2008 Was Pretty Great... 2009 Should Be Just Fine.

If I'm being completely honest, 2008 was more strange than great... but it's hard to find a synonym for strange that rhymes with eight. So there you go. 

Here are some highlights from 2008:

January 2008

Okay, not a good start. If I'm being completely honest (again), nothing from this month really stands out in my memory. I had returned to teaching 4th great after a fabulous Christmas break and was at the point in my career where I was seriously contemplating trying something other than teaching for the first time.

February 2008

I went to St. George with two of my good friends. The reason this trip stands out so much is because it was on this trip that I saw a chick flick... on opening night... for the first time. This was, of course, not by choice. But it was certainly a good learning experience for me. I learned that I still don't like chick flicks.

I had roses delivered to my classroom on Valentine's Day; my first ever Valentine's roses! It caused quite a stir with my students when I read the note that accompanied the flowers: From someone who loves and admires you very much! I didn't have the heart to tell them that they were from my sister. :)

March 2008

I went back to St. George with a few friends where I got my first third degree sunburn of 2008. I also discovered that I am a head stand champion... and I still reign as such to this day!

Oh, I also began the interview process with the company that I now work for.

I began working out with a personal trainer... that didn't last long.

April 2008

My then fourth grade team produced our 4th Grade Program all about Utah. It took months and months of preparation, but was worth every minute. My cute blog friend and parent of a former student came one Friday afternoon to help us paint huge plywood props for the program. Bless her heart, she was the only parent that showed up! I would have died without her that year!

I accepted a job position with the company that I currently work for.

I had a student fall asleep in class for the first time! I made the class work on something quietly so he could keep resting. 

May 2008

I had my very first pedicure.

I threw a HUGE, KILLER garden party with my best friends. We hung Chinese lanterns all over the yard... I've always wanted to have a party decorated with Chinese lanterns!

I ended my third and final year of teaching school.

I attended a swim party with some of my students.

June 2008

I went to San Diego with three of my best friends and became more sick than I have been in years. I missed my returning flight home and spent the night in a dirty, cramped airport on a sticky McDonald's bench, next to the dumpster. I stayed awake the entire night for the first time in my life.

I turned 25. I treated myself to an entire day at the spa. 

I began working for the publishing company.

I bought a Mac. I will never go back.

My friends and I purchased Lagoon season passes and formed the "Lagoonies."

July 2008

I finally bought a decent camera so that I could take better pictures of all my adorable nephews and nieces. 

I rode the Front Runner for the first time with my friend Jared and we somehow got lost... in Salt Lake!!

I went to The Police concert with my friend Robbie.

I went to the John Mayer concert with my friend Collin.

August 2008

I went to Flaming Gorge with my ward where we got rained out. I won "King of the Hill" while being pulled on a tube behind a boat for the first time!

I saw the MPH gauge on my car reach over 110 for the first AND last time ever.

I stopped working out with a personal trainer.

September 2008

I went to Star Valley with some of my closest friends... where I realized that I'd rather travel with my friends than with a boyfriend. 

I finally found a pair of jeans that I like! :)

October 2008

I went to St. George again with a couple friends and saw Metro Station in concert.... and learned that I don't care for Metro Station as much as I thought I did.

I discovered that neon colors are "hip," yet again.

I became the proud owner of a fog machine.

My friends and I threw a kick-A Halloween party where I debuted my adorable witch costume made by my sister and began having a huge crush on a boy.... a crush that would continue for months to come. Also, most of my friends dressed up as gay tennis players. I don't get it either.

November 2008

I saw the midnight showing of "Twilight" as a favor for my best friend. I hated it.

I began a three week hobby in digital scrapbooking.

I began to notice the effects of not working out with a personal trainer... or at all. Yikes!

December 2008

I got to spend time with my very best friends!!

I witnessed the square that bounces around the screen saver bounce RIGHT into the corner of the screen!

I played Joseph in our family nativity skit.

I ended the year very, very blessed with a great family, loving friends, and my health. I made it!!

A Little Bit Goes a Long Way

This cute boy sitting on my lap is one of my nephews. He happens to be the nephew who made my Christmas this year. :)

Like any single person, there are aspects of Christmas that I dread every year. I love the season, the shopping, the food, and the family. But sometimes the family parties, and other parties, can be painful to get through. I have been the only single sibling in my family for 7 or 8 years now and I feel like this year was the first year that I felt okay about braving another Christmas Eve alone. Some of my nieces and nephews are a little older now and keep me company at the parties, that helps a whole lot.

This Christmas Eve, the nephew pictured above showed up at my parents' house and marched straight downstairs towards me, with a little green box in his hand. He said, "This is for you, Megan." And he handed me the box. I've never received a Christmas gift from a niece of nephew before because they're all pretty young. They're just learning to get gifts for their siblings and a cousin whose name they draw. So the single act of him giving me a gift melted my heart right then and there. I gave him a big squeeze and told him that I loved him. He ran off to play with his cousins.

After he walked away his mom told me that when they were at Target a few weeks ago, my nephew had seen this gift and mentioned to his mom that it would be something that I would like. Even though I wasn't on his list of people to shop for, he decided to get the gift for me and pay for it with his own money. He is only five, so you can imagine that he doesn't have much of his own money to begin with.

