A Year in Review: 2010

January 

January started the new year. Going back to school, getting back into the swing of having to be there on time, and doing the homework. A new schedule for me (second semester of my freshman year of college), with new classes. And we went to (at least) 2 little kid birthday parties in the same weekend!

February

Chinese New Year was in February, and the dress Reese wore was one I bought her while in Pingyao in 2009. Absolutely gorgeous. Just sad that she couldn't wear it longer. It's supposed to be a print specific to Shanxi. 

February also brought Reese's first feis (fesh), or Irish dance competition. She'd been taking classes for about 4 months, but watching since we got home from China in 2007. It also poured down snow that same weekend. We left a night early for the feis up in Branson, MO, so we would be sure to get there. It's a good thing, because a good chunk of our dance school from Fayetteville and Fort Smith did not get there. They were snowed in at home. That snowfall/ice kept us out of school here in central Arkansas for about a week, which is rare. We usually get out a day or two at most. ((Pictures of Reese in the snow are from up in Branson; we didn't get that much snow down here.))

March

March brought warmer weather, St. Patrick's Day, and another feis (or that may have been late February). As Irish dancers, we perform quite a bit on St. Patrick's Day/Weekend, usually the weekend is set around whenever the city plans for the parade. Our dance school participates in the St. Patrick's Day Parade and dances at the end. In 2010, we went from there to dance at an assisted living complex, and the next day, we danced at a local Catholic church for their St. Patrick's Day Mass. Mom, Reese, and I also went out a did a "photo shoot" at the Old Mill, which isn't too far from where we live. It was used as the intro in Gone with the Wind. Very pretty place. 

April

In April, Joseph and I started dating. Completely out of left field, and that picture was taken about a week after that first date. I also attended a concert in Tulsa, OK, for my favorite band: 30 Seconds to Mars. I paid extra to get my picture taken with them and be part of the first group into the mosh pit. It was also my first time in the mosh pit. And for 30STM, it was epic. I can't wait to go to another concert of their's. Too bad they don't come near here much. 

Our dance school also has a feis here locally in April; we participated in that. It was also Easter, so there was some cute photo shooting for that in between raining and looking for eggs. 

We also lost my great-grandmother on April 12. She was 90-something years old. She's much missed. I also received an award for being one of the Top 25 GED scorers in 2009. I got a scholarship for that.

 

May

In May, Reese had field day at her school. You'll have to excuse horrid gymnasium lighting for the horrible picture. Joseph and I also took her rock climbing, with an actual person belaying her instead of a machine, in May. She had a bad experience at the Greek Food Festival with an auto-belay that let her fall like 3 feet. We had to repair that. She now loves rock climbing, though we don't get to do it often. Not enough time with school and all. Our Irish dance school also performed at the Greek Food Festival. Odd, I know, but that's how it is. 

I completed my freshman year of college with a 4.0 GPA for the semester. I  was quite excited. 

In May, we also celebrated Reese's 3 year Gotcha Day. :)

June

June consisted of me getting up at 4:30 to be at Toltec Mounds Archaeological State Park by 7:30 am. For 2 weeks of June anyway, felt like a lot longer. I primarily helped in the lab, which was, in my opinion, way better than being out in the field where it topped out at 100+ degrees Farenheit while in direct sunlight...which most of the digging was. And I got to see all the nifty stuff that came in by being in the lab and getting to clean, sort, number, and baggy all of it. That was pretty cool. 

July

July was definitely one of the more awesome months of 2010, as I got engaged, and we began looking at wedding venues (the picture up top is where we have picked). It was a most amazing proposal. Joseph definitely did well. A boat ride and dinner on the Arkansas Queen with an amazing view of the sunset over the Arkansas River, and then a ride in a horse-drawn carriage decorated with black and purple flowes with a white horse, where he later sang to me and proposed. The ring fit, which is amazing since my ring finger is tiny, but he got my mom's help on ring size. :-) So I am currently working on planning a wedding. 

August

August brought looking at a view more wedding venues, which led to a trip down to Hot Springs where Reese got to feed koi fish. We also went to Memphis, TN, to see Reese's eye doctor (she has glaucoma in her right eye), and ventured to the zoo. It was stupidly hot, but could have been worse. 

School started for all of us, with Reese beginning kindergarten at a new school (her old school was only K3 and Pre-K), and my beginning my sophomore year of college. It was hot. We had something like 90 days straight of 100+ degree temps over the summer. 

 I also found out in August that I got an unpaid internship at the Little Rock office of the Make-A-Wish Foundation: Mid-South Chapter.

September

In September, we traveled up to Kansas City, KS, for Labor Day. We competed in a feis there. It was Joseph's first time competing. He began Irish dance in May. We also attended the Kansas City Irish Fest while we were there. It occurs in conjunction with the Kansas City Feis. 

In September, we also celebrated Moon Festival. And once again, it was hot. Not as brutally hot as it had been most of the summer, but pretty darn toasty. It was a lot cooler up in Kansas City.

 

October

On October 8, Reese turned 6 years old. That makes 4 birthdays she's had here at home with her family. She had a fun party with friends at a local gymnastics place around here where she takes gymnastics once a week. 

We also went to the Little Rock Air Show in October. It was Reese's first air show, and I think she enjoyed it. It was fun. On the warm side, but not bad. 

November 

Not much happened in November of note. Reese lost both of her front (top) teeth, but other than that...it was just an insane time with the end of semester and all. Lots of school work to be done, lots of practicing for regionals in dance. 

December

December brought regionals (Oireachtas), the end of semester (finally), and my 20th birthday. :) And of course, Christmas. Christmas was nice, and if you back up like one post, you can see how well it went over for Reese. She cleaned up. :D It's been a long year, with some trying times, and a lot of excitement. Awesome as 2010 was, I'm kind of glad it is over. Not sure another month of it would have gone over well. LOL.

2009's Year in Review is here