Everyone else is doing a “year in review” post so maybe I should too. Actually, I haven’t seen any other “year in review” posts, but I suspect there are several out there. I have been too busy this past week enjoying the time off with my family to really surf the internet. We’ll save that for when I get back to work. Strictly during personal time, of course!

So, a year in review. What did we do this past year? 

Melody started working the kinks out of her burgeoning sense of comedy timing.

Melody celebrated her 3rd birthday and shortly thereafter I ranted about the construction techniques employed on this house.

In March I took my family to the commissioning ceremony of the USS Dewey DDG 105, a truly unique (and wet) experience then since I didn’t have enough to keep me occupied, I launched my website Gram’s Recipe Box.

April took me and Melody to Knoxville to visit our favorite non-family family, the Halls! Dollywood, Museum of the Appalachias and that pizza, OMG!

May was pretty quiet, with me just competing in an Orange County Register recipe contest. Funny about those contests. There are lots of great submissions, but one person with an okay submission will get thousands and thousands of votes (no joke) and win. I wonder just how that happens???

June found us meeting my online friend Kate and her family at the Aquarium of the Pacific. The girls are the same age – Kate and I were in the same support group during pregnancy, and it really is great to turn 2D friends into 3D ones! After that, Melody became obsessed with playing in the sprinklers before dinner. So sweet!

In July I realized that I still did not have nearly enough to occupy me, so I launched my old photo blog Who Were They? I feature old photographs and some of my readers are fantastic researchers. When there’s a name, we try to find living family, although no one has claimed a photo yet. I continue to hope though! 

I was reminded in August of the year the OP Pro Surf competition got a little crazy – and my cousin and I were right in the thick of it! Also that month, my friend Jeannette and her family came to visit from South Africa! What a joy that was to see the little ones up close and in person for the first time! I missed them almost as soon as they left.

September was clipping along just fine until we experienced a burst pipe. The saga drags on today. Ugh.

While we were preparing for Halloween, Dad made some really funny videos of Melody talking about her family and about her fear of bad guys. As my friend Cat commented, she talks to Dad like he is the child. Too funny!

In November, I was both introspective and creative. On different days of course. I can’t put all that thinking energy into one day, much too exhaustive.

It goes without saying that December was joyful, what with great visits with Santa Claus, Melody starting preschool, and my epiphany.

In between it all we had many happy adventures in family, friendships and life. I hope your year was as full as ours, and that your 2011 will be even better!