2011 in Review

January

I can't remember anything noteworthy that happened in the baby months of 2011. To be honest, for quite a while I thought the year was going to be a dud.  

February

Ditto.

March

I turned 23, and it was my worst birthday yet.  A friend was going to come up and visit, but she got sick and had to cancel last minute.  My mom took me for coffee in Peoria Heights, but mostly I sat around moping at my lack of festivities.

April

My Grandpa McGarrah died in April.  He was very old, but death always seems sudden.  He was the first relative of mine to die in a long time.  Roy came home for the funeral, and Easter was better with him home, but all in all....well, losing a grandpa is never fun.

May

Here things took a turn for the better.

The college group and I planned the 30 Hour Famine weekend with Wendy, and I had a blast.  We built a shelter outdoors with only cardboard, tarp, and duct tape. Of course, it rained that night, and as guardian of the door, I remained under my rip in the tarp the whole time.  As a result, the next day I was quite soggy, but exhilarated. Adventure! 

June

As Youth Services Librarian, I ran my first Summer Reading Program, to great success, to me at least.  I doubled the number of programs, had some fun entertainment, and loved chatting with people about what they were reading.

This is the month Laura was my librarian helper, and what I really loved about the SRP was sitting at a table with her for eight hours, talking about God and TV and college.  She introduced me to the latest love of my life, the Doctor.

July

I went to Mongolia for three weeks!  I discovered that Gany really and truly is my kindred spirit.  I only got homesick once.  I spent the night on stranger's floors, crushed bugs that had crawled up my pants leg, and went to the bathroom in squattie potties and open fields.  I visited Byamba and Sarangoo, made friends with a Mongolian youth group, and lived with orphans for three days.  

I decided that if God wanted me to work at an orphanage, He would have to make it abundantly clear, because my short experience was completely overwhelming.  I fell in love with Usukhbayar and Amraa, and I felt comfortable in the city of Ulaanbaatar.  I decided to return before I ever left.

August

I threw my favorite library party to date.  A Harry Potter extravaganza, where people were sorted into Hogwarts houses, went to Hogwarts classes, and then watched the latest HP movie.  I dressed up as Dumbledore, and I'm pretty sure I had more fun than any of the kids.

September

I WENT TO HARRY POTTER WORLD. A years-long dream of Stephanie's and mine made real! We took our friends Amanda and Laura, and the four of us stayed in a condo/hotel.  For a weekend we partied in Universal, constantly returning to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, where I felt like I'd stepped into the pages of one of my favorite stories.  Everyone should get to experience that feeling.

This month was also very sad, because my beloved puppy Misty was put to sleep after having a third seizure.  Unable to live without a pet, I quickly chose a kitten from the Pouillys, named him Rory, and I have been spoiling him ever since.

October

My darling friend Ashley Pashley was married! I bridesmaided for her, made some new friends, and had an almost complete Craig 3 reunion.  I got very nostalgic, and ate up every moment that Ashley, Whitney, and I had together.  Now they are both married women, and my brain still does not quite comprehend!

November

I visited Jennie and Dusty to celebrate Dusty's birthday.  He is quite cool, because Union threw a party that weekend including fireworks and a hot air balloon! (Or maybe it was for Union's Homecoming.) I went up in the balloon, thus completing another event from my bucket list!

December

I went to Kansas City for two college friend's wedding, got to hang out with Stephanie one last time before her move, and generally adored dancing and hanging out with my Adventure Points college friends.

To finish out the year, and ring in the new, I went to Texas (a new state for me!) to visit Liz and have many adventures and good times!  Time will tell if that was accomplished.