2011, out!

I hate to move into a new year without figuring out what exactly I did with myself during the last year, and 2011 will go down in the books as The Blur, because I can hardly remember what I did with the last 12 months besides work! Considering this time last year I was unemployed and now I'm happy and confident in my job, I guess all that time at the office was worth it. I truly love my company and feel like I've landed in a place and position where I can really make something of myself...maybe even a [hold your breath] career. But all work and no play makes everyone cranky, so clearly there were some other things that helped keep 2011 interesting:

Weddings! It wouldn't be a complete year without a host of weddings, starting with my Mom, Sally, Jason, Ashley, Jessica (Chi friend), Mary Ella (Chi friend), and ending with a celebration for Keely. We had such a blast at these events and are already counting down to 2012's invitations...Rachel (TX), Shay (IL), Kim (IL), and Zack (CO)...and maybe more to come!

Babies! Some of my very best friends are starting to get pregnant and have babies, which means I'm learning all about crazy smells, bodily functions, and hormones. Del, Alyson, and Mary Jane all were blessed with babies in 2011 and Jackie is up next in February - hopefully on my birthday, as planned ;)

Visitors! Brian and I were racking our brains to figure out where in the world our summertime went, and then we remembered - an epic influx of visitors! All in all, we spent our weekends with 13 friends from college and Texas. Showing people around was such a great way for me to fall in love with this city and be reminded of all the great friendships we've made in other places.

Most of the remaining time was spent hosting parties at our apartment, playing tennis, watching a sick amount of TV, and as mentioned, working. In 2012 I'd love to see "volunteering," "local sightseeing," "church," "an overseas trip," "intramural sports," and "concerts" pop up on this list a little more often. After running through everything that 2011 had to offer, it's clear that the people in our lives are the ones who fill our time and make us happy. Thanks so much to everyone who shared a chat, drink, court, seat, bed, table, meal, and trip with me/us this year!