Okay, lots of people do this (I’m not the first) but this year I finally decided to jump off the bridge too… So, here goes!

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before? Took my kids to Disney, sent my little girl to kindergarten, and finished my first two novels.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I actually don’t remember what they were for 2011, but I have already made more this year, and am right on track.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Nope

4. Did anyone close to you die? Yes. My husband lost his father. ‘We miss you Stephen’

5. What countries did you visit? Only the US. I traveled a bit, mostly D.C.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011? More Time… time with my husband, family time, me time, etc.

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? August 8th, my daughter’s first day of kindergarten. It was a really hard day, but also very wonderful.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Finishing my novel. I still have a long ways to go (more edits, submissions, etc.) before I can even hope to get it published, but I finished and that makes me very proud.

9. What was your biggest failure? I promised I would take more photos and videos of my kids, and although I took more than the year before, I didn’t take as many as I had hoped.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Not really. I few minor interior body issues, but everything turned out fine.

11. What was the best thing you bought? I’m not really a big spender so I don’t really know. Maybe my Coach purse if I’m talking for me, but most likely my family membership to the Botanical Gardens, because of the added family time.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? My husband Eric’s – He is truly the most amazing husband a girl could ask for. When I had to be out of town he was on the ball taking care of the kids, when my mom had a surprise retirement party he didn’t even hesitate to say we should make the 12 hour drive to be there… no matter how much typing time I needed, or how stressed I got he keep a positive attitude and supported me all the way.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Can’t name names, but there have been a few!

14. Where did most of your money go? Mortgage. Gotta love owning a house, but come on does it really have to cost that much?!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? There were new movies, new books, and most recently the cool little cupcake / tart maker I got for Christmas.

16. What song will always remind you of 2011? There are many, and since I can’t remember a single title… you’ll just have to believe we have a CD in my car that the kids force me to listen to ALL THE TIME!

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter, but getting into shape
c) richer or poorer? Same, but saving

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Taken more outings with the kids. Which is odd because we were busier this year doing stuff then ever from t-ball to girl scouts, to the Botanical Gardens, etc. I guess the more you have the more you want.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Thinking about my dirty house. I wish I could Afford someone to clean (I keep things picked up, I just don’t clean) – STOLEN FROM KIM

20. How did you spend Christmas? We spent it with Eric’s family. Then my family visited for New Year’s and we did it all over again. It was wonderful.

21. Did you fall in love in 2011? I love my husband more and more every day. Its as if I fall in love with him again and again every morning.

22. What was your favorite TV program? Once Upon a Time, Revenge, Hart of Dixie, Supernatural (but I’m over it now), Eureka, hmm… I know there was more, oh well.

23. This question has been deleted because it’s SOOO teenage emo Xanga shit. (This is what Sarah replaced #23 with and I’m too lazy to look up the original question and I kinda like how she rephrased it anyway. She’s funny, that Sarah.) (I second Kim – To lazy to look up the original question. I figure if Sarah didn’t like it I don’t need to read it!)

24. What was the best book you read? Well crap, I read like 24 books in 2011. There wasn’t even a day I didn’t have a book I was reading. There is no way I can answer this one.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? My husband is the musical lover in the family. I don’t discover he just throws them at me and if they stick he burns them for me if not they fall away.

26. What did you want and get? A money tree, but sadly they don’t make them.

27. What did you want and not get? Sick, and I didn’t so woohoo for me.

28. What was your favorite film of this year? Bridesmaids, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Terrible Bosses, etc. Do I really have to pick just one? I’m sure there were a hundred others.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 36 and I had a normal date night with my hubby, dinner and a movie.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Seeing my family more – the ones that live far away. The 12 hour drive isn’t something that we can do very often.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011? I’m pretty conservative in my fashion sense. I don’t feel like I can be all crazy with my style because of work, and therefore I find my self buying mostly browns, blacks, tans, etc… Very bland. I need to be more fashion aware in 2012… Wow, a new goal.

32. What kept you sane? Writing. When I felt stressed I would go to a quiet room and type. I guess I was stressed a lot in 2012 (ALL WORK RELATED) I mean, I did finish a novel.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Matt Damon – I gotta be honest he is yummy, and so amazingly talented! Don’t worry, my husband knows I have a celebrity crush on him. lol

34. What political issue stirred you the most? I avoid politics will all my power. Maybe that is bad, but most of it just makes me mad.

35. Who did you miss? My family. They are just to far away.

36. Who was the best new person you met? Honestly, I didn’t really meet anyone new this year. My husband and I kind of live in a cave. This year my goal is to meet more couples that we can hang out with together. We need a social life, but honestly if my friends aren’t going to want to be my husband’s friends then they aren’t for me. Also, I saw some of my so called ‘friends’ for who they really were this year, and they would definitely not be on the ‘best new person’ list.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011. I guess it would be that every second counts, and you can be stripped from this world as easily as you were brought into it. You have to live life to the fullest while you can.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream.

Explanation: I work in childcare! No further explanation needed.