Year In Review

My friend, H, had a very fun post on her blog reflecting on 2008 and, because I see this blog as my journal (kind of), I decided to blatantly steal it so I'd have some highlights to review in years to come.

If you're curious, I've been trying to do this post for days, but I kept leaving my 2008 calendar at work. Which basically means everything you're reading about I took the time to write down in my calendar. It's a little scary when you think about it. Everything goes in there, or it didn't happen.

January

B and I started the year off in Birmingham with his interviews with various law firms, proving that he is a) unintimidated in interviews and b) more capable of getting himself around my town that I am. The Birmingham girls and I started our "Eat Around the World" dinner series with calzones (Italy, mostly), and then I was off to Pennsylvania to be a bridesmaid for a dear college friend's very fun wedding. J & I broke in the Wii I got for Christmas (and didn't break anything else. Solid.).

February

Baby Sienna is born (on Valentine's Day!) and I suddenly have a total of four nieces. I flew up to meet her and got to spend some quality time with Mom, Dad, and B (fresh off the plane from a bachelor party in Las Vegas). B comes into town to visit, leaving on Sunday night at 6:20, which means he misses the entire Super Bowl. I survive my first annual review as a full-time employee and keep working on a freelance basis with the News.

March

I head out of town for a week-long beach vacation with B and, after Delta loses my luggage for three days with my phone charger, I find out that my Grandma passed away. The rest of the month feels a little empty and a little wrong, so I bake. A lot.

April

A good high school friend of B's gets married, giving us all a great excuse to jet to New Orleans for a weekend of merriment and marriage. Once I get home, planning kicks into high gear for my good high school friend's bachelorette weekend, held at B's lake house in Blue Ridge, Georgia. Two-and-a-half days of sunning, seafood, and quality girl time.

May

The month of the frequent flyer miles, I head to Las Vegas for a week for a work conference, bringing back awesome memories of the time B and I spent 36 crazy hours seeing the strip. From Vegas, I head home for Mother's Day weekend (hereafter known as my anniversary weekend. Forever.) then off to D.C. soon after for B's little brother's college graduation where I got to see some good college friends and have some very great meals with B's family. The month ends with another trip to Florence for bridesmaid duties in K&B's wedding weekend. Best of all, B starts work in Birmingham, putting us in the same city for the first time since 2005. Dinner together! Walks after work! Grocery shopping! Everything is new.

June

Cousin Camp! I head home for five days of snack traps, sidewalk chalk, and floaties in Florence with all five of the monkeys on hand. B comes up for the weekend, the time he picked to ask Dad for permission to propose... two months later. I sign my new lease grumpily wondering if B is even thinking about marriage and my moving to Durham.

July

Ask B if he's even thought about us getting to the same city. His response? "I haven't really thought about it since I started law school." Enter crying self to sleep in self-pity during our Fourth of July weekend at his lake house with his parents. My friend H has a baby (Welcome Mary Ella!), and B and I continue to love the summer associate lifestyle, attending fun wine tastings, meeting other associates, and tagging along on progressive dinner events with the firms. B's parents come into town to see Birmingham for the first time and we show them around (in the rain, all weekend) by introducing them to every restaurant we can fit in.

August

Note: My calendar is suddenly covered with stickies, including one with my first attempts at what will be my new name and another with details on Marriage Prep courses. On the third, B proposes at Vulcan and I am utterly overwhelmed with happiness. After a little while to ourselves and Champagne, we call the families and the ball starts rolling. Soon we have a date, two churches, two bands, and more. B finishes his clerkships and I fly up with him to move back into his apartment complex and then we round the month out with another trip to Durham, just for a visit. K, former roommate, moves out and buys a house!

September

My 25th birthday. Car insurance rates drop and I can rent vehicles. My life is complete. B begins his month of back-and-forth to Atlanta for summer interviews. We meet in Atlanta for fun dinners, then in Florence as his parents come to visit for the first time. The last weekend brings the great dress hunt of 2008, which leaves me with a dress than I love and fond memories of times with some of my favorite ladies.

October

L&R get married! B can't make it, so I take on bridesmaid-ness on my own and have a blast with the girls. I meet B after work Atlanta for the first part of his fall break, then he comes here for the latter half, which I mercilessly pack with cake tasting, engagement pictures, and football. The last weekend, I took a girls' getaway weekend to Chicago to see my good friend C and explore her big city, and deep-dish pizza options. For Halloween? Miley Cirus. Start walking outside more: Amazing.

November

PreCana in Atlanta (eek!), then a weekend visit in North Carolina followed by two straight days of registering, just me and the scanning guns. My car dies; I cry. They fix my car; I head to Atlanta for my first Thanksgiving away from home. A little odd feeling but, as B's mom says, "How great is it to have people that love you both in both places?" True. Launch inaugural post-Thanksgiving flag football game then head to Tuscaloosa for the Iron Bowl.

December

Welcome baby Ethan! Six nieces and nephews total now. Head to Atlanta with Mom and Dad for a little shopping and a little football, then (gasp!) home for one weekend before heading out to Atlanta to start the Christmas season. A weekend in Atlanta (parties! shopping!) before heading to Florence for the holiday (definitely a highlight). Round out the year with back-to-back engagement parties and a week of relaxation in Atlanta, plus a top-notch New Year's Eve party at B's friends' home.