I am blatantly stealing my friend Nicole’s blog idea for her 2011 round up. It was such a good idea that I had to do my own. Hope you don’t mind Nic. At least I didn’t steal your answers!

1. what did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
Had freshly brewed coffee in Northern Ethiopia with milk that just came from the cow

2.did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I never remember my resolutions. I pretty much break them the second. This year’s resolution is just to have a quiet and peaceful year. To live our lives in the moment and remember to breath

3. did anyone close to you give birth? A few friends had babies, but i am going to open this question up to are there children in your life that weren’t here last year? That answer is unequivocally yes, Davy, Beti, Sophia, Sara, Luke, Little M, Zamacha, Levi and Aaron, Tae, and countless others.

4. did anyone close to you die? not this year, no

5. what countries did you visit? Ethiopia, Canada, Amsterdam, layovers in Rome, the Sudan, Frankfurt

6. what would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011? I have the knowledge of what it is like to be a mother. That’s a big deal

7. what date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? July 2, 2011 the day our plan landed in Portland and a family of two became a family of three. Forever.

8. what was your biggest achievement of the year? Not completely loosing my shit during the adoption stress

9. what was your biggest failure? Completely loosing my shit during the adoption stress

10. did you suffer illness or injury? Nope

11. what was the best thing you bought? Andy bought me a Kindle which kept me occupied through 3 of the 4 plane rides to and from Ethiopia

12. whose behavior merited celebration? My husband who remained calm, cool and collected during much of the year while I was loosing my shit over adoption stress

14. where did most of your money go? airplane tickets to Ethiopia

15. what did you get really, really, really excited about? On June 16 our adoption agency called to let us know that we could go and pick up our daughter. I was at a temp job. I cried, jumped up and down, cursed like a sailor, took a 2 hour lunch break and then quit.

16. what song(s) will always remind you of 2011? London Bridge is Falling Down, Davy has a toy that plays it a million times a day.

17. compared to this time last year, are you:
happier or sadder? MUCH happier
b) thinner or fatter? Marginally Thinner
c) richer or poorer? My life is rich, happy and complete

18. what do you wish you’d done more of? Sleep before Davy came home

19. what do you wish you’d done less of? Maybe stressed about the adoption less
20. how will you be spending christmas? We spent Christmas at home, quiet and beautiful

21. where did you begin the year; and where will you end it? We began 2010 with our dear friends Ari and Anne and ended it with them. Hope we get to do it again next year and the year after and the year after

22. did you fall in love in 2011? You betcha

23. how many one-night stands? Oh pllleeeezzzzzeee

24. what was your favorite TV program? Boardwalk Empire, Justified, Sons of Anarchy, Americas Next Top Model

25. do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? Hate? No, Strongly dislike yup, but it’s a new year and I have let it go.
.

26. what was the best book you read? So many, Hannah Dream, State of Wonder, The Pages In Between, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Cutting for Stone, Unbroken, State of Wonder

27. what was your greatest musical discovery? That not all kids music sucks (thanks Sara)

28. what did you want and get? in the biggest way possible

29. what did you want and not get? nope

30. what was your favorite film of this year? Movies? We went to see Cowboys and Aliens after we came home with Davy. The movie sucked but it was our first date as parents. It felt delicious.

31. what did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 40, Andy bought me a spa day. I had a massage and pedicure. More importantly, I got to hug my daughter.

32. what one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? More time to the day

how would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011? Anything covered in peanut butter

34. what kept you sane? Friends, family, knitting, quilting, good meals

35. which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Princes William and Princess Kate

36. what political issue stirred you the most? really truly the new mandatory composting makes me crazy

37. who did you miss? My grandpa and grandma

38. who was the best new person you met? Davy Dinkenesh Beach. Hands down the best person I have met in 2011

39. tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011: Not to get too deep, but I think I started to believe in God in 2011. Has to do with meeting Davy and all of the circumstances that have lead to us being together.

40. quote a song lyric that sums up your year: Dog Days are Over