Let me begin this post by saying I am NOT one of those people who makes resolutions or reflects on the year's events at the end of every year, so this may seem stereotypical to some, but it's kind of new to me. It's the end of the year, and what a great year it has been.  This year alone I experienced some of the biggest moments of my life.  Getting engaged in 2011 was certainly the kick off point for a lot of these happy changes, so thanks to my lovely husband for the wonderfully romantic Boston Pizza proposal.  (For those of you who don't know the whole story, I'll post about it [maybe] at some point in my blogging life, so for now you may be left scrunching your foreheads at the last 5 words in that final sentence.)

April 12, 2012:

We signed papers and officially became homeowners. That afternoon/evening seemed to last forever as we sat in the car, walked through the neighbourhood, and waited for the back and forth negotiations to cease.  It was hard to believe just 3 days before we had seen the house for the first time.  Alex called me and I rushed over from the gym, not even knowing this would be THE house.

June 12, 2012:

We got keys to our brand new (it's 25 years old but new to us) house, which we are still working on making into a home.  I sort of wrote about it during the month of October for a 31 24 Day Series.

I'll be posting what we have accomplished and what our next goals are in a separate entry within the next few days.  It's been a learning experience so far trying to decorate, keep a budget, clean and relax in our humble abode, but we're making it work!

August 17, 2012:

I started this blog.  One of the scariest things is to put one's thoughts, feelings and ideas out into the world.  Starting this has been sometimes scary for me, but I want to keep going - not for worldwide fame and gazillions of dollars (because I could totally be the famous Learner Observer lady some day.  HA!), I do it for myself, to document my journey and to know that sharing bits of my life doesn't have to be scary, because though people may not like what's here, or might judge me by what they read, this little tiny blog has come to mean a whole lot to me.

August 23, 2012:

I got the offer from the Durham District School Board to become a Supply Teacher.  This might sound like an insignificant event, but if you live in Ontario you understand - there is no room for new teachers here!  I graduated in 2010 and have stayed at my desk job since, not being able to find a teaching gig in our region and feeling unable to quit my steady job to volunteer at schools for a potential opening.  When this news came, I was over-the-moon-super-giddy-happy!  Foot officially in teaching door (classroom?).  YESSS!

September 15, 2012:

We got married!  It was a beautiful and perfect Summer day.  Oh wait... except for the crazy Toronto traffic which kept about 3/4 of our guests from being able to see us actually say our vows!  That's right...we chose the worst day in GTA history to wed in the West end of the city.  There were highway closures, cultural events closing off several blocks right by our venue, and extra extra extra traffic EVERYWHERE.  In all honesty, I didn't notice much of it.  15 minutes before the ceremony all I could do was sweat as my bridal party fanned me down with menu cards in the reception hall.  Once I set foot into that chapel, it was all forgotten and I didn't even notice who was/wasn't there, whether there were flowers or walls or a floor.All I knew was that I was about to get married to the only person I have ever wished to be married to.  It was the best day.  This is how I felt all day except for those sweaty 15 minutes:

October 20, 2012:

We picked up a new member of the family and Luther (aka Lu, Lulu, Luli-Paluli or Freakshow) the hyperactive pup was officially adopted.  We love him - even when he eats our personalized leather USB drive with all of our wedding photos (*see photos below), even when he pees on the carpet (which has thankfully stopped happening!), even when he wakes us up at 5am, even when he digs up half of the backyard...

...because let's face it, he's adorable!

November 25, 2012:

Our church (The Village) was officially, publicly launched, and it was such a happy/proud/exciting day after being on a journey with old and new friends to start this beautiful community.  It has been a HUGE privilege to be part of something this amazing.  I can't wait to see where God takes us next!!

December 25, 2012:

I officially entered the last, final year in my twenties.  There will be no photos of this atrocity.  Ok so this was not a high, but it needed to be documented because I always had timelines in my head of "where I'll be by the age of ___" and I can honestly say I didn't expect any of the above things to be happening to me by the age of 29.  It's funny that even 10 years ago I thought I'd be married by 25, having kids by 28 but I had no idea where or with whom.  Now I don't know when I'll have kids, and I'm just insanely happy to be married!  Not because I feel like this is where I should be in my life, but because this is where I want to be, where I was meant to be, and who I am meant to be with.  That's the best part.

2012, you ROCKED!

Now it's time to set some goals........