A Year in Review

Dear 2010,

Two years ago, I started calling you 'The Best Year of My Life' and if anything, I was short in my expectations. I feel as if I've just gotten to know you and here we are, about to part ways to welcome a new go-around the sun. The past 365 days have been nothing short of amazing...

The year started out with the best New Years Eve celebration EVER and I wasn't lacking party invitations when I chose to throw a pajama party with two of my favorite boys, Dr. Pepper and Ryan Seacrest. Complete with Chinese take out, it was definitely Webster's definition of single girl on NYE, but it was the best NYE I've had to date. In early January, I added in extra measure to ensure your fabulousness, 2010, and threw a Plate Smashing Bash. Whatever the source or cause, it worked and 2009's bad juju was warded off just in time for all the sparkle.

February is my most favorite month of the year and this year, every weekend held a new adventure: a Super Bowl Party, the World's Greatest Sitter, a 3-Day Drink-a-Thon in Seattle, a visit from relatives, Twinkie turned 4, the best first date EVER, and when the Matsuri Festival was rained out, I found a happy $1000 surprise hanging out in my dryer. Seriously. All of these good February fortunes, I accredit to the February Fairy who visits me every year and sprinkles all 28 days with extra glitter {and when that runs out, apparently, cash}.

Once March rolled around and Twinkie's staples had been removed from her noggin, an experience I do not recommend, I was getting slightly uncomfortable with an upcoming birthday and decided something needed to change my perspective. Enter: 30 Before 30 and on March 17, exactly one month before my birthday, I set out on my 30 day journey to do 30 awesome things for myself before I turned 30. Some big, some little, but all for me; I even talked the best first date ever, VIP, into some tasks. I can honestly say that by the time April arrived, I was happier than ever and birthday number 30 took the blue ribbon award in being the best ever.

May brought GLEE Live to the valley, a fantastic voyage through Planet Orange with a Spurs sweep, the end of Captain Red's kindergarten year, a visit from B, new ink, and the beginning of summer.

In June, my little man turned 6, my main man turned 31, Songstress learned to ride without training wheels, we went fishing up north with N & S, and Green Apple Design was officially launched. I may have missed the wedding of a century in July {I don't want to talk about it}, but I enjoyed an impromptu weekend up north with my kids, a surprise 4th of July firework show on the side of the road, we celebrated 90 with Grams, and I baked over 400 cupcakes. Seriously.

With the start of August, came the start of the school. Songstress in the 2nd grade, Captain Red in the 1st, and Twinkie at home for one last year {BTW, I already loathe the baby stealing August 2011}. For the first time ever, VIP and I spent an entire weekend on the cabin couch with the fireplace, rain, 10 movies and pizza delivery and not long after that, September arrived with a three-day Labor Day weekend in Vegas ~ I finally made it to VEGAS, people! And after a very long 4 days in Sin City, I was soooo over it. However, it was one of the best weekends of the year. September also brought the news of my second round of Auntiness; happy to announce that Baby Girl M is due this Spring.

One of my top favorite 2010 highlights was our first family vacation to DISNEYLAND ~ welcome October! Nothing brought greater joy this fall than seeing my kids faces light up as we entered the Happiest Place on Earth. Shortly after our return home, Songstress turned 8 and before we knew it, it was November. GAD threw the most successful Alzheimer's fundraiser, VIP and I adopted a new black lab baby girl, Holliday, and we enjoyed football and food on our first Thanksgiving together. Six hours later, bestie J and I shopped our way into the holiday spirit with our traditional 3:30am mall-iday date on Black Friday and before we knew it, we were here: December 2010 welcoming old traditions and creating new ones.

According to our t-sharts {no, that's not a typo}
B: Mimi, VIP, Me, Papa
F: Songstress, Twinkie, Captain Red

Oh 2010, I have dreaded blogging my most favorite post of every year {this one, in case you were confused} because I knew it meant your end was very near, as in tomorrow, and it is with the heaviest of hearts that I bid you adieu for parting is such sweet sorrow. I can only cross my fingers and hope that your awesomeness will carry far into the decade. 2011 certainly has big moments to fill, we should all wish it luck.

Thanks for the glitter,
~ Missi