At the end of the evening's festivities, after all the kids had opened their presents, I opened my gift from my nephew. Inside the box were two pairs of mittens. They DID look like something that I would like. In fact, I had seen them myself at Target and commented on how cute they were to my friend. My nephew was so excited about his gift for me. His little tender heart understands at a young age how good it feels to do things for other people. He has no idea how much his little act meant to me. I get choked up every time I think about it or brag to my friends about my new mittens. It just goes to show that a little bit can go a long way!

Threat Level Midnight

I hate to post two videos in a row... BUT.... this one is really good!

A friend of mine googled my email address in an attempt to understand what it was referring to. He found his answer, and a whole lot more! 

Enjoy.

Carry On

I rediscovered this video after years... and it still makes me laugh! 

Warning: This is not for the faint of heart.

i cry

I think that I have given the impression in previous posts that I NEVER cry. That is certainly not the case. I RARELY cry. However, the following are things that can actually make me cry (aside from the obvious heartbreaks of the dating world):

1. Old people

A few weeks ago my ward delivered Thanksgiving food boxes to elderly people in an apartment complex in Salt Lake for the Utah Food Bank. The complex is designed for low income elderly people to reside. As my friend Paul and I knocked on each door, we were greeted by very friendly, very lonely old people. Each person lived alone. One woman was particularly touching. She asked us to bring her food in and put it in her kitchen for her. She reminded me of my own grandmother that is now passed away. She was sitting a mint green winged-back chair watching The Wheel of Fortune with all sorts of knick knacks on the table in front of her. She was in a floral print night gown and grinned from ear to ear the whole while we were there. The first thing I noticed when we walked in was her long table filled with pictures of what I can only assume are her grandchildren and family. As we made room in her freezer for her food, she pulled out a single chocolate chip cookie in a ziploc that had been saved in her freezer for some special occasion. She offered it to me and my friend. This made me laugh a little. As we tried to leave, she offered us some candy from her dish that was no where to be found. After a few minutes of searching for the missing candy dish, we told her we had to go. She felt so bad that she couldn't find it and felt even worse that we had to leave. This made me cry.

2. Babies and children

I was no good at being a teacher. Any time a student came to me to tell me that another student had been picking on them I would get upset. I had to act logically as a teacher, but as soon as I talked to the student, gave them a hug, and sent them back to recess, I always cried a little bit. 

I cry a little every time I hold a new baby.

3. Small animals

Big animals don't affect me so much, but there's something about small, seemingly-helpless animals. I cried like a baby at the age of 22 when our family dog of 15 years was put to sleep. I almost cried last night when I accidentally ran over a dead kitten in the road. And then I threw up a little in my mouth. I can't watch TV programs that involve sad stories about small animals. On the way to church on I-15 last winter there was a small dog in the middle of the freeway near the Beck Street Exit. I pulled off to the side and called my mom to see where I should take the dog once I caught it (which I planned to do). My mom yelled at me louder than I've ever heard her yell as she told me to get back in my car and threatened to kill me if I crossed I-15 on foot. After a few minutes she talked me into letting the dog be and driving on to church. I cried the rest of the way to church, thinking about that poor dog. Although I tell myself that he found the exit and his way home to a loving family.

Deciduous Trees

I was driving back to work after lunch today and I noticed one lonely, dead leaf floating through the air, down to the ground. I drove on and a moments later, I noticed another single, dead leaf floating down to the ground. At first I was inclined to call someone I love and declare, "It's raining leaves!" Then the rational part of my mind, which is very small, took over. I looked at the trees that lined the side of the road of which I was following. At first glance the trees seemed bare and void of all leaves. But as I looked closer I could see that there were still a handful of leaves on the branches of each tree, hanging on for dear life. I looked at all of the leaves on the ground around the trees. There were hundreds, probably thousands, of leaves on the ground. I couldn't help but wonder WHY those few leaves were still in the hanging onto the branches when the majority of the leaves were on the ground. How on earth were they withstanding the wind and other elements of nature? I know this is silly, but I began cheering the remaining leaves on in my mind! I was thinking things like, "Sure, you're dead and mother nature is working completely against you, but keep hold of that tree! Keep holding on!" In the few moments I spent thinking about the few strong leaves, I felt empowered. Those leaves don't know why they're holding on. Leaves don't know anything, really. Yet they were holding on. They were standing against the odds. Against the norm. Against man's understanding of the laws of nature.
There are a dozen parallels that I could draw right now about how this relates to life, my personal life, and the ever-present force of evil working on us in this world. Unfortunately, I'm at work and don't have time. Feel free to draw your own parallels and share them with me. Really. :)

In high school, my gal pals and I had a favorite movie in that we loved to quote, "You've Got Mail." This is one of the lines that my friend AnnaLee and I used to quote often:

"Kathleen, you are a lone reed. You are a lone reed, standing tall, waving boldly in the corrupt sands of commerce."

I've never thought about the meaning of this quote, we just liked the way Meg Ryan said it. Today I like meaning of the line more than the delivery. Sometimes I feel a little like Kathleen Kelly. We all do.

I'm glad I saw that leaf floating down to the ground today. It reminded me to keep holding on.

I {heart} my family