It's a Challenge...

Alright, a few of the blogs I read are taking part in the challenge. I am not...well not the way the challenge was intended. Here's the source so if you choose to follow the rules and do it the right way I suppose it's not too late.

I am adapting it to just a list. Why? Because I love lists. Two I don't want to spread it out over days, I want to do it now...today. And that's it. And three, I figure there are no challenge police coming to take me away for changing the rules to fit me. :-)

Trip. What was your best trip in 2009? Gulf Shores with Marianne. Totally the adventure we both needed! (And of course the entertainment provided by Fort Deposit and Pint Lala didn't hurt either!)

Restaurant moment. Share the best restaurant experience you had this year. Who was there? What made it amazing? What taste stands out in your mind? I really am tempted to say that I haven't had an amazing restaurant experience. The places that stand out in my mind for taste are the queso and salsa from Carlos O'Kelleys. The twisted mac and cheese from Hard Rock. And the salad dressing from The Old Spaghetti Factory or Company or whatever it's called.

Article. What's an article that you read that blew you away? That you shared with all your friends. That you Delicious'd and reference throughout the year. Oh that is easy, I have sent this to quite a few people. I don't know why I like the article so much, I am just glad that science is catching up with what Mothers have known for centuries...there's more going on in there than we realize. Here is the article: Inside the baby mind.

Book. What book - fiction or non - touched you? Where were you when you read it? Have you bought and given away multiple copies? I didn't read as much as I wanted this year. I could have easily answered this for 2008 (Nineteen Minutes). But I can't come up with one single thing that I read that mattered in 2009. How sad.

Night out. Did you have a night out with friends or a loved one that rocked your world? Who was there? What was the highlight of the night? Considering I was pregnant for most of 2009, I didn't do a whole lot of nights out. I either wanted to be sleeping, or I was revisiting meals. But I think I'll put the last time everyone got together at Old Chicago in Manhattan, KS. It was just a good time. (Well I really could have done with out Matt poking my stomach all night and grabbing my cheeks ha ha)

Workshop or conference. Was there a conference or workshop you attended that was especially beneficial? Where was it? What did you learn? Simply put? No.

Blog find of the year. That gem of a blog you can't believe you didn't know about until this year. I have found so many wonderful blogs this year. I don't want to stroke anyone's ego, but Blairs blog stands out. Along with One THOUSAND awesome things, and this lady's blog (and I have no idea how I found her, who pointed me in her direction...but I like her.)

Moment of peace. An hour or a day or a week of solitude. What was the quality of your breath? The state of your mind? How did you get there? I remember so clearly this moment when we were still in the hospital after Sophia was born. I remember sitting in the rocking chair and rocking her and telling her how much I loved her. And how she was not expected to be anything more than who she was, and I would love her for it. I am tearing up now...it was one of those super quiet moments in life.

Challenge. Something that really made you grow this year. That made you go to your edge and then some. What made it the best challenge of the year for you? This yeah pushed me and pushed me and then pushed me a tad more. But I can't get in to any of it.

Album of the year. What's rocking your world? White Noise. Oh wait, that doesn't count? Well it should, it has rocked my world ever since it helped sophia fall asleep on her own and helped her stay asleep. So thank you white noise, I owe you!

The best place. A coffee shop? A pub? A retreat center? A cubicle? A nook? The beach. Laying in the sand, looking up at the clouds. And seeing a rainbow appear and disappear in moments.

New food. Ummmm, I made pork chops for the first time this year. But I've had them before so I don't think that's what this was aiming for. I really need to stop being so safe. Hmmmm maybe I see a resolution starting.

What's the best change you made to the place you live? Well we moved from an apartment in Kansas to a house in Kentucky. I'd say that's a pretty big change! (also major is that we added a nursery!! YAY)

Rush. When did you get your best rush of the year? Finding out if our peanut was going to be McDaniel or Sophia. My heart was beating so hard!

Best packaging. Did your headphones come in a sweet case? See a bottle of tea in another country that stood off the shelves? How strange. well the car seat we bought yesterday came in a carrying bag so we can take it on a plane or where ever we need to. I'm drawing a blank, so that's the best I can do for now.

Tea of the year. I can taste my favorite tea right now. What's yours? MILO'S! (Yes in all caps because it makes me that happy!)

Word or phrase. A word that encapsulates your year. "2009 was _____." Life changing.

Shop. Online or offline, where did you spend most of your mad money this year? On baby stuff. Target and Babies R Us took most of our moolah I think this year.

Car ride. What did you see? How did it smell? Did you eat anything as you drove there? Who were you with? We saw a whole lot of Alabama night. We ate...we ate MILO'S! The first time Marianne ever had a Milo's Burger. (I also got a stain on my shirt from the sauce). I smell the burnt smell of my skin...pregnancy skin IS in fact more sensitive!

New person. She came into your life and turned it upside down. He went out of his way to provide incredible customer service. Who is your unsung hero of 2009? I have been sitting here (eating Cheez-It) trying to figure out one person that's made a difference in my life. That stands out. And there are people that came into my life this year that are no longer a part of it...that I couldn't have made it through certain things with out. There are new friends that I've made here in Kentucky that I think I will always be friends with. There are bonds that were made this year, that I think made 2009 what it was.

Project. What did you start this year that you're proud of? I MADE A BABY Y'ALL! Ok so technically that project started in 08, but so close the tail end of 08 that I think this answer works. I BUILT A BABY!

Startup. What's a business that you found this year that you love? Who thought it up? What makes it special? Etsy. I am in love with it. Go check it out!

Web tool. It came into your work flow this year and now you couldn't live without it. It has simplified or improved your online experience. Firefox. Not new to the world, but new to me! Oh and Google Reader. Wow that thing is totally amazing! And it saves me time, and makes blog reading so much more enjoyable! (PS Point me in the direction of some of your favorite blogs)

Learning experience. What was a lesson you learned this year that changed you?
Forgiving is not forgetting, it's just simply letting go of the hurt.

Gift. What's a gift you gave yourself this year that has kept on giving? A BABY Y'ALL! Ha ha ha. Ok how many more times can I use that?

Insight or aha! moment. What was your epiphany of the year? Again, the above

Social web moment. Did you meet someone you used to only know from her blog? Did you discover Twitter? I did discover twitter. And the black hole of a website known as The Bump (Which is great for time wasting, and pretty good for information, but it is a breeding ground for drama!)

Stationery. When you touch the paper, your heart melts. The ink flows from the pen. What was your stationery find of the year? Seriously? Stationery of the year? NEXT.

Laugh. What was your biggest belly laugh of the year? "night light" seriously it puts a grin on my face even now. MONTHS later.

Ad. What advertisement made you think this year? Well I don't know much about this, we don't have cable...and I ignore all the adds that pop up when I watch my shows online.

Resolution you wish you'd stuck with. (You know, there's always next year...) I always make good resolutions. With good intentions of following through. I try to stay away from ones about money, weight, or school. I stick with things that have a chance in happening. But saying that, I have no idea what my resolution was last year. I'm sure I decided to take a nap instead of coming up with one! Ha ha.





So now I challenge all of you! You can follow the rules, or do it how ever you'd like. But what's your best of 2009??