happy new year!

• an oyster roast at the pond house with some of my favorite people last night. uncle john cookin' up some nice oysters. although i couldn't eat them, the smell was quite satisfying.
• sparkling pomegranate juice.
• mom's 7 layer dip
• a day off on friday with david to just be together. lunch and visits and a movie to reconnect.
• 2007 and all the joy that it brought. reconnections and reunions, trips and visits.
• january to indiana to celebrate dad's big birthday. some stolen time with craig and michelle and some 2 buck chuck at a pottery place.
• april to sedona with denise to celebrate 20 years of friendship. more 2 buck chuck - massages from the massage school, a bit of hiking, a bit of sleeping late, a trip to the grand canyon, a kiss from a giraffe, vegan food and the pool and hot tub at the resort that rocked! 'upgrading' the rental car to a corolla! we were styling! fancy coffee everyday.
• a july 4th week at edisto.
• a floatilla down the river. out with the tide, in with the tide. lemoncello and boiled peanuts. the best day!
• july and august to park city for training and connections with amazing people.
• 100+ club and a diamond for my watch from last year.
• august to atlanta for the braves game with brad, denise, amelia and wesley for david's belated birthday.
• tyler's 2nd birthday. good conversations with cindy this year about him and them and wisconsin. more reconnection time in 2008.
• labor day to hendersonville.
• the move into the new room and the first fire in the fireplace!
• october to orlando for craig's race. holy cow.
• dad and chris visiting in november.
• a quick trip to asheville in november for a baby shower for kevin and cynthia. reconnection with vance! nicholas, craig and michelle and bird (ha) and ani difranco! and dennis kuchinich. amazing. the house, the food, the company.
• mom's wedding in april. the surprise and delight of that day.
• mom in her purple dress. recently at her all girls' xmas party - a woman said to melinda - 'gasp, did she wear black to her wedding?' 'no,' melinda said,' PURPLE!
• melinda.
• angel oak in all its glory.
• my new family - melissa and jimmy and the kids - justine, caden, little jimmy and shaelyn, sam and jilly bean, whitney. my new aunts and of course - poppie.
• monthly gastronomic delights with chandler, melinda and nicole to discover new restaurants in the city.
• david - in all his forms - david. he's quite bossy right now, but i know it's just because he wants to keep us safe. that is a good man.
• hunting season being over today!!! the wind is up so he might not even hunt tonight!
• my 33rd year being quite nice.
• chandler's principalship track - there's light in her eyes and she's a 4.0 nerd! a masters from the citadel - and she says she's not a feminist!
• nicole's first year of nursing school being over and her being a nerd too.
• michelle's orca summer
• craig's triathalon - 15 hours 23 minutes. we're still in awe.
• benjamin going hunting with david and liking it.
• big d and shelbs big adventure - 8000 miles in a car across the country and back.
• kevin and cynthia's big adventure!
• our big adventure
• dr hargrove
• dr hargrove
• dr hargrove
• the support and love we receive every every day through this pregnancy
• an easy and happy pregnancy
• lexapro and its benefits and its graceful exit from my body.
• a 2008 full of a whole new adventure
• june 2, 2008 when baby smoak shows up - hargrove said there's too much junk 'down there' for this to be a girl. so we'll see. . . .
• weekly ultrasounds
• weekly hugs from her and demands and ultimatums she puts upon david. told him friday it was none of his damn business what my weight looked like - i'm doing perfectly!
• a new year's day planned with family and friends and collards and hoppin' john for a prosperous new year.
• dinner reservations at fig next week for my birthday - food is good - fig!
• the christmas tree being down yesterday when i got home from work! all i did was put the rest of the stuff in boxes and 'poof' - the house is back to it's normal - lived in messy self.
• the new room!
• fires in the new fireplace
• david glowing as he shows off the fireplace to all who enter!
• judy blume
• 2008 being a year of new promises to see if delivered in january 2009. january 21, 2009 to be exact.
• a christmas card from angie saying, 'we are thankful to be a member of a community that supporst us and looks forward to more rational national leadership. we are happy to live in a place where the women are strong, the children are children and the town mechanic is everyone's best friend.' may we be blessed with this in the new year.
• and i could go on and on, but most importantly. . . you. may the new year bless you with tidings more than you could ask for, laughter from the soul, joy in your eyes and plenty of collards and hoppin' john to keep your wallet full and your belly content.