I feel like I was just sitting at a bar dressed as a fairy on Halloween and now Christmas has already arrived. I have decided that this year I am going to start making Christmas gifts immediately following the new year. I wanted to give everyone pottery this year, but I only finished a few pieces because I spent a lot of time on one particular piece. So anyway, I hope everyone likes what I bought and hopefully next year I won't have the pressure of finding thoughtful gifts for everyone I love because I will have already MADE them thoughtful gifts. Plus, I feel better giving handmade stuff because it is better for the environment and each person is getting a one of a kind present.

Because it is the end of the year, I thought I would do a little year in review photo style. 2009 was a great and healing year for me after 2008, which was a very sad year for me. Also, I think I'll break it down by month like my friend Annie did in her blog's year end review:

January 2009:


We started the new year off right with a yummy breakfast (pork for good luck!) and a full day of disc golf - it must have been warmer out then!
At the end of the month, my boy celebrate his birthday and I spent the day skiing, he snowboarded, at Timberline.

We also started cross country skiing at White Grass in the Canaan Valley area and we love it! I can't wait to xcountry ski this winter.

February 2009:


We found our house! It's a small rental and we have to share a bathroom, but we love it! We couldn't have asked for more kinder people to rent from either. Also, I can't find the photos but my family and boy went ice skating on Valentine's Day and had a wonderful time! More skiing was done in February and I am sure there were a couple visits to my family's house and his.

March 2009:

We moved into our house! Even though it was only March, we were ready for spring and bought a grill! We also started making plans for our garden and then on March 12th, this happened: 

 
But luckily, it melted quickly and this started happening:



This photo was seriously taken 7 days after that snow photo was taken! I LOVE LOVE LOVE spring! I especially loved the many hikes we took in the spring with the brightly colored baby ferns uncurling and all of the little flower buds reaching up towards the sky. There is no better way to describe the vibrant new green leaves in the forest than "spring green." After a winter of gray skies and bare trees, the color of spring green makes my eyes feel like they are waking up and coming out of hibernation. I love it! March also brought the beginning of our garden and we planted onions, brussel sprouts, cabbage, and other vegetables that didn't do quite so well. March also brought my cousin Jen's baby shower and a visit from my boy's parents who live in Florida.

April 2009:



In April, my friend Rachel came over and we made Easter eggs, which I had to post again because they turned out so pretty. I still don't know what they are putting in the egg dye these days, but they were bright! I got the curtains in my kitchen finally made (thanks Gram!), went to Wheeling for Gram's 80th Surprise Birthday Party, went home to my family's house for Easter, road bikes along the Greenbrier River and turned 26!

May 2009:



May brought a lot of rain. Rain Rain Rain - and basement flooding. But, we survived! And, my now sister-in-law had a beautiful bridal shower.  I also started taking pottery classes in May and I still am and I love it!

June 2009:

The garden started growing! With this came a lot of grilling out and evenings spent with my boy hanging out on the back porch.


July 2009:


We spent the 4th of July weekend in Wheeling with my boy's family. We saw fireworks at Oglebay, and then went back to the farm and had smores and drinks around a big bonfire - we also had sparklers! We also spent the day at Gram and Pap's eating typical 4th of July food and Gram made the best apple pie I have ever had - so good, I had to make sure it made it into my year in review! haha

By this time, everything was in full bloom and I spent a lot of time taking photos of flowers. Again, like spring, it was a pretty rainy summer and we didn't have many days that topped 90 degrees. My boy and I hiked 3 to 4 times a week in the evenings when I would get home from work and I don't have many photos from that because we usually just take his little point and shoot camera on hikes (if we remember it!)

August 2009:

August started out amazing. We left for California on July 30th and spent the first week of August traveling around Northern California, which I blogged about extensively, so I won't do it again here. We loved our trip and I can't wait to go back again. But, we are thinking maybe Colorado for our next vacation. We finished our California Vacation with a PHISH show at the Shoreline Amplitheatre and it was awesome! I don't have any photos from it though - no cameras allowed.




September 2009:

I was in a friend's wedding and went to her bridal shower. Otherwise, the month was pretty calm and filled with evenings of disc golf, hiking and spending time with the boy.

October 2009:

Yep, I am getting tired of this year in review thing.


We carved pumpkins, had a great Halloween (I was a woodland fairy and boy was a pile of leaves!).

November 2009: Yep, Thanksgiving was awesome and we had dinner with my family.

December 2009: Yep, now it is December and this year has gone by so fast. I am very thankful that this year was so calm and filled with hiking, gardening, pottery, making ear*dings, spending time with my family and boy. I am truly thankful for everyone in my life, my job, my awesome boyfriend. I hope 2010 is even better and our garden doesn't get blite this year, yeah, I left a few things out! haha