But I figured that instead of being a Debbie Downer about the occasion, I would use it to look back on some of the things that I did/accomplished this year that I am really proud of. Birthdays can be a good chance for reflection, so why the hell not. We'll go with a nice even number and make it a list of 10.
Everyone who knows me knows that my dancers mean the absolute world to me. This year was a lot different at Kickline, though - in a very good way. I really feel like so many of my dancers kind of reached a turning point with themselves where they're taking dance more seriously and really growing into beautiful, mature dancers who I am so proud to call my students. They laugh with me, work with me, stick it out through tough weeks with me... Really, I would not be the person, teacher or dancer that I am today without them & I'm grateful for having them in my life every single day.
Jim & I took our FIRST big kid vacation last year in July to Vegas and I have to say it was the best trip I've ever been on in my life. From the amazing dinner at Steak to seeing the Michael Jackson Cirque show *FRONT ROW* - I am so lucky and grateful to have my best friend by my side to make memories like this with. Not many people have the privilege of spending all their time with someone who enjoys all of the same things as they do, but we really hit the jackpot (Vegas pun intended) with one another. I love him more everyday & we both can't wait to go back to sin city very soon.
And aside from going to Vegas together, Jim and I also hit Ocean City with his brother, mom and a few of their family friends. This was kind of a sacred family vacation that I had never gone on before, so getting to attend this year was a big deal for me and I had so much fun. My favorite day was the one we spent at Seacrets listening to Reggae music and drinking fruity drinks all day in the Bay. I'll always remember that.
Convincing my friends to run with me was something that I had always deemed as somewhat impossible, so I was really thrilled when my best friend since age 4 agreed to run Warrior Dash with me, my aunt & my uncle this year. We had so much fun together & it was such a cool experience to cross the finish line together. We'll be back for Round 2 in August of this year!
Jim & I bought our first house in September and I honestly can't believe how absolutely perfect it is for us. It has everything we wanted and then some - we got very, very lucky :) We laugh every single day & it's almost unreal to me that I finally get to live with my best friend after what seemed like an eternity of waiting. We have had so much fun decorating and just discovering all of the things that go along with being new homeowners - even some of the unfun stuff still seems fun right now. I always knew I would love living with Jim and having our own place, but I never imagined it would be this great.
Going right along with convincing Dev to run Warrior Dash with me, convincing my mom to participate in the Pittsburgh Penguins' run (she did the 1 mile walk and I ran the 6.6k) was another really awesome memory from this year. Not only did I get to high five Mario Lemieux coming across the finish line (!!!!) I got to spend an awesome day with my mom at an event hosted by an organization that we both love. AND we got to watch the boys practice afterwards inside Consol, which was also really nice.
Mine and Jim's first Christmas season in our house was perfect in every sense of the word. I have always loved the holidays so much, but getting to do our own thing and create new memories/traditions was better than I could have ever imagined. I've never cut down a Christmas tree before, and I'm really glad we decided to start this tradition right off the bat! From buying all kinds of fun decorations to taking a picture perfect Christmas card picture on the first try (even Luna looked!), you can say I am already counting down the days until I can string up the icicle lights again.
And speaking of holiday traditions, deciding to host an annual ugly sweater party is another decision I couldn't have been happier that we made. This party was such a huge success and we had family & friends (both new and old) streaming in the door all night. It was so much fun that I even enjoyed shopping and cooking for it! Already can't wait until next year (Saturday before Christmas - mark it in your calendar now!)
Another thing that I have really enjoyed this past year is all of the fun DIY and home improvement projects that we have taken on. Two of my personal favorites have been the guest room (that I did as a surprise while Jim was away camping for the weekend) and the beach room that we had such a blast doing together. Decorating and personalizing my home has always been a dream of mine, so I didn't shy away when the home we found needed basically a complete overhaul in every room. We repainted the Pepto Bismol pink walls with beautiful browns and burgundies and every room has such a unique and different vibe. Our house has so much personality and I wouldn't want it any other way. These projects are the best way to spend a weekend (or two, or three) if you ask me :)
And last but not least, it is basically a religious experience for me to run the Pittsburgh half marathon every year, and even though I dropped from the full to the half this year - I had another amazing experience that was truly unforgettable. On top of that, I had the honor of running for the Steel City Greyhounds again, which is a group that I have grown to love so much over the past 2 years. As always, Jim was there to cheer me on and make me feel even more accomplished than I already did! It was also great to see my family in the West End with their signs and camera phones and smiles :) This is another one I look forward to repeating in my 27th year!
Honorable Mentions Include:
* Our DC trip for the Cherry Blossom 10 miler
* Watching Evan have a blast through his senior year of high school
* Our awesome Sonic & Tails Halloween costumes
Here's to another great year :)
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