2012 was a wonderful year for my husband and me. Here are few highlights of the many blessings from this past year.
1. We moved into a little jewel box of an apartment, close
to downtown, and gradually decorated the apartment.
Family members donated furniture and their creative talents, so that we now live in a "Country French" style dwelling, decorated with a few family antiques and some original creations from my artistic sister and aunt.
2. We ate at Uchiko for the first time and instantly had a new favorite restaurant.
Valentine's Day 2012 found us trying out an Austin favorite, whose executive chef, Paul Qui, was being featured on Bravo's Top Chef at that time. The meal was the best of our lives and I got my photo taken with Paul, who was later announced as the Top Chef winner.
3. I became a professional mediation coach.
I've been involved in various aspects of mediation for about two and a half years, but this year I started getting paid to train new mediators working toward their basic mediation certificate.
4. A worthy non-profit organization that I had been assisting was approved for federal tax exempt status.
After a long application process and then months of waiting to hear, I was a very happy attorney when I received a text from my client saying that the organization had been approved.
5. My brilliant husband was assigned to one of the most important cases at his agency.
If you know my husband, you know that he's a genius. His agency caught on to this, too, and assigned him to a team working on a major case. He worked very hard and spent many long nights at the office, but the end result was good and earned him a new workplace nickname: The Hammer.
6. We visited Niagara-on-the-Lake in the summer with my family and were able to celebrate our wedding anniversary with high tea at the Prince of Wales Hotel.
Tea, carriage rides, butter tarts, lots of live theatre, and my immediate family staying in a Georgian-style house -- is this Ontario or a little piece of heaven?
7. The husband and I each had career success.
This year we both received more responsibility in our positions and were recognized for our contributions. No one calls me The Hammer, but I do have a reputation for "turning coal into diamonds" in the editing process.
8. I co-presented a national webinar and it went well.
Some of you know how fond I am of public speaking, so you understand that the part that I am most proud of in giving this presentation is that I did not die.
9. Another worthy private client had a major success at the end of the year.
Picture me receiving a copy of a letter from a federal agency and then falling down on the floor in a spasm of joy. It was a good result and better than I had allowed myself or my client to hope for.
10. I updated my look with a new 'do and some Princess Kate boots.
In June, I got me some bangs and some darker brown hair, a la Anne Hathaway in Devil Wears Prada. By December my bangs had grown out, so I asked my sister to cut them again, which she did, with me sitting on the edge of the bathtub and her having to pause every few snips to let out her nervous laughter.
Also, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge and I are boot buddies! I saved a little bit each month until I could finally afford the perfect ankle boots that Kate is frequently seen in.
11. We got to watch my little sister receive a letter from Hogwarts on Christmas morning, letting her know that she is taking a surprise trip to Disney World and Universal Studios.
My little sister loves movies, but especially Disney movies and the Harry Potter series, so this surprise trip, which will include a visit to the new Harry Potter park at Universal Studios, seemed like the perfect gift from my parents. My sister was excited, but her first response to the Hogwarts letter, which my other sister had spent a lot of time making, was: "In the movie, it's in cursive."
12. The Notre Dame football team had an undefeated season and will play in the national championships.
What a magical season. Go Irish!
Sunday, January 6, 2013
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