2009 Wrap-up

A friend of mine posted this on her blog and I thought it made a good wrap-up of 2009. Enjoy (and post your own if you so desire!).


1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
given birth without 1) the aid of any pain medication, and 2) in a foreign country

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
no resolutions means no failure!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
my best friend Nicole had baby Luke and several friends from college had their 1st babies

4. Did anyone close to you die?
no

5. What countries did you visit?
this year I just stuck to Ireland! Well, and the US

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
more sleep

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
24 August (the birth of Asher) and 25 April (a wedding in the States with our entire family)

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Besides having Asher, running two websites for an Irish organization that I care about. Feels GREAT to do something that you believe in.

9. What was your biggest failure?
I don't believe in this question and therefore will not answer.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Besides being torn apart literally by a newborn? Only of the mental variety.

11. Whose behavior merited celebration?

My husband, who tried to make a truly difficult and painful year for me easier by cooking, cleaning, and being the best dad ever. Really. Also Kim Clujsters, a mom AND a tennis champ. A first.

12. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Tiger Woods seemed to fit that bill nearing the end of 2009.

13. Where did most of your money go?
Gas and rent.

14. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Returning to the States for a family holiday. And seeing some friends get married and have babies.

15. What song will always remind you of 2009?
At first I misread this question. And then I think... song?... hmmm... I listen to music all the time and I'm not sure I can think straight away of a song. But on New Year's Eve I went to Starbucks to write and listened over and over again to Sara Groves' new album, Songs & Fireflies. The title track, the first track, being what spoke to me the most. For some reason the line that says 'now we're standing in the kitchen' leaves me in tears, every time.

16. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer?
a) happier - no longer pregnant! b) about the same, having gotten really fat and then really skinny in a matter of days. c) there is no richer or poorer in God work. :)

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Praying and sleeping and writing. And spending more one-on-one time with Jack & Ella. I miss them.

18. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Crying and worrying.

19. How did you spend Christmas?
With my wee family in Ireland.

20. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Yes, with the baby, praise God. Believe it or not, with number 3, I was a bit worried about that.

21. What was your favorite TV program?
Lost. Always.

22. What was the best book you read?
The Time Traveller's Wife, and The Truth Commissioner

23. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Bell X1 and Sufjan Stevens

24. What did you want and get?
to live in Ireland another year and do work I believe in

25. What did you want and not get?
A bigger car for my expanding family

26. What was your favorite film of this year?
I don't believe we went out to a single film in all of 2009. But I did enjoy renting State of Play.

27. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 31. And I cried and waited for the baby to be born.

28. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More time with family and certainty for the future and a place to call home.

29. Who did you miss?
My sisters and friends. 

30. Who was the best new person you met?
Loads of new people were met and loved. Meeting Asher, however, surpasses them all.