oh 2008, how much did you rule?

wow, what a year! i haven't even put up a new calendar because i am sort of sad to see this year end. it was a really amazing year for us. i have written this post in my head many times, but i'm afraid it will still lack direction. i guess it's part year end highlights, part performance evaluation for me and part tooting my own horn. 

what i want remember about 2008, a list:

1. this year we were seriously healthy. i prepared whole food meals, for three meals a day, every day of the work week. i learned a lot, especially about homemade fake meat, and the whole family benefitted. it was especially awesome to see the kids eating all of these things that i know i had not even heard of until my adult life. they are so lucky.

2. this year we began using cloth diapers and have had amazing success. we have bought maybe 3 packages of disposables for vacation and emergencies since early spring. i wish we had done it sooner. it's not hard but does take effort and i am proud that we have been up for the challenge.

3. bee learned how to swim this year.

4. i lost what probably amounts to about 40 pounds this year. it's crazy to even think about it as a number. i know a lot was just baby weight, but a lot was all me (and cookies). more importantly though, i am so strong now. i have never been in this kind of shape. even though i feel like i have a long way to go before i look the way i want to, i FEEL so amazing. i can run (for up to 8 minutes at a time!!!) and i am STRONG.

5. we traveled as a family, out of the country, to aruba. this was one for the books. our trip couldn't have been better or more relaxing. the relaxing part came as a big surprise to me with our almost-crawling baby and three year old in tow, but relaxing it was. and the memories!

6. we grew a beautiful garden and reaped the benefits of an amazing farm share. all this amounted to much good cooking as well as some success with "putting up". 

7. bee switched schools and with the move we found an amazing fit for her and for us, what a good feeling.

8. we have watched henny grow from a tiny smiling, dozing, sling-goer to a running, laughing, mild attitude-having little boy! he is such a joy and watching him grow this year has been such a gift for us all. he is more than we could have imagined.

9. this year D and i officially settled on the fact that what we have here will be our family, period. i sometimes feel sadness about never being pregnant again, but mostly i feel a sigh of comfort. our family feels so good, and so complete with henny and bee. it just feels right.

10. finally, i managed to record the things that i felt were important for our family to remember, here. sometimes is was a joy and the words flowed, sometimes it was a chore. i am so happy now to have such a great record for us all. now if we could just find a site that makes a nice book of your blog.

and on tap for 2009 or dare i say, resolutions:

1. "put up" much more food this summer.

2. try to look people in the eye more.

3. create some sort of daily thanks ritual for the family. after the success of our thanks/giving trees i was inspired. 

thank you 2008, you were one hell of a year!