2015!

1. What did you do in 2015 that you'd never done before? Had a D&C, visited Costa Rica and saw a sloth (!!), rode a water slide through the jungle, practiced setting boundaries over and over again, got a packet from an adoption agency, worked out to a video 6 days a week and never set foot in a gym, spent our entire holiday bonus fixing a plumbing leak under the laundry room.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? If I remember correctly, one of them from last year was to read more books. I'm so glad I kept that one up. I lost count of how many books I read this year! For 2016, I'm not making any specific resolutions, but I do have a delicious To-Do list that includes glamorous things like making a will, research Lasik for Bean, and get the car registered since I'm now two years behind on that. Adult stuff.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Taylor Lane was born! The girl that forced me to face my issues with my miscarriages. I'm so thankful for her amazing mom through it all.

4. Did anyone close to you die? I had another miscarriage, this one had the potential to be twins.

5. What countries did you visit? Costa Rica!

6. What would you like to have in 2016 that you lacked in 2015? For others to be more understanding and accepting of differences in people. I think this is one of the biggest changes I went through in 2015 and it would be amazing for those close to me to have the same.

7. What date from 2015 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

9. What was your biggest failure? The times I lost my temper at my daughter. I really wish I had some other ways to deal with things.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Not specifically, but I did have a D&C for my miscarriage in January. It was a million times better than going through a natural loss.

11. What was the best thing you bought? Billy Joel tickets for Bean for Christmas

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? My friend Rachel, who gave me the space I needed, and then allowed for an open conversation (on both sides) to cement our friendship back where it belongs.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Nobody, although it is annoying to hear that someone is talking about you behind your back but not to your face at all. Oh well!

14. Where did most of your money go? Well, I finally got my old 401K transferred to an IRA, and we set up some new savings accounts so we know exactly how much we have to spend on home improvements without jeopardizing our emergency fund or revolving bills accounts. We spent chunks of change getting a new lawn put in half of the front and the entire backyard, and fixing a plumbing leak underneath our powder bath and laundry room.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Scoring Macklemore tickets, and having Girls Weekend in Midlothian. We were so lazy and mainly just sat on couches and talked but it was so wonderful.

16. What song will always remind you of 2015? "Growing Up", by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

17. Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder? much, much, much happier

ii. thinner or fatter? "fatter" aka bloated at 16 weeks pregnant
iii. richer or poorer? richer!

18. Is there anything you wish you'd done more of? eat vegetables, walk to the park, yoga

19. Is there anything you wish you'd done less of? express my frustration with my daughter in front of her

20. Where will you be spending the Holidays? We spent our first entire month of December at home this year. It was amazing. The holidays bring out a bad side of both me and Bean, and it really helped us to step back and spend time with just us and our girl- we did some fun activities as a family and just enjoyed having some time together, since we rarely get it.

21. Any athletic achievements? Bean and I completed the whole P90X3 series, which is 16 weeks, I think, once. We started to go for a second round but got burned out on Tony Horton's annoying jokes.

22. Did you fall in love in 2015? Loving someone for over 10 years, I think you continually fall in love at different times.

23. How many one-night stands? none

24. What was your favorite TV program? Downton Abbey, Call the Midwife, American Horror Story, Orange is the New Black, and of course all of my old reality TV standbys

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? I don't have time to hate anyone, nor do I want to spend my energy on it.

26. What was the best book you read? The Aviator's Wife

27. What was your greatest musical discovery? Macklemore! Going to see him in concert very soon!

28. What did you want and get? A rotation of dinners out with friends- two friends I had on a once a month schedule, and there was another group dinner too.
     -What did you get but forgot you wanted? A pearl necklace!

29. What did you want and not get? A set of twins. I would have been over the moon.

30. What was your favorite film of this year? Brooklyn is the first one that comes to mind. Great date night with my Bean!

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 32, and honestly I don't remember what I did! I know I did get pregnant either on my birthday or two days before, so there's that.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? I really can't think of one thing for this. I was very grateful for my family just the way it was all year, and we were blessed to create a healthy pregnancy on top of it. Plus in the interim we got seriously in shape.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2015? I discovered leggings. I know I'm way behind, but they are amazing.

34. What kept you sane? We started a large decluttering project and finished 3 of our frustrating closets, plus all of my clothes. It really helped not having the extra 'baggage' lying around. That, and Bean for going along with my hair brained ideas and being moral support (as always).

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Ruby Rose!

36. What political issue stirred you the most? The idea that Donald Trump could be elected president. It makes me really sad for our country and amazed at the ignorance of our people. Don't get me started on this!

37. Who did you miss? Bud. All day everyday. Sometimes I pretend she's just living in Houston but that makes me sad because that wouldn't explain why we haven't talked on the phone in so long.

38. Who was the best new person you met? A new mom friend named Elizabeth. Her daughter Addy is in my girl's class. Elizabeth and I have had coffee once, where we talked for 3 hours (it came easily), we went trick or treating with them in her neighborhood, and we celebrated her birthday a couple of days before Christmas.

39. Rate this year on a scale of 1-10:  9