2008

Today is the last day of 2008. Every year I think it's strange that the last day of the year doesn't feel much different. It's just Wednesday, and tomorrow will be Thursday. I will still wake up and go to work tomorrow just like I did today. Maybe no one else thinks it's weird. I do.

As I think about 2008, I feel like it should be the most monumental year of my life--I got married for crying out loud. But in actuality, it didn't feel too different from 2007 or 2006.

However, here are some things I've been thinking about in 2008.

I got married in January. On a cold, cold, COLD day. I don't think the Mt. Timpanogos Temple grounds have ever been so cold as on January 17. Neverthel;ess it was wonderful and beautiful and everything I had ever dreamed of.

Chris and I went on a short little honeymoon, saw Wicked, played at the tide pools, visited his dad who was too sick to come to the wedding, felt fancy in a hotel all by ourselves, then came home to cold, Wymount, school, and work.

We lived in our cute little Wymount apartment for four months until we found our cute little house.

A quick trip to Chicago to see Kiley, Tyler, Ray, Bryan and Collin in May. It took Chris further East than he'd ever been before. My next goal is the East Coast.

We worked a LOT. I had a lot of jobs this year. Of course through it all I was at my beloved Religious Studies Center, but I also worked at the Museum of Art at BYU, then at a wedding invitations store (my last day is tomorrow), and on Friday I will start at Centennial Apartments (where Chris and I met), working in the office.

So I win. Chris only had 2 jobs this year, NuSkin and now Smith Pharmacy in Pleasant Grove.

Chris took a class over the summer to be a certified pharmacy technician and worked 12 hours a day M-F and 8 hours on Saturdays. It was awful. I did a lots of dishes and watched a lot of movies.

We watched Lost.

Linda (Chris's mom) and Angela (his sister) moved to Provo. It's awesome.

We went to Seven Peaks in July and it was the funnest thing of the month.

I became a pseudo-aunt to a couple of babies. Teenwhiz was due on my wedding day, but was such a trooper and spent the whole day with us anyway, and David was born a week later. Ann had her baby Ryan in September. I'm not a real aunt, but I do love my fake nephews.

Katie came home from her mission and I loved it.

My little Char graduated from good old PHS and went far away to Salt Lake for college, reminding me that I graduated 4 years ago. It also reminded me that I should be done with BYU but I'm not.

I learned that being married is amazing, and I hope that everyone who said the first year is the hardest was right--if so, I have a happy life ahead.

I realized that I can't let my education end with graduating from BYU--I need to be like my mom and Mor-Mor, who are interesting and educated on many topics, even though they never graduated from college.

I've learned that when you work in a store, sometimes people walk in and act like they own the place. This bothers me more than I would have thought.

I've learned that it only takes 4 days for letters to get to Spain.

I've learned how to be poor and not get the stuff that I want. It's been awesome.

I went through the temple for the first time, something which at all at once deeply changed my life yet made me remember what I always knew--that Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to return and live with Him.

I learned that writing 500 thank you notes takes a really long time, and have a new respect for the people who do it in less than 3 months, my last one was mailed in June or July.

I've learned how emotional and crazy I can be, probably mostly thanks to my friend Loestrin.

I've learned this past semester how empty my schedule feels without a religion class. I've finished the requirements, but I'm not finished.

I've learned that I really can be grown up and work 40 hours a week and go to school and try my best to make dinner and do laundry, but luckily Chris is an excellent housewife where I fall short.

I've learned and been so relieved that even if you get married, you still get to be part of your family. Your parents will still take care of you and your siblings will still like you.

I wrote 71 blog posts and Chris wrote 1. He told me he's made his contribution and will never again post. I think that's great. I love that kid.

Goals for 2009--

1. Train for and run the half marathon in May
2. Write more thank you notes to people
3. Have more parties
4. Get dressed up more
5. Go on two vacations
6. Take better care of my skin
7. Take better care of my house--decorate, keep it cleaner