Happy New Year!
Hi everyone! Hope you all had a lovely Christmas. Ours was nice. We're all settled into our new place now, and have been enjoying having visitors. We hosted Christmas Day for both mine and Ben's family this year. Ben found it a bit hectic, but I didn't mind. I enjoy hosting, and everyone seemed to have a good time. :) We ate, laughed, watched The Interview (*rolls eyes*), and a few folks played pool in our condo's rec room. All in all, a great day. After everyone went home, my mom slept over, which was nice. We made her breakfast on Boxing Day and hung out for a bit.
We had a few opportunities to visit family before and after Christmas as well. On Boxing Day, we went to visit my family in Leduc for supper and drinks. It's been a while since we've been out there. My goodness, if you want to see a house decorated to the max, go to Aunt Tara and Uncle Lewis'. We had a time. I especially enjoyed visiting with my 17-year-old cousin Carrie, who's so much like me. <3 I'm going to have to get her to come stay with us some weekend.
The Monday after Christmas, we hosted my friends' annual Christmas Gift Exchange. It's always nice to see everyone (save for a few missing out-of-towners)! I'm glad to know such awesome people. <3 We didn't have time for games, which is what our group usually does, but that was fine. We chatted, laughed, ate, and exchanged gifts. I got a gorgeous handmade metal necklace with a dragonfly on it from Kevin. After a couple hours, the families with kids headed home, and the remaining folk (Amanda, Justen, and I) hung out for a bit longer and played Scrabble - just like old times! Except, I'm a little rusty. Justen kicks my butt quite a bit more now. >_> lol
Ben and I had a couple invites for NYE parties, but I was indecisive and wanted something low-key. We went for dinner at Kyoto, drank saké, and then wandered over to Churchill Square for the celebrations. We listened to a decent cover band, took lots of pictures, wandered over to City Hall, and tried to keep warm while we waited for the fireworks at midnight. It was a good show! Afterwards, we walked home, and watched Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on Netflix before bed. A good start to the year. :P
Today, we met up with Justen and the Ouellets at the new Clareview Rec Centre for an afternoon of swimming. It was a lot of fun. I'm so sad that the rec centre didn't open years ago, while I was still living within walking distance! It's a really nice centre. I'm glad the neighbourhood finally has something like that - it's been overdue.
I contemplated whether or not to start a 365-day challenge this year. I did the photo challenge a few years ago. It's a great way to document the year, and I would recommend it to anyone considering it. I just found it a bit draining, especially for someone who already takes a lot of pictures, and now has an awful lot of backlog to sort through. >_> I want to practice my photography more, but I think I'll be fine in that department with the amount I shoot.
On the other hand, drawing is something I haven't done nearly enough of over the years, and I'm worried I'm losing my touch. Last Christmas, Ben and his mom both bought me art supplies, as I said I wanted to get back into it more then. So, one New Year's Resolution and daily challenge has commenced: I will try to draw something, even just a quick sketch, every day! I've rekindled my love for anime lately - in particular, Sailor Moon, with the new series that is currently airing online - so for my first picture, I decided to draw a cute winter picture of Usagi. I'm fairly happy with the results, except I chose a marker that's too dark for her face. Oh well, lesson learned! I'll do better next time. That's what drawing every day will hopefully accomplish!
Another resolution, as cliché as it is, is to lose weight. I don't usually make this a specific resolution, but since Ben and I both fell off the bandwagon last year, we're going to try to work hard and motivate each other this year. Hence the swimming today. Yoooshi!
My last resolution is to be happier with myself. This one's broad, and I don't have specific points in mind quite yet. Last year, a lot of great things happened, but I've been finding myself feeling unhappy lately. It might be the seasonal depression I am prone to. I think motivating myself in areas of interest, such as drawing, photography, design, reading, and working out, will help a great deal. I've been rather lazy in all of those regards. I'll try to be more ambitious, open with my thoughts, and active. Feel free to kick me in the butt once in a while (gently!) to make sure I'm on track.
2014 was a big year. We lost a few loved ones. My cousin Jerry passed away on my birthday - the first of several unfortunate deaths at Suncor. In June, my nan (Dad's mom) passed away. It was the first time I witnessed the end of a life, and I feel like I'm still processing that fact a bit. There's a sense of closure, knowing someone is no longer in pain, knowing you were there to provide some level of comfort, and being able to support your family. But, there's also a part that's scary. Nan wasn't always coherent, but there were times that she knew she was dying, and she was scared. She was confused, in pain, and had a few panic attacks. It's sad to watch, but I feel like being there was important. I still miss her. <3
A month later, my great aunt Emily passed away. I did not know her in person very well, as she lived in Newfoundland, but her name was very prominent growing up. My mom was raised by her grandparents, and a couple of her younger aunts and uncles were still living at home when she did, including Aunt Emily. Mom always said Aunt Emily was more like a sister to her. She spoke to her almost every single day on the phone while I was growing up. Sometimes I would answer the phone, and we would talk for a bit before I'd pass her over. The call always started with, "do you know who this is?" My nan (Mom's mom, and Aunt Emily's sister) would also always start her phone calls with this line, and I was always worried that I was going to get it wrong. I don't think I ever did, though.
2014 also brought a few big changes. Ben and I moved in together, which makes him the first partner I've lived with. To say it's been perfect would be to speak with rose-coloured glasses. We're still learning to compromise, to balance co-existing, and maintain a feeling of independence. As well, both of us have insecurities from past relationships, and we're still learning to work through those - which I'm sure is normal. All in all, I've been enjoying the ride. Ben is incredibly open-minded, supportive through my ups and downs, and always pushes me to do the things I want. He always makes my happiness a priority, and surprises me with sweet things. We talk and laugh a lot. Ben is always willing to try new things to evolve our relationship however we want it, and is usually proactive with these discussions. He's also very smart and a lot of fun to be around. I still look forward to seeing him every day. :)
I turned 30 this past year; all in all, it's been a good year. :) Now, onto 2015! We must move forward, not backward; upward, not forward; and always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom!
