Twenty-Twelve

Here we are, at the tail end of the year already. I cannot believe how fast this one went by - I am absolutely astounded at how short it has felt. It seems just like it was yesterday when I was cuddled up in Cheryl's basement on New Year's Eve 2010, watching Tim Rice play the butler in "Clue". We were eating hot dog flavored potato chips and drinking lots of soda pop. Talk about a good innocent way to ring in the new year. This year will be quite different. I'll be celebrating two hours later than most people I know, which I find kind of odd. I think the year before last, I had fallen asleep to early on New Year's... and the year before that, I spent it building a diorama. I don't get out much....

My brother is planning on inviting over a few guests for this evening's festivities and we're going to have my little buddy Landan here as well. Thank goodness, because I tend to get kinda shy around crowds of people so I'm quite thankful that he'll be here to keep me company. At least until 8 o'clock. (Being only three years old, I think he's going to fall asleep before midnight hits.) This morning we started the day off just right by cuddling in my bed together and watching Treehouse TV for a good hour or so while I caught up on some extra sleep. (That little devil loves waking up much earlier than I can handle.) We woke up and ate some fruit loops together and now he's off downstairs, driving his brand-new Polar Express Lionel train set around the living room.

What can I say about 2011? Well, it's a little hard to recap since many of my 365 days of the year, I spent doing the exact same thing: selling greeting cards. When you spend every single day basically the same, it becomes a little bit difficult to separate events from one another. But what I CAN tell you about 2011, is that even though I may have been working lots, I still had a fantastic year for the most part. Let's go back all the way to March 2011, when my family and I traveled with boatloads of shoes stuffed in our suitcases over to Peru. That was all in good thanks to Shea's (my step-sister) wild idea of "Fuze Thru Shoes". (Product placement.) Now that was well worth the year, all in itself. That was a life changing excursion for me - I met a lot of local schoolkids that truly changed my heart. I think that trip down to Peru was when my brain started thinking a little bit more positively (I say that carefully) and switched gears, reminding me that my life was good. Although my year felt like it went by fast, my trip to Peru feels like a lifetime ago. I guess for those of you who don't know what "Fuze Thru Shoes" is, it's a non-profit organization that my step-sister came up with one day while sitting in high school, and realized that she wanted to donate gently used shoes to kids who didn't have anything to wear on their shredded feet. The first destination for "Fuze" was Peru (no way!) and it was then that we had to smuggle in 100 pairs of sneakers into the country. Why did we have to pull such a stunt, you ask? Well the paperwork didn't go through, so we took matters into our own hands. Dodging airport security was a bonding experience.

This was also the year that I got my first car. (I miss you, Mortimer.) Now the fact that it's been a whole year since I first got my little Mazda... THAT is mind-blowing. I remember the freedom that Mortimer provided for me along with a strong sense of responsibility and accomplishment. That was the first major thing I think I had accomplished since I left high school. I remember the day that I drove him home and pulled him up onto my tiny gravel patch beside my driveway. Mortimer may not have looked like much... just a brokedown, love-worn Protege... but he had it where it counts. He could outrun Imperial starships in less than twelve parsecs. One of my most favorite parts about Mortimer was the red, fuzzy handcuffs that my friends at Hallmark Polo Park got for me as a "car-warming" present. I don't really remember them giving the handcuffs to me, mostly because at the time I was very intoxicated at the annual Stonewall Pharmacy Bonspiel that our owner, Vern hosts every year. Let's not mention that day every again after this. Another sweet memory of my year was the day that our Brazilian exchange student, Rita, came to live with us. It didn't take long before we felt like we were sisters, and I can honestly say that Rita is now one of my close friends.The following summer was when I met my nephew Landan for the first time. He's such a big part of my life now, it's hard to imagine how things were without him. I've always had incredible nieces and nephews - I love them all. With Landan being here so frequently, I feel more like a parent to him, helping to raise him. I like having a little sidekick; someone to depend on me. He keeps me company and when he's gone I definitely feel lonelier without him! Since he's so young and I'm a lot older now to begin to understand the concept behind parenting a little bit better... I truly feel like it's a new experience altogether. Kids remind me of everything good, innocent and fun - all things that I miss a lot from my childhood. I really do enjoy spending time with all of those nieces and nephews of mine. It was such a special moment to me to be on Skype with all of them back in Winnipeg on December 15th. Emily, Lily and Logan: I miss you guys so much! Happy birthday Logan!!!! I'm sorry I couldn't be there to give you a hug and tell you that in person.

I had a great year I'd say all in all, and to cap it all off I moved to Kelowna. 2011 has had it's ups and downs, no doubt about that. I will not deny that I've had some tough struggles either, however comparing to 2010, I'd say this year kicked ass. This was the year that I grew up.