The Highlights of 2014

I know that 2014 was not one of prolific blog posts.  I am sorry for that, because at the end of the year, it is nice to have the blog to reflect on what I've seen and done throughout the year and to plan for what I'll do in the next year.  So, since I have not been a faithful blogger in 2014, here are the top 14 highlights of 2014 (in no particular order):

Ellie was born
Probably the biggest event of the year didn't really have anything to do with me. On April 1, my best friend Amie and her husband welcomed their first child.  She's been a really fantastic baby who rides along on the adventures her mother and I have without complaint.  Plus, she is adorable and has a really round head.

I danced in a flash mob.
My friend Taylor had a life goal of being part of a flash mob. She knows I live to dance, so when she heard of one going down in the ATL, she invited me to flash mob with her. It was a whirlwind trip and I remember a lot of giggling and suppressing of giggles. When it came time to dance, I gave it my all and it was over so quick.  You can watch it here.


I found a Diet Coke bottle with my name on it.
Maybe this isn't a big deal to you. But maybe you don't understand my relationship with Diet Coke.  And maybe you don't know how long and how often I searched for one with my name on it. And maybe it isn't a big deal after all, but at least I got a good picture out of it.

My hair got long, and I taught myself how to French braid.
I'm not 100% convinced that I'm good at it, because I can never seem to get a good look at the back of my head.  Nevertheless, I declared the summer of 2014 the "Summer of the French Braid" and wore one as often as possible (by the end of the summer I was tired of the French braid and made the fall the "Fall of the Side Pony Tail.")

We had a snowstorm.
In February, it snowed for 3 days straight.  Hard each day for hours.  I've never seen that happen in my life. It was beautiful and I loved it.

I went to Jamaica, mon!
In October my sister Mandy and I traveled to an all-inclusive resort in Runaway Bay, Jamaica.  I loved seeing and swimming in the crystal clear blue waters and the fact that we flew there first class by some fluke of the airlines.  We're so fancy.  You already know.

I drove a minivan-ful of teenagers 3/4 of the way across the country.
Our total group of about 30, including my little temporary family of seven (five teenagers and one other adult), drove for 18 hours on I-40 to reach Moore, Oklahoma. Our purpose there was to help rebuild the town after a major tornado had torn through it the year before.  Trips like these are always special as you get to escape outside of your normal life and bring hope to those in need. Plus, I REALLY like talking to/goofing off/playing 9-square/discussing movies and music with teenagers.

My mom finally got the knee surgery she needed.
At the end of 2013, after almost a year of issues with her knee replacement, she had it removed.  It was expected that she'd be able to have another knee replacement in early 2014, but due to complications she ended up not getting the new knee until September. Praise the Lord that she finally was able to have the surgery and that she has been recovering well this time.  She and my dad were finally able to travel again by the end of the year, visiting my brother in Atlanta for Thanksgiving and me and my sisters in Charlotte for the New Year.

I got to share my Harry Potter nerdiness.
I was so proud in January when my 9-year-old nephew finished the last Harry Potter book.  He hadn't been much of a reader before he met Harry, but I was able to tell him enough of the story to get him interested and he tore through all of the books.  At the end of the year, his 8-year-old sister decided to take the Harry Potter challenge and read all seven books too!  They dressed as Harry and Hermione for Halloween, and now we routinely discuss things like our favorite spells, and they love the Lumos/Nox light switches I gave them for Christmas. Plus, in December Amie had a Very Harry Christmas Party, inviting a bunch of HP nerds over to play Harry Potter trivia, and it was a geeky great time.

I beat 2048.
It's a game on the iPhone. I was obsessed with it for a good bit.  I finally beat it, thanks to some tips from my friend Lauren. I know it's ridiculous, but it was a big deal at the time.

I took my first trip to Camp Horizon.
Camp Horizon is run by the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Charlotte. It's a chance for children with Down Syndrome to attend sleep away summer camp. Each camper has an adult camp counselor paired with them. It was not an easy job, but the rewards were abundant in the contagious joy of these kids.

I celebrated my 34th birthday.
I know. What's the big deal about a 34th birthday? My friend Amie is the big deal. Over the course of three days she threw an ABC-themed birthday bash for me with all of my favorite people all over Charlotte and Rock Hill. We ate, drank or visited something for every letter of the alphabet.

Halloween was awesome. Again.
I love it. I love coming up with the costume, making the costume and then talking other people into wearing costumes. This year I was the Chiquita Banana Lady, fulfilling a recent goal of being a person instead of an object for Halloween. I did, however, fail to create a costume that did not affect the natural swivel of my neck. There's always next year.

I visited my Granny for her 95th birthday.
My Granny and most of my cousins, aunts and uncles live in Illinois, so I don't get to see them often.  It had been a couple of years since I had made it up there, so I was happy to hug my Granny, get a personal tour of her garden and laugh with my cousins.