twenty eleven, in review: america

Last year, I returned to a regular flow of blogging by writing my year in review.  This year, I've re-lived my whopper of a year by going through these photos.  It's an amazing thing, too, because my twenty eleven was, in essence, divided almost nearly in half.

Today, we'll discuss the what-once-was-my-norm half.  January through June. Twenty Eleven. Let's go.

January

I rang in the new year the best way I know how: with champagne, family and not going out into crowds.

On January First, Topher's beautiful and generous mother gifted myself and my favorite Jenny a very luscious pedicure.  What's better to say hello to 2011 than a French tip pedi?

Also in January, I began posting my favorite recipes and giving in to my favorite thing to do on a Thursday (or any day of the week ending in -day) each Tuesday. 

Rounding out January was a meetup with some fellow bees in Annapolis, one of my favorite cities.  If you live near Annapolis, please go to the General Store and get a peanut butter cookie dipped in chocolate.

FInally, in January, I marked a few blogging landmarks, including hitting 100 followers and creating my own header.  I also started Vlog Fridays with some blog friends. My favorite videos for the project may be these out takes, though.

February

This second month was the first lover's holiday that Topher and I spent as a married couple.  To celebrate, the hubster made us a delicious, multi coursed meal.  It was really amazing, and makes my stomach literally hurt thinking about it's deliciousness here in the land of no-such-thing-as-this-food.

Though I didn't write about it until July, this was the month that I met up with my amazing teachers and we played laser tag.  I also may have accidentally made a kid bleed and cry on his birthday. Not my proudest moment of the year, we'll say, yeah? 

February was also the month wherein I really felt like I found a semblance of my written voice.  I wrote two of my all time favorite posts that month: Pretend and The Neverending Stories.

Oh yeah, and then Topher and I found out we were moving to Cambodia. No big deal.

Also, I should mention, I'm quite excited for this February, in the oh-twelve.  It's a leap year, you know!  I'd love to have a child born on February 29th.  Then I'd make the birthday super special and for three years, we'd celebrate on the 28th AND the 1st!  Future February child, you lucky dog, you!

March

In the ides, we headed north to Rhode Island to visit my uncle and godfather.  The oft-discussed and long-awaited trip was fantastic and included trips to the Breakers, some delicious lobster, a little bit of Newport and lots of bumming around.

In March, I also posted one of my most popular Gooey Goodness recipes for homemade Oatmeal Creme Pies, with a twist.

April

Come springtime, I took a trip wherein I only took four photos, the above being the best of the bunch (meaning, heads were included.)  That's the Guinea Pig and me, goofing around the French Quarter in New Orleans with a group of amazing bee friends.  

I also was getting quite nostalgic for my then-current job, workplace, and co-workers and snapped a few blackberry photos of the desk that will (tear!) never be mine again, likely.  It was in such a good spot- facing the much-traversed pathway, with a window to my back, and a heating/cooling vent just above. Le sigh. It's sad to miss a desk area, isn't it?

Oh, and for Easter, I ate a giant chocolate bunny, which is standard tradition around here. Topher heads to Safeway to find the biggest, baddest one around.  Except he knows it can't be Dove or Russell Stover, because I don't like their chocolate all too much.

(Really, I like the cheapest Balmer bunny you can find.  Something about it.)

Let's be honest, I usually end up with two giant bunnies and I eat them both with no shame.

May

Oh May! What a busy, celebratory month you were!  Topher and I spent an entire weekend celebrating our one year anniversary, and I'm pretty sure this is about the only picture I didn't share from our night out in the Capitol Hill area celebrating.  We're riding the Metro.  God, I miss the Metro!

Topher and I also visited a dairy farm for the anniversary, which was an adventure in itself. I look forward to going back someday in 2013 or so!

And then, we were ridiculously adorable enough to get each other nearly matching cards.  Mine on top, his on bottom.  I expounded on our ability to laugh at ourselves in this one year update post I wrote for Weddingbee.

Also in May, Topher, little bro-in-law Scott and favorite (Scott's gf) Jenny and I all traversed to Andrews Air Force Base for the annual Air Show and Open House.  This is pretty much the only picture I took that included planes.  It's becoming a tradition, and I can't wait to pick it back up in 2014!

I also kept this little gem to myself...Topher, uncle John and I all braved a pretty hellish 5k run for the Warrior Dash.  This clearly comes from before the race, as were lost to mud afterward.  I think the last trip through mud and the high-powered spray trucks afterward were my favorite part.  Plus, doing it with Toph and John!

I also made one of Topher's favorite cakes for his birthday in late May, and made it better by adding a caramel glaze.  It was in May that I discovered how much I like making caramel sauce- and how easy it is!  Seriously, sugar, butter, water and a heat source? Ok!

Hubserino and I also took in a last Nationals game in the hottest day of the year with some friends.  I kept telling myself "It'll only be hotter in Cambodia! Get used to it!"

Guess what? I was right.

June

June. Oh June.  It was a crazy, hectic, busy, overwhelming, sad month as I spent my last weeks in my job executing the welcome week for new teachers I'd been planning since January and prepared myself to say goodbye to this group of amazing teachers.  Even now, I find myself thinking about each one of them, especially as the majority- even those beyond their two year commitment- are still teaching. I often will think "I wonder what my corps members are doing this Friday?  If I were there, I'd love to arrange a bowling extravaganza to celebrate the end of the year!" Or some such nonsense.

That same month, Topher and I attended my last TFA party for the time being.  I hadn't missed a celebration for four years running, and it was crazy to think that I wouldn't get to ring in the holidays with the region or welcome the new alums the following June!

To avoid being overly sad, Topher took me to Denny's after the celebration, wherein I drank a giant Diet Coke and ate chocolate chip pancakes.

Clearly, he's a genius.

And so, we've come to the nearly final moments of America-Kate.  The second half of 2011 introduced me to Cambodia-Kate.  She's exactly the same, except she's much sweatier, fifteen pounds lighter, and can speak a tiny bit of a relatively unknown language.

July through December coming tomorrow.

Also, is it crazy for me to want a Leap Year Birthday Child?

And, what really are your thoughts on air shows? I hated them growing up (my neck hurts! it's hot!) but I have a deep and abiding respect for them now.