We had a few opportunities to visit family before and after Christmas as well. On Boxing Day, we went to visit my family in Leduc for supper and drinks. It's been a while since we've been out there. My goodness, if you want to see a house decorated to the max, go to Aunt Tara and Uncle Lewis'. We had a time. I especially enjoyed visiting with my 17-year-old cousin Carrie, who's so much like me. <3 I'm going to have to get her to come stay with us some weekend.
The Monday after Christmas, we hosted my friends' annual Christmas Gift Exchange. It's always nice to see everyone (save for a few missing out-of-towners)! I'm glad to know such awesome people. <3 We didn't have time for games, which is what our group usually does, but that was fine. We chatted, laughed, ate, and exchanged gifts. I got a gorgeous handmade metal necklace with a dragonfly on it from Kevin. After a couple hours, the families with kids headed home, and the remaining folk (Amanda, Justen, and I) hung out for a bit longer and played Scrabble - just like old times! Except, I'm a little rusty. Justen kicks my butt quite a bit more now. >_> lol
Ben and I had a couple invites for NYE parties, but I was indecisive and wanted something low-key. We went for dinner at Kyoto, drank saké, and then wandered over to Churchill Square for the celebrations. We listened to a decent cover band, took lots of pictures, wandered over to City Hall, and tried to keep warm while we waited for the fireworks at midnight. It was a good show! Afterwards, we walked home, and watched Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on Netflix before bed. A good start to the year. :P
Today, we met up with Justen and the Ouellets at the new Clareview Rec Centre for an afternoon of swimming. It was a lot of fun. I'm so sad that the rec centre didn't open years ago, while I was still living within walking distance! It's a really nice centre. I'm glad the neighbourhood finally has something like that - it's been overdue.
I contemplated whether or not to start a 365-day challenge this year. I did the photo challenge a few years ago. It's a great way to document the year, and I would recommend it to anyone considering it. I just found it a bit draining, especially for someone who already takes a lot of pictures, and now has an awful lot of backlog to sort through. >_> I want to practice my photography more, but I think I'll be fine in that department with the amount I shoot.
On the other hand, drawing is something I haven't done nearly enough of over the years, and I'm worried I'm losing my touch. Last Christmas, Ben and his mom both bought me art supplies, as I said I wanted to get back into it more then. So, one New Year's Resolution and daily challenge has commenced: I will try to draw something, even just a quick sketch, every day! I've rekindled my love for anime lately - in particular, Sailor Moon, with the new series that is currently airing online - so for my first picture, I decided to draw a cute winter picture of Usagi. I'm fairly happy with the results, except I chose a marker that's too dark for her face. Oh well, lesson learned! I'll do better next time. That's what drawing every day will hopefully accomplish!
Another resolution, as cliché as it is, is to lose weight. I don't usually make this a specific resolution, but since Ben and I both fell off the bandwagon last year, we're going to try to work hard and motivate each other this year. Hence the swimming today. Yoooshi!
My last resolution is to be happier with myself. This one's broad, and I don't have specific points in mind quite yet. Last year, a lot of great things happened, but I've been finding myself feeling unhappy lately. It might be the seasonal depression I am prone to. I think motivating myself in areas of interest, such as drawing, photography, design, reading, and working out, will help a great deal. I've been rather lazy in all of those regards. I'll try to be more ambitious, open with my thoughts, and active. Feel free to kick me in the butt once in a while (gently!) to make sure I'm on track.
2014 was a big year. We lost a few loved ones. My cousin Jerry passed away on my birthday - the first of several unfortunate deaths at Suncor. In June, my nan (Dad's mom) passed away. It was the first time I witnessed the end of a life, and I feel like I'm still processing that fact a bit. There's a sense of closure, knowing someone is no longer in pain, knowing you were there to provide some level of comfort, and being able to support your family. But, there's also a part that's scary. Nan wasn't always coherent, but there were times that she knew she was dying, and she was scared. She was confused, in pain, and had a few panic attacks. It's sad to watch, but I feel like being there was important. I still miss her. <3
A month later, my great aunt Emily passed away. I did not know her in person very well, as she lived in Newfoundland, but her name was very prominent growing up. My mom was raised by her grandparents, and a couple of her younger aunts and uncles were still living at home when she did, including Aunt Emily. Mom always said Aunt Emily was more like a sister to her. She spoke to her almost every single day on the phone while I was growing up. Sometimes I would answer the phone, and we would talk for a bit before I'd pass her over. The call always started with, "do you know who this is?" My nan (Mom's mom, and Aunt Emily's sister) would also always start her phone calls with this line, and I was always worried that I was going to get it wrong. I don't think I ever did, though.
2014 also brought a few big changes. Ben and I moved in together, which makes him the first partner I've lived with. To say it's been perfect would be to speak with rose-coloured glasses. We're still learning to compromise, to balance co-existing, and maintain a feeling of independence. As well, both of us have insecurities from past relationships, and we're still learning to work through those - which I'm sure is normal. All in all, I've been enjoying the ride. Ben is incredibly open-minded, supportive through my ups and downs, and always pushes me to do the things I want. He always makes my happiness a priority, and surprises me with sweet things. We talk and laugh a lot. Ben is always willing to try new things to evolve our relationship however we want it, and is usually proactive with these discussions. He's also very smart and a lot of fun to be around. I still look forward to seeing him every day. :)
I turned 30 this past year; all in all, it's been a good year. :) Now, onto 2015! We must move forward, not backward; upward, not forward; and always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom!