In Review...

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days o' lang syne ?

Oh, 2008. You've been interesting.

For me, you started in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: snuggled up on the couch with Jonathan and the Down Under chapter of our family. We had come in from a lazy evening of sitting on the back porch, in the dark, around the pool, soaking up the last little bite of a dreamy vacation; bedtime came just after the Sydney ball drop due to our early flight to New Zealand the next day...and so it began.

January: We enjoyed a week in New Zealand, tooling around the North Island in our Nissan Bluebird; we hiked Mount Doom, coasted through underground rivers lit by thousands of glow worms, sailed through the Bay of Islands as baby dolphins swam below, and stood beneath the tallest known tree in the world.

February: I started my first adjunct teaching position at the university level and caught the professorial bug; still trying to figure out what to do with it. We were shocked (but I was not suprised) to find out that Jonathan had been offered interviews for optometry school, a whole year before he was eligible. Though we knew he would never get in since his prerecs were still in progress, we were excited for the early opportunity to test out the admissions process and get a glimpse of our potential new homes.

March: We were shocked (and this time, very surprised) to find out that Jonathan was accepted to SCO in Memphis. They called the day after his interview, offering him a spot on the condition that his prerec transcripts were sent to them as soon as they were completed. No explanation other than God's providence and provision. I cried; not quite ready to leave OBU so soon. But I was cheered by a trip to Boston with my two best friends from high school, Meredith and Julie. We ate, we drank, we laughed, we trudged through the rainy streets of Boston, we marveled at modern art (and by marveled I mean: "What the heck is that!?!"), and generally enjoyed the fact that at 25 years old and spread across the map, we still enjoy each other.

May: Through teary eyes, I broke the news of our move to my beloved OBU students. I was a bit of a rollercoaster that month; excited for Memphis, thrilled for my husband, sad to leave a place and a job that I loved.

June: Jonathan kept his nose to the grindstone with more prerecs, while I withered away in an empty residence hall. The RD staff road-tripped to Ohio where I got my first taste of chili on spaghetti (and my last).

July: The Horn family lived it up in Las Vegas, celebrating Dad's 60th birthday at Tao in the Venetian and Ramsey's graduation from Air Force weapon's school. I developed an unhealthy obsession with the Bellagio fountains. Jonathan and I made the 7 hour trek to Memphis in search for a home; though it was a weekend of tears, frustration, and a few "Why God!?!" moments, we were unbelievably blessed to find our sweet little home. Of course, as soon as we discovered that it had a fenced in yard and pet-friendly landlords, we added to our family with the adoption of a 3 month old German Shorthaired Pointer named Weber. I drove to Tulsa to take advantage of soon-ending close proximity to Meredith.

August: We left our mansion in Shawnee (aka, Kerr Residence Hall) and moved to Memphis. Since Jonathan didn't officially begin classes until September, we had the month to explore our new city together and were overwhelmed by what a perfect fit Memphis is for our personalities, interests, and lifestyle. Our friend Mike came to visit and along with our one Memphis friend, Emily (what would I have done without you, Emily!?!), we kicked off the Beijing Olympics with Chinese food in our box-filled home! Pretty sure Jonathan and I watched EVERY broadcast moment of the Olympics this year!

September: Jonathan began optometry school, while I began a season of job-hunting/unemployment). He received his white coat, we made some friends, and I settled into the life of a stay-at-home wife. While it had its dark days, I definitely enjoyed having entire days to fill with exploring Memphis, doing things around the house, and hanging out with Weber. My parents came to visit.

October: Desperate for a job, I was about to head to the mall and apply for a job in retail. The day before I had planned to go pick up applications, I got a call from the U of M, offering a temporary position that I had not even applied for! My networking had paid off, and God had provided. Tom and Anne came to visit, giving us a great excuse to do touristy things like the Mud Island river walk and the Gibson guitar factory.

November: To Birmingham we go! Our dear friend Graham married the sweetest Southern belle, and we were able to join in the festivities with some of our closest friends from OBU. The visit came at just the right time; it provided a getaway for Jonathan, familiar faces for me, and a crazy good time for us all! We celebrated Thanksgiving in Midwest City with the Poes and were able to get a sneak peek at the almost-open Cuppies and Joe.

December: We survived our first round of optometry school finals (and by "we," I mean "we!"), got a visit from the Rimmers, spent a few days at Beaver's Bend, celebrated Christmas in Midwest City, and are about to ring in the 2009 in Fort Smith!

Whew! If you stayed with me that, you should get a prize. I have to prize to offer you, but still, you've earned one. Sometimes blogging is for you, sometimes it is for me. Today it was mostly for me. ;)

Who knows what 2009 holds? (I'm just glad that we're pretty much guaranteed that it will not hold another move!) A few things that are guaranteed: a good God, good family, good friends, and--if I have anything to do with it (and I'm pretty sure I do)--good food.

And there’s a hand my trusty friend!
And give us a hand o’ thine!
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.