Top Ten of 2009

In honor of ringing in 2010 a few weeks ago, I thought I'd post my top ten from 2009:

1. Marrying Matt on Jan. 10, 2009-
Aside from becoming a Christian, this was hands down the best decision I've ever made. (Well, maybe that, and growing out my bangs in the 11th grade. Just kidding. Kinda :)) But seriously, he's my best friend and I just love living life alongside of him. We've had a great first year of marriage, and I do think it's been the best year of my life thus far.



2. Sinus surgery x2-
I had two sinus surgeries early in 2009. Before the surgery, I basically couldn't breathe through my nose at all. But after two surgeries and a whole lot of Popsicles, I am now sinus infection and nasal-polyp free. I also can smell a lot better. This has changed my life in the sense that I no longer have to walk around sneezing constantly and carrying a travel size of tissue with me everywhere. Freedom.

3. Moving from DC to Kentucky-
This was a move we weren't really planning on making at the beginning of 2009, but due to a long list of reasons, we decided to go ahead and make the move to start seminary. I'm so grateful we did. We love our home here, our church, school, and friends. I'm basically living in my dream city. It's a big city, but still has a small town feel to it.

Moving day from DC:


4. Getting a GPS-
Seems like an odd thing to add to a top then list? Well, it's been a big deal for me. I'm slightly obsessed. I was given a GPS at the start of my job to help me navigate this new city, and it's changed my life. Back when I was without my friendly little car companion, I got lost constantly. On a weekly basis. If I made just one wrong turn, it would feel as if I dropped off the face of the planet and landed in some different county. There was no chance of my getting back on track, and inevitably, I would end up calling my husband or dad in tears. Well gone are the days of that! Now, if I make a wrong turn, my GPS friend just simply says, "recalculating"- and will tell me how to get back to where I'm going. Getting totally lost is no longer an option! **cue the hallelujah chorus** I love it. Fact: I'm the daughter of a map maker, yet I could get lost in a box. Therefore, I don't go anywhere without Mr. GPS.

5. Our two honeymoons!
Yes, we had two honeymoons. Actually, we will have three total, but only took two of three in 2009. Our first honeymoon was in the D.R. in Punta Cana, and didn't exactly go as planned. The resort opened just two days before we checked in, and was nowhere near "opening condition". There was a lot of stuff missing in our room and the service was somewhat sporadic. To make a long story short, my sweet husband complained to the management, and they gave us our week back plus an additional week at one of their sister resorts (redeemable within two years). We had a good week there overall, even though it wasn't a typical resort experience.




We spent the week they gave us back at a timeshare-type resort in Cape Cod. I had always wanted to visit there, so Matt and I made a little road trip up to Mass. for the week. We had fun eating lots of seafood, visiting lighthouses (I love lighthouses), and going to the beach.





Sometime in 2010 we will go on honeymoon #3! The Lord has really spoiled us.

6. Couponing and "Free-VS"-ing!
Some of you are thinking, "what on earth?" But seriously. This belongs in the top ten. This past year I started couponing and using the Extra Care Bucks system at CVS, and it's saved us a ton of moola in 2009. It enables us to get a lot of stuff for uber-cheap or free. In fact, I haven't paid for shampoo, conditioner, lotion, toothpaste, toothbrushes, razors, facewash, etc. this entire year. I even have a small stock pile of stuff in our closet. I like organizing and list making, so couponing really "fits" my personality in a strange way. And I really value being frugal, so it's a win win. I just stick in an episode of The Cosby Show, and I get cutting. Check out moneysavingmom.com or southernsavers.com for more info on this, or just ask me about it. :)

7. VA Beach in July
We visited Matt's grandmother in Virginia Beach this Summer for a week and we loved it. Mamo has been such a blessing to me during this first year of marriage. Although she hasn't known me very long, she treats me as if I've always been a part of the family, and not at all as in-law. I had so much fun hanging out with her, eating at Bonefish, and watching "So You Think You Can Dance" and "The Next Food Network Star."

8. Finding my mom's rings (even though they were never lost...)
This is a highlight simply because it was a rather traumatic experience, but it ended up being fine in the end. While packing the night before we moved from our first apartment in KY to our current apartment, my mom's rings went missing. A couple of things had happened in our apartment the few days prior, and we were convinced they were stolen. I searched high and low and we couldn't find them anywhere. I'd love to be able to tell you that I had a great attitude about it and was very calm and collected...but that would be a lie. I freaked out. These two rings that were missing are two of the only things I own of my mother's, and aside from their monetary value, they are just extremely special to me. We ended up filing a police report and moving out of the apartment into our new apartment. I went two long days thinking the rings where gone. I cried. I checked Craigslist for pictures of them. I finally decided to start unpacking in our new apartment, and low and behold- mingled in with all my socks, were the rings in their little pouch. I squealed. I called anyone who would answer their phone. It was good for my heart to think they were lost, and then find them again. It brought new meaning to Luke 15:8-10, the parable of the lost coin.

9. Family weddings
We celebrated two more weddings in 2009! John and Jen were married on Aug. 1st

Kyle and Christie were married on Dec. 19th


10. Thanksgiving and Christmas with family
We had a great first-married Thanksgiving and Christmas! Matt's family came to us in KY for Thanksgivng, and then we were able to spend about two week in VA during the month of December for Christmas. It was so refreshing to get some extended time with family.


Well, that's the top ten! Hope you enjoyed this snapshot of our year. I feel so blessed to have experienced all of the things on this list, and look forward to what 2010 brings.