Friday, January 8, 2010

2009: Year In Review


Yeah, so I've been meaning to do this blog post all year (ha!) and haven't had the time. Right now I am in a tutoring session waiting for a student so I will take the opportunity to sum up some of the many things that happened in 2009. Sort of the highlights of my blog, if my blog can be said to have any highlights.
  • 2009 got off to not the greatest start with my Grandaddy passing away. I have to say, though, that in looking back I find this more bittersweet than anything else. His passing wasn't particularly unexpected, it was peaceful, and he had a really beautiful funeral with military honors. (Oh, and I was totally shouting ROLL TIDE last night in Grandaddy's honor.)
  • Things got kind of interesting with the child care situation. And then, all of a sudden, everything got easier again when I was let go from my job. I have to say, I was expecting to stop working sometime in 2009, but not in the way that I did. Crazy. On the plus side, I've been able to get more tutoring hours and that goes a long way in making up lost income, especially since I don't have to pay for child care (and can write blog posts while I work). And I can totally take a nap or make cookies any time I want.
  • We didn't have any car accidents in 2009, thank goodness. The van did have a flat tire and a $400 brake job, but it's got 80,000 miles on it (and is paid off) so I guess that's to be expected.
  • I got a serger, which is like the awesomest thing ever. It really came in handy when making Betsy's Halloween costume. And I established my craft area in the basement, which means I now never have to pick up after myself ever and have almost infinite storage space for all the fabric in the world.
  • Amy started walking. And talking. We found out she has a mild speech delay (the other 2 probably did as well but we didn't know as much at the time) and started her with speech therapy through First Steps. Which basically consists of a Nice Lady with Toys who comes out and plays with Amy for an hour, twice a month. Win-win as far as I'm concerned.
  • One visit to urgent care (when I spontaneously broke out in hives in July) and one visit to the ER (y'know, when Porter fell on his head) complete with CAT scans. No stitches or broken bones or concussions or appendectomies, thank heavens.
  • I saw two of my brothers get married: Rob in the same church where Emily and Russell got married, and Kevin in the Washington D.C temple (it was my first time attending a temple wedding since my own). Welcomed three new girls into the Blinn family: a niece and then two sisters-in-law, tipping the balance even more favorably towards the double X chromosome.
  • Now that I think about it, I saw the Blinns a lot in 2009. Besides the weddings and funeral, my parents and sisters traveled here a couple of times, such as to see Mike graduate law school or because I didn't think Matt and I could finish a whole Thanksgiving turkey by ourselves. Also, Cath came out for like a week and a half during the summer and we had a blast. Of course, with Mike and his family living on the south side of town, I expect we'll be seeing a lot of them (sorry, guys). Actually, I totally unexpectedly ran into Mandy and Miles at the Children's Museum right after Christmas (well, the museum is really fun so it's not that unexpected).
  • Porter spontaneously taught himself to read. At the tender young age of four and with still a full year left before he starts kindergarten. Yeah, much as I would like to take credit for that one, I really can't. If anything, we should blame the bump to his head because it was right after that that he suddenly knew how to read. I wonder if it will be like in old movies where he will bump his head again and then forget everything. I sure hope not.
  • Betsy also learned how to read in 2009, and learned math and writing too - she is really loving first grade.
  • The kids took swimming lessons over the summer - this was as much about conquering my irrational fear as it was about them. Crazy Mother, party of one! Betsy also did some sports camps which she enjoyed, even if she doesn't show a whole lot of natural athletic ability. Sorry, Matt.
  • Matt and I both got new callings: he's the stake Young Men secretary and I am the Primary chorister.
  • Interestingly, 2009 was the year I decided not to have any more kids. For a long time I'd been planning on adding a fourth after Amy and this year I realized that's not practical for several reasons. The good news is this means I get to keep calling Amy "the baby" until she's about 60 or so.
  • I joined Facebook. Weird to say that this changed my life, but in a way it did - I got back in contact with many high school and college friends and have even met up with some of them in the "real world" (you know, that thing that's not a computer).
  • I started a lot of projects, and finished many of them.
  • I had several cards and a layout picked up for publication. I have received some of them already and am currently stalking bookstores for Scrapbook Trends' latest idea book (there should be a cute one-year-old inside!)
  • I bought two American Girl dolls, both of them secondhand at ridiculous discounts, and both of which are currently put away for the girls to get a little older (a Kit for Betsy and a Bitty Baby for my bitty baby). Also, I discovered how insanely fun it is to sew clothes for American Girl dolls.
  • I finally joined the rest of the world, circa 2005, when Matt got me an MP3 player for Christmas. But I still have a cell phone that only makes phone calls.
  • I played my flute in church right before Christmas - something I haven't done for a while. (But I will be doing a lot of fluting in 2010 so stay tuned!)
  • I learned how to sell on both eBay and Etsy - didn't sell a whole lot, but made enough to have a little bit of "fun money" to blow on fabric and patterned paper.
  • Turned thirty, and found my first gray hairs. Yuck.
  • Things that didn't happen in 2009 that I thought probably would: Matt didn't find a different job and I didn't stop nursing Amy. Oh well, there's always 2010.

5 witty remarks on "2009: Year In Review"

fatty mcslowslow said...

Barbara also came to visit from time to time...

Catherine on 2:06 PM said...

Binbons approves of the steps you have taken since making his acquaintance last Christmas and wishes you a happy 2010, even through his haze of jealousy that you have pupils.

Unknown on 9:25 PM said...

Hi Joan -- your mom said you write AmGirl fanfic. I'd love to read it. Tell me how I can. I bought Nellie for myself and love to sew for her -- she never complains when I stick her with pins. You can let me know at hmittiga@gmail.com. Thanks!

Rebecca on 9:47 PM said...

What a good post!! Love it! I am interested in how you reached the decision not to have any more kids. We will discuss this next time we talk! Miss you

Val on 1:46 PM said...

Just found your blog through Dress a Day. Congratulations on the new serger - that's on my wish list for someday. And I'm very jealous about the never having to clean your sewing space thing. Sigh...

 

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