It's time to remember the year that was and get ready to move on to a new year. 2013 certainly had it's ups and downs. It's tempting to only think of the things that weren't fun (no big vacation, lots of time at work, MT getting laid off, gaining weight) but when I think about it, there were plenty of good things too.
Although we did not go on a big vacation this year, we did manage to go to a couple of places we've never been. T and I went to Oklahoma City in March on a fantastic trip to watch our beloved Jazz get pummeled by the Oklahoma City Thunder. That trip came courtesy of my work and it really was unforgettable. We really enjoyed going to the Oklahoma City Memorial, staying in a nice hotel, having a very nice meal and of course, going to the basketball game.
The three of us went to Columbia, Missouri in April to attend Kevin and Janet's wedding. None of us had ever been there. We flew into Kansas City and drove to Columbia. MT and I liked seeing the countryside of Missouri. It was a great trip. The wedding was lovely and it was so fun to see some old friends that I hadn't seen for many years.
Another highlight for me was spending Labor Day weekend with my sister. The day the two of us hung out in San Diego is a memory that I treasure. Everything we did that day was superb - I wouldn't change a thing.
With that said, I think my favorite day of the year was earlier this month, December 15, when Lizzie, Dad and I surprised my mom for her 70th birthday. It is so rare when you can truly surprise someone and exceed their expectations. It was such a fun day (except when Lizzie became ill, but she carried on like a pro) and I am so glad to be there!
In 2013, I attended two weddings and a funeral. Actually, one of the weddings was just the reception, but I'll still count it. My brother-in-law, Kevin was married to Janet (the Missouri wedding) and my second cousin Andrew married Kelly. The funeral was for MT's aunt Gerry.
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| Karl Urban and Chris Pine |
The other movie that comes to mind is Hunger Games: Catching Fire. It was a dang good movie! For the movie that took me most by surprise, I'd have to go with We're the Millers. I did not expect to laugh as hard as I did, but I laughed so loud in the theater that T poked me and told me to be quiet. I could not help it. Kathryn Hahn is so hilarious. She made me laugh every time she was on the screen.
In 2013, I bought a lot of new music, too. I got plenty of singles, but I bought a few full length CDs too. Here's a list of my favorites:
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis - The Heist. I didn't actually buy this one, T did and I homeshared from him. I listened to this CD for most of the year. I like every song. It's still in my car's CD player. It's a go-to CD for me.
Kenny Chesney - Life on a Rock. I'm not a big country music fan and this is the first Kenny Chesney CD I've ever had. I hadn't heard any of the songs on the CD when I decided to buy it off iTunes. There was something about the song titles and the cover art and the CD title itself that made me want to listen. It's really wonderful.
Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience (both of them). These two CDs are still in my car and I play them at top volume levels and sing along at the top of my lungs. JT is so, so good. Love these CDs.
Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP 2. Another homeshare from T, it's a CD that I listened to for most of December. It's genius.
Speaking of music, T and I saw some live music this year and that's always fun! It was a rap kind of year for me; two of my favorite CDs are rap and two of the concerts we went to were rap. We saw Kendrick Lamar (and a few other rappers) in May, then we saw Macklemore in October. We saw Taylor Swift in June and Bruno Mars in August. Macklemore was probably the most fun I've had at a concert in a long time. We were down in the pit close to the stage jumping and singing and waving our hands around in the air like we just didn't care. Bruno Mars is just fantastic and I had a great time at that show, too. Taylor Swift put on a hell of a show with lots of costume changes. The Kendrick Lamar show was hands down the loudest concert I have ever been to in my life.
I had tickets to three other shows, but they were cancelled. We had tickets for Green Day in Las Vegas. The show was supposed to be in February, but Billy Joe went a little crazy and the show was scrapped. MT and I had tickets to see Willie Nelson in August, but he cancelled. T and I were going to see Kanye West in November, but Kanye big-timed SLC and cancelled the show due to low tickets sales, I suppose. I would have been happy to see all of those acts, but I guess maybe it will happen another time (or not).
In 2013 I read about 45 books. I feel pretty good about that number! I love love love to read. There are a couple of books that stood out:
John Green - The Fault in Our Stars. This is the story and the characters that have stayed in my mind since I read the book this summer. John Green is a brilliant voice - I read a couple more of his books this year also, but The Fault in Our Stars was just the best.
Jojo Moyes - Me Before You. This book also featured unforgettable characters and a beautiful heart-wrenching story. I loved it a lot.
Well, I think that about wraps it up for me. I wish you all a safe and happy new year! <3 br="">
1 comment:
I totally agree with your favorite day of the year! :)
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