A look back at 2011

The holidays are over and January has arrived. It's a brand new month, and a shiny new year. Tonight, I'm taking a look back at 2011. Care to join me?

January arrived bright and brisk. We got back into our routine, celebrated Alan's birthday and I started running again. We spent as much time outside as we could, to try to beat the January blues. I made about a million resolutions.

In February, Em came home to visit! We had a wonderful girls' weekend, complete with Colin Firth and pedicures. There was Valentine's Day, and a snowstorm. I went to Vancouver to see Em again before she flew back to France, and on the way home walked off the ferry and into an ambulance {my gall bladder wasn't happy with all that fancy French cheese I'd eaten}. It was all very dramatic.

March was busy, as it always is. Dylan turned 6, and we celebrated his birthday {among many others}. Spring began to blossom. I was scheduled for gall bladder surgery but had to cancel due to a bronchial infection. I spent all of spring break sick. No more running for me.

In April I turned 37 {oh gawd,  I don't look that old, do I?} and celebrated with family, friends, flowers and wine! I went for day surgery to have my gall bladder removed. Took two weeks to recover and spent my days blogging and reading and lying on the couch. I got loads of lovely mail and started feeling better. At the end of the month, Shannon and I attended a middle-of-the-night Royal Wedding tea party. It was fabulous.

In May it rained a lot, and our garden grew. Our lilacs blossomed. We went to the parade and celebrated Mother's Day {I'm a big fan}. We had fun at the rodeo. Summer was on its way.

June was mad. I was so busy with school and preschool, and couldn't wait for summer to arrive. Em and I began our weekly E & me posts. Dylan finished kindergarten, Sawyer turned 4 {we had a picnic party with all his little friends}, and a special guest came to visit from San Diego {hi, Brandi!} Oh, and there was a lot of bike-riding... And eating of ice cream!

July was fun. So much fun. It was finally summer vacation and so good to relax. Alan and I saw Harry Potter on opening night. We went on a family holiday to Sorrento and had a wonderful time relaxing and eating and sleeping and playing by the lake. Spent oodles of time with my sister. It was summer at its best. With some thunder and lightning...

August. Monica and Emily came to visit from Manitoba, after too many years apart. We went mini-golfing and camping and swimming and stayed up way too late. It was perfect. Dylan went to French camp. I hung out with Amanda some more. We spent lots of time at the beach and outside in the sun. Summer was winding down. 

September. Blackberry picking. Back to school. Dylan started in French Immersion at a new school {best decision ever} and I started teaching kindergarten {still figuring out how I feel about that!}. Sawyer began his last year of preschool and I was full-swing into my new role as preschool president. Busier than ever, all four of us.

October. Yuck. I usually love October. But not this one. It was awful. The autumn colours were pretty though. And the boys loved Halloween as much as ever.

November was cold and the days grew dark. I wrote a lot, and read even more. Alan put up our Christmas lights and we began to think about the holidays.

December came, and with it, everything festive. Music and lights, movies and magic and all things Christmasy. It was exactly what I needed. We went to parades and for more than one hot chocolate. I went away for a weekend with my mom and Amanda, and came home to a mantle on my fireplace and a Christmas tree in my front yard. We decorated and shopped, wrapped and baked. It was a lovely month, and it didn't last long enough. We ended it at midnight on the 31st, with sparklers and sparkling wine, and hopes for a very happy new year.

Welcome, 2012. I've got high hopes for you.

new year blackboard via here