2014, December: 2014 A Year of Change

Facebook has been prompting me to show my "Year in Review" all week, which is a fun but mostly clueless app. The automatically-generated version managed to notice that I got pregnant (well done, Facebook), but failed to include anything about changing jobs, buying a new house, or MOVING TO IDAHO. It is possible to customize the display, but not in a particularly easy or intuitive way (it lets you select moments from all of your posted photos, but does not help you figure out which photos were from which month). I like the opportunity to look back over the past year and ponder everything that has happened, and the end of December is the perfect time to do that. It's always possible to find achievements and milestones to be proud of, but there's no doubt that 2014 has been a particularly momentous one for us. So here it is, my year in review, thank you for being a part of it. :-)

In January, I said goodbye to the people and places of Baltimore and D.C., loaded up an RV with belongings and cats, and made the 2,200 mile move to Idaho.

In February, I started work at the Idaho Falls Arts Council and generally freaked out about being completely clueless in this new role. I also started painting again.

March through June, I settled into the job and the house. I discovered the awesomeness of baby goats and started to paint them. We participated in a real life cattle branding in Mackay. We visited Yellowstone on opening weekend and began to explore Idaho's wilderness areas. Christian's parents came to visit. I grew more strawberries than anyone could ever possibly need. We went horse riding at Diamond P Ranch in West Yellowstone.

In July, I discovered I was pregnant. Still in shock about that.

In August, we opened ARTitorium on Broadway. A big deal for me and the Idaho Falls Arts Council, and the culmination of a great deal of hard work.

September through December I got somewhat used to the idea of being pregnant. We visited Baltimore for Christian's sister's wedding and remembered why we left. We went to a barn dance. I flew to England for Christmas. We started preparing for the arrival of Babylander. It's been an amazing, tumultuous, scary, exciting, dramatic year. I began 2014 in a different state - geographically, physically, and emotionally, and can only imagine how different things will be a year from now after we add a third person to our weird and wonderful family. Here's to a good one - please have a drink for me to toast the New Year since I cannot.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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