did you earn your money?
classified advertising!!

5) Did you have to go to the hospital?
yes, in order to welcome janie into the world. :)

6) Did you have any encounters with the police?
i got pulled over and would normally have recieved a ticket, but i was 8 months along and i'm pretty sure he assumed i was on the way somewhere important.

7) Where did you go on vacation (holiday)?
colorado for denise's wedding 

8) What did you purchase that was over $1000?
a hospital room for 2 days and the services of a doctor and staff of nurses.

9) Did you know anybody who got married?
denise and aaron

10) Did you know anybody who passed away?
not personally. (well...george the beta)

12) Did you move anywhere?
not this year!

14) What concerts/shows did you go to?
i think the only show i saw was to kill a mockingbird down in KC -- how HORRIBLE!! (not the show, the fact that i only saw ONE!)

15) Describe your favorite month in 2008
definitely september. i got to get to know my little girl and spend some quality time with my little boy. i have two seriously amazing kids.

16) Describe your worst month in 2008
i was pretty cranky the entire month of august, until the 25th that is.

17) Where do you live now?
st joe, mo

18) Describe your birthday.
i woke up and my mommy made breakfast for everyone. i opened gifts, went shopping and hung out with fam.

19) What's one thing you thought you'd never do but did in 2008?
i'm totally a lame-a-zoid! i can't think of a single thing.

20) What has been your favorite moment?
meeting my sweet jane for the first time; the first time she smiled; hearing her laugh; all the little moments watching elias grow from a baby into a little boy; elias yelling "go cubs!" over and over while running in circles; "2 M's!"; realizing that marriage really does get better every year -- even though sometimes it's the hardest thing i've ever done. 

21) What's something you learned about yourself?
i am paying for every obstinate thing i've ever did to my parents -- i'm raising elias.

22) Any new additions to your family?
JANIE! the sweetest, most beautiful, wonderful bundle of goodness. also, logan and by marriage: aaron, elle and cameron.

23.) What was your favorite tv show?
gossip girl

24.) What music will you remember 2008 by?
DAVID COOK (and the veggie tales version of "blessed be your name")

26) Made new friends?
Yep!

27) New best friend?
janie

28) Favorite Night Out?
hanging out with nigel and tina and joey when we went to IN to meet little logan.

29) Where do you plan to end the year?
at home with my honey talking about how i'm totally NOT knocked up

30) Any regrets in 2008?
none. 

31) What do you hope 2009 brings?
no pregnancies, lol.

-- I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE USE ALL CAPS TO WRITE ON MESSAGE BOARDS. IT NOT ONLY MAKES THEM SOUND PERPETUALLY ANGRY, BUT IT ALSO MAKES THEM APPEAR STUPID. ALSO, SPELLING AND GRAMMAR ERRORS SEEM MORE PRONOUNCED. I HATE CAPS LOCK TYPERS.

-- i wish compassion and empathy were virtues more people strove to embody.

-- ice sucks.

-- it's very cold at work today.

-- the color yellow makes me look ill...but i like yellow. i want a yellow coat. if i get one i will be known as the very sick girl in the yellow coat.

-- walmart within 10 days of Christmas is a bad idea.

-- i have to go to walmart this weekend.

1. Started your own blog- xanga, facebook, myspace, livejournal, diaryland
2. Slept under the stars- not that i know of...
3. Played in a band- worship band? does choir count?
4. Visited Hawaii - i wish!
5. Watched a meteor shower - nope
6. Given more than you can afford to charity- yes
7. Been to Disneyland - nope -- just disney world
8. Climbed a mountain- does chitzen itza count?
9. Held a praying mantis- no...gross.
10. Sang a solo- yes "ancient mother....i hear you calling...."
11. Bungee jumped- no!
12. Visited Paris - someday...
13. Watched a lightning storm- yes. not by choice, i spend most storms in the basement. under a blanket under a futon on a toddler mattress with a flashlight and phone and the kiddlings all in my arms.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch - nope
15. Adopted a child - ummm....not really.
16. Had food poisoning - yes.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty - i wanna visit NYC
18. Grown your own vegetables- yes
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France - nope
20. Slept on an overnight train- nope
21. Had a pillow fight- yep
22. Hitch hiked - no, that's dangerous. (mike, i'm surprised you got a ride. i would have assumed you were an ax murderer -- no offense.)
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill- duh.
24. Built a snow fort- yes
25. Held a lamb- no
26. Gone skinny dipping- hahaha
27. Run a Marathon - LOLOLOL
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice - no...i want to, though!
29. Seen a total eclipse- yeppers
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset- both
31. Hit a home run- no :-p
32. Been on a cruise - nope
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person- nope
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors- what? missouri or mesopotamia?
35. Seen an Amish community- yes
36. Taught yourself a new language- not really.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied- i should be satisifed with enough money to feed and clothe our family. should.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person- yes, there was one outside the Y where i guarded and swam.
39. Gone rock climbing- LOVE IT!
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David - in pictures
41. Sung karaoke- yes
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt- on youtube
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant- no
44. Visited Africa- no. i miss jules, julie, julia, keith and kenny.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight- in mexico.
46. Been transported in an ambulance - nope (kevin says that i should have been when i wrecked my bike, but he is going on the testimony of my mother who assumes anyone who has any symptoms is dying.)
47. Had your portrait painted - yes
48. Gone deep sea fishing - no?
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person - no (i feel like a lot of these questions could be combined -- ever been to europe? no.)
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris - ::sigh::
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling - yes!
52. Kissed in the rain - yes.
53. Played in the mud- heck yes!
54. Gone to a drive-in theater- alas, alack, no.
55. Been in a movie- so i tried to write out lots of clever ways to say "only home movies" but they all sounded dirty and now even "only home movies" even sounds dirty.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China - if you are reading this, leave a comment.
57. Started a business - sort of
58. Taken a martial arts class - no
59. Visited Russia - no
60. Served at a soup kitchen- yes 
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies- no
62. Gone whale watching - no
63. Got flowers for no reason- KEVIN. FIX THIS ANSWER: no.
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma- yes
65. Gone sky diving- i want to!
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp- no
67. Bounced a check in college- why is it not just "bounced a check"?
68. Flown in a helicopter- no
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy- yes
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial- nope
71. Eaten caviar - nope
72. Pieced a quilt - nope, don't know *exactly* what that means
73. Stood in Times Square - i wanna visit NYC!!
74. Toured the Everglades- no
75. Been fired from a job- nope
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London- no
77. Broken a bone- yes. a few.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle - yes! thanks, dad!
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person - yes, from a plane.
80. Published a book- nope
81. Visited the Vatican- no
82. Bought a brand new car- nope
83. Walked in Jerusalem- nope
84. Had your picture in the newspaper- yes
85. Read the entire Bible - yes
86. Visited the White House- no
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating- gross. gross, gross, gross.
88. Had chickenpox- yes
89. Saved someone’s life - yes
90. Sat on a jury- nope
91. Met someone famous- lenny!
92. Joined a book club- no
93. Lost a loved one- yes
94. Had a baby- 2!
95. Seen the Alamo in person- no
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake- nope
97. Been involved in a law suit- no
98. Owned a mobile phone- if you have never or do not currently own a mobile phone, please leave a comment.
99. Been stung by a bee- yes
100. Read an entire book in one day- more than once.

that was dumb. sorry if you read it all.