Top 9 of 2009

First, I'll begin by saying Caleb and I had a wonderful Christmas break. We enjoyed being lazy, doing Christmas-y stuff, and spending time with friends and family. Probably my favorite thing we did was visit Rock City's Enchanted Garden of Lights. We decorated gingerbread men, ate cookies, sat on Santa's lap (Caleb only), and of course saw thousands of lights. It was all very festive. Caleb got everything he wanted for Christmas...and then some. His two main wishes were granted: remote boxing robots and Spike the Dinosaur. We had a blast and neither of us are ready to go back to school...

I'm following the lead of a couple of friends and listing my Top 9 of 2009. This was a year of many changes and many blessings for the sunshine household. Here's a list of my favorites, in no particular order...

#1: Twilight. Need I say more? Almost a year ago I was sucked into this phenomenon and my love for this saga just keeps growing. I've read all the books and seen both movies more than once. Thank you Stephanie Meyer (the author, in case you didn't know).

#2: Caleb turned 5. He is growing up way too fast, but I just love the person he is becoming. Such a tender-hearted, affectionate, funny guy. He's already counting the months until he turns 6.

#3: Beach trips. It's no secret that we love the beach. And we are giddy whenever we are able to visit one. This year we were able to go not just once, but twice! The first time we went with my mom to Myrtle Beach, SC (this is where we go the most and love it). The second time we went to Destin, FL with a couple of my girlfriends and their kids. Caleb was the only boy, but I don't think he minded one bit. This child is a heartbreaker in the making, and I will definitely have my hands full.

#4: Officially a party of 2. After more than a year of being separated from my ex, I officially became single again. It's an adventure, to say the least. God continues to show me things about myself and teach me lessons (not all are fun), but I'm honestly amazed at how far He's brought me and how different I am today. You may think it's strange for this to be on the list, but I don't. That's because I KNOW this is the start of a life more wonderful than I can imagine. 

#5: Caleb started kindergarten. I can remember when he was a baby and thinking how far away that seemed. But of course it came at warp speed. I'm so proud of how much he's already learned. He loves math and is really becoming interested in reading. As a teacher, this makes me happy, but as a mom it sends me over the moon. I also love that he goes to the same school where I teach. That makes life for the both of us much easier!

#6: Installing wireless internet. There are two reasons I listed this. First, being able to go online anywhere in my house or just outside is nothing short of awesome. Second, I installed it all by myself. And I was successful. Yay me! 

#7 is two-fold, so bear with me... 
#7a: Getting a MacBook Pro. I devoted a blog to this subject, so I won't go into details. But I love my MacBook. I will never own another PC again. It should've come with its own superhero cape.
#7b: Upgrading to my iPhone. "You're eligible for an upgrade." How many of us feel like little kids when we hear those words? Too bad it only happens once in a blue moon. Because of my love for MacBook, I took the plunge and got an iPhone. Again, I wrote about this in a previous blog, so I will keep it short. I am finding new reasons everyday to love my iPhone. It's genius. I believe the person at the head of a parade should wave this in the air instead of a baton because the fanfare that follows is appropriate for this phone...although it's so much more than just a phone. I'm just smitten with all things apple.

#8: Discovering The Office. A couple of friends turned me onto this show, and it's absolutely the best thing on tv. So witty, silly, and has a lot of heart. Right up my ally. Besides, Jim Halpert may just be the "perfect guy."  

#9: Turning 36. A birthday is a milestone at any age. I'm a year older and definitely a year wiser (probably more than that actually). Also, my parents got me a flat screen tv and a Blue Ray player. I was super shocked but so deliriously excited about that! Edward looks even better on Blue Ray... ;)

Happy New Year!!