There were some months in 2008 when things were pretty quiet and others that were quite eventful, whether it be trips we took or losing one of our precious cats. That’s what makes it all balance out, though. I can’t wait to see what 2009 has in store for us!

January
Our first mother-daughter shopping excursion to the outlet mall in Calhoun with my mom, mother-in-law and sister-in-law. I can’t believe it’s been a year since that! We’ll definitely need to make more of an effort to have more mother-daughter outings in 2009.

And, Joe started his first blog, Fitness Geek. Again, I can’t believe it’s already been a year!

February
I started my own business! Sure, the beginning of an economic downturn wasn’t the best time, but I’ve gotten my name out there and will be working more on that in the next year.

And, the cats started The Biggest Loser: Feline Edition program. We discovered that they did pretty well for a while but really weren’t that big into losing weight.

MarchA tornado hit Cartersville and came thisclose to hitting our station. We could see it from our studio in downtown as it rolled through. It was one of the scariest things I’ve experienced but great for journalism. I forsee our coverage winning a Gabby.

Joe put my name on the truck at Wes-man’s for the second year in a row, and we continued our tradition of enjoying my birthday breakfast there.

In the sports world, I did my first NCAA bracket (and finished in the top!) and drafted a kick butt fantasy baseball team which almost won my league but wound up taking second.

April
I had my 10-year high school reunion. Yikes! It was amazing how people really hadn’t changed since high school. Everyone looked and acted the same. Maybe things will be different in another 10 years.

Joe was included in a list of people who had recently passed away at his synagogue.

Joe and I spent a weekend in Savannah. It was my first time in south Georgia, and it was fun seeing the historic squares and river as well as Georgia Southern University in Statesboro where Joe went to college.

May
Joe got a new job! He was hired as the Director of Marketing at the new science museum here in Cartersville. He traded his 2+ hour commute for a 15 minute one and hasn’t missed a day of working in Atlanta.

Two of my siblings graduated from college. My brother, Ryan, graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and my sister, Lisa, graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

My brother got an offer to teach at a school in Taiwan for two years, and he and my sister-in-law decided to accept the job and move.

Joe ran his first half marathon with a finishing time of 2:24:34. I was one proud wifey!

June
One of my stories won a Gabby award from the Georgia Association of Broadcasters! It was the second year in a row that something I wrote won an award.

We surprised Joe’s dad at the cabin for Father’s Day (and almost got shot since he thought someone had broken in) and finished the weekend with a family reunion at my parents’ house.

I was on a panel of journalists interviewing candidates in the July primary election during a political debate. I was nervous, but it went really well and was a lot of fun.

July
This was the worst month for me. My cat, Julius, died from a heart condition. He was only 6 years old. The pain has gotten easier, but I still miss him immensely each day.

And, Ryan, Ori and Harry left for their two-year stint in Taiwan. Ryan and I were never super close, but it was still hard to watch them go.

We did have some good times in July, though. We went to New York to take in a game at Shea Stadium during its last season. The trip was so much fun…until Joe busted his head open and had to have it stapled, that is! 🙂

August
We added a member to our family. We adopted Calliie, a callico kitten, from the Etowah Valley Humane Society. She’s awesome and active, and she’s really helped us get over losing Julius.

Joe won first place in the science fiction category of the Bulwar-Lytton Fiction Contest, which is geared toward finding the worst writing in the world.

We went to Joe’s 10-year high school reunion. It was a lot of fun to meet his high school friends, and we had a blast.

Joe launched his photography business, Joe Schulman Photography!

September
Joe and my brother, Randy, ran their first race together on Labor Day. It was Randy’s first race in years, and they had a lot of fun.

We celebrated our second wedding anniversary. We didn’t go anywhere this year since we were taking a long trip to Ohio later in the month, so we opted for a nice, low-key celebration at home.

My nephew, Harrison, turned 1. It’s amazing how fast that first year went by. It seems like just yesterday he was born!

We went to Ohio for Joe’s best friend’s wedding and hit two baseball stadiums while we were there — the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Indians, the latter of which I somehow forgot to write about!

October
Joe turned 29!

Joe and Randy set a new record for the Southern Shuffle — fastest *parrots* to cross the finish line!

My sister-in-law and I went to the New Kids on the Block concert in Atlanta. It was just like their original tour except now we were all legal. It was so much fun!

November
Our country elected its first Black president.

Joe went with a group of WWII veterans to Washington D.C. to see the WWII Memorial.

I completed my first 5k. I can’t really run because of the arthritis in my knees, but I walked it, and I even managed to run the last 1/2 mile or so. I definitely couldn’t have run any more than that because the pain started to set in, but it was nice to finish it running.

December
We threw our first annual Redneck Wine Tasting Party. It was a blast!

My brother, Randy, graduated from Southern Adventist University. Now, all us kids are college graduates!

The Atlanta Falcons made the playoffs!!

I sprained my ankle taking a tumble down Pine Mountain and am still recovering. Ouch!

What are some of your favorite memories of 2008, and what are you looking forward to in 2009?