The One with the 2011 Recap.

As was the case last year, I am taking the time now to look back on the past twelve months of my life. It's been a roller coaster ride of ups and downs and twists and turns, but it certainly has also been a year of many firsts, many lasts, and many experiences and opportunities I wouldn't trade for anything.

Dear 2011, thank you for:

• 2011 resolutions (some I met, some I did not... which I will share in a later post)
• Completely inappropriate laughing fits
• In general, lots and lots and lots of laughing
• Sushi
• Wii Fit
• Incredible productions I was able to attend (especially the ones I didn't expect to be as brilliant as they were!)
• A total of 45 pounds gone (since September 2010), 15 pounds this year
• Grapes
• Maddie and our Make-A-Treat Sundays
• A Tale of Two Cities
• Days of Plenty Benefit Concert
• Slumbies
• Waffles
• Stephanie J Block & Julia Murney
• Size 2/Gold Pants
• Diet Dr. Pepper
• BOOKS
• Time to myself
• Loving myself and therefore loving those around me more
• A dream role
• Mom's visits
• Mom, in general
• New, wonderful, dear, sweet friends
• Old friends
• Some of the most heartwarming emails
• Teachers
• Ames and Emily
• Kyle
• Mackenzie, Rick, Olivia, Jenessa (and many other people who were friends "before" and are still friends now)
• Rockstar Recovery energy drinks
• My new iPhone
• Making my blog private
• "The Book of Awesome"
• Moving to Salt Lake
• Talented, talented, talented, talented friends (Holy cow, did I mention they're talented?)
• Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
• Random (but unbelievably wonderful) acts of kindness
• Nitro Freeze
• Fireworks and best friends
• Back-to-back shows
• Shopping for my costumes... whaaaa?
• Joseph and the Amazing Show I Did a Zillion Times
• The sickness from hell (... I actually am grateful for this because it PASSED.)
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• Learning how to say no
• Tiny Wings (shh, don't judge)
• Fun, fun weekends
• Restarting the blog
• A new bed
• Mary and Martha
• Megan & Megan
• Puppies
• NY apartment-searching
• Homemade Thanksgiving dinner
• Comfortable comfort parties
• Werewolf game nights
• The Help
• Movies and movies and movies
• Tucanos
• New music
• Desperate Housewives
• Grey's Anatomy
• Modern Family
• The Tributes to Thanksgiving blog month
• GRADUATION
• Bangs
• The audition that ne'er saw a callback
• A Christmas Carol
• The trip home for the holidays
• Les Miserables in Dallas (I'll cover more on that later, as well)

I am quite certain that I missed a few things here and there, but I'll fill those in as they come to mind. These experiences and instances are as memorable as they are because of the people that I share them with: family and friends, old and new. I am so humbled by the continuous blessings each and every one of you are.