2012 survery, STOLEN

Let's take a look (as stolen from my sister elsha)...

 

1. What did you do in 2012 that you’d never done before?
Selling a house! It was stressful and exciting, and turned out to be smoother than we ever dreamed!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't make new year's resolutions, I make them DAILY. And then break them. Daily.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Me! And my sister Elsha. My friends Amy and Rebecca, but I wasn't anywhere close when they had their babies, so I suppose that doesn't count since this specified "close to you"!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
I don't think so, but then I feel like I must be forgetting something and someone will be terribly upset with me that I forgot so-and-so died! I'm a forgetful jerk!

5. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Joe's - he works loooong night shifts but manages to come home with a smile, hugs and kisses for the kids, and make breakfast for everyone before he goes to bed. I think (I know) I would fall in a grumpy heap on the couch and kick kids off me until I dragged myself to bed where I'd grumble about my lack of sleep and how nobody appreciates it.  Joe is SO not like that, he deserves a party!

6. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
My own :(  I try SO HARD! Which is maybe why it's appalling and depressing when I don't reach those high expectations I set for myself.  Yelled at kids? Appalled. Still haven't finished half the painting projects of the new house? Depressed.

7. Who did you miss?
Everyone! I want to be close to every single person I love who does not, at this moment, live close to me. Jones Family. Sollis Family. Van de Boogaard family. My parents. Joe's parents.... have we ever been friends? Then yes, I miss you!

8. Who was the best new person you met?
Adam Deters, since he fast-tracked Joe's application and interview process to the Distribution Center. I want to give him a big hug whenever I see him, except that would be weird.

9. Where did you travel?
To Pueblo a few times, then back to Denver a few times... we were too busy with babies and moving to actually take a decent trip.

10. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
Great new jeans. I haven't had a great pair of jeans since high school, and now that I'm out of Baby Land I think I deserve to buy some that actually fit.

11. What dates from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
March 11th, Daniel’s birth - I got to cut the cord! And I will lord that over him forever. September 22, Ethan's birth - most painful thing I've ever experienced. My birthday, which I will lord (secretly and otherwise) over Joe until the day he dies.

12. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting our Thornton home FINISHED! I never thought it could be done, but we DID IT.

13. What was your biggest failure?
Probably time management. Failing at it at this very moment.

14. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing besides birth, which certainly felt like it injured me

15. What was the best thing you bought?
A house! I was going to say the new TV I allowed Joe to finally splurge on for his birthday, but then I remembered we wouldn't have a place to watch the awesome new TV if we didn't have an awesome new house. I love it!

16. Where did most of your money go?
New house, again. Well-spent, though :)

17. What did you get really excited about?
Joe's new job! New jobs are exciting and all that, but this change seriously took the cake in awesomeness, enriching our lives in all aspects.  Every. Single. One. Now THAT is exciting.

18. Compared to this time last year, are you: Happier or sadder? Thinner or fatter? Richer or poorer?
Happier, by far! It was terrible times at WT, long hours and short pay and me working with 3 kids... we tried to make the best of a bad situation, and we weren't miserable people or anything, but there's just no comparison. MUCH HAPPIER this year! Unfortunately, fatter (I'm clinging to 9 months up, 9 months down). Fortunately, richer (thanks, new job!).

19. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Scrapbooking. I am woefully behind, and always will be, but at least I could have been LESS woefully behind if I'd kept at it at any point before November.

20. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Sleeping - but I had no choice! I was soooooooo tired when I was pregnant.

21. What did you want and get?
New job! Like Elsha using Daniel for every answer, Joe's job at Target is steering this survey for me. But seriously, I wanted him to get a new job about 2 years before it actually happened, so it was fantastic to finally get it!

22. What did you want and not get?
More sleep. As much as I got, I always wanted more!  Oh, and a nice quick delivery - did NOT get that.

23. How did you spend Christmas?
At home with family, you can read all about it

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Downton Abby. I scrapbooked while Joe and I watched it. Sons of Anarchy. I scrapbooked during that, too. Those seem like a weird match for favorite shows, but they're both dramas that leave you hankering for more :)

25. What were your favorite books of the year?
Good question, I don't remember what I read last year! Lots, I'm sure, I love reading, but what precisely did I love? Hmmmm... I read the Eragon series again, and that was good. We'll go with that.

26. What was your favorite music from this year?
Fun., Maroon 5, and Taylor Swift - all fun to jam out to in the car with the kids!

27. What song will always remind you of 2012?
Fun., Maroon 5, and Taylow Swift stuff - I remember when we were renting across town from Kari and got to listen to lots of songs on the way to and from her house. Lots of opportunities to jam out! Before and since, I hardly listen to the radio!

28. What were your favorite films of the year?
Last installation of Twilight - so good!

29. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
None. I’m not big on celebrities.

30. What political issue stirred you the most?
If there were a plague, I would avoid politics even more than that.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Had a very bad day. I had planned on relaxing in my pajamas, reading my book (Eragon series), napping, and doing pretty much nothing; unfortunately Joe got it in his head that my birthday was a good day to pick a fight about the cleanliness of the house so I spent the day scrubbing my house in my pajamas, gazing wistfully at my book, until he left for work. Then Eli broke my camera. Then I cried. I turned 29.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Pretty much nothing, 2012 was AMAZING. And I certainly can't say that about every year!

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?
Grubby work clothes. Between working on the old house to sell it and the new house once we bought it, I put on real clothes about once a week. Pretty sure the new neighbors thought I would NEVER get dressed.

34. What kept you sane?
Being outside. I get all crazy being inside too long, and I really go whacko if the kids are playing while Joe is trying to sleep (which leads to being appalled and depressed about myself).

35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012.
Take it easy, it's just not that big of a deal.  The vast majority of the freak-outs I had were over trivial things, things I CHOSE to freak out about. I need to choose to turn a blind eye more often, because it's just not that big of a deal. Being nice IS a big deal, though.