it was the year 2009.

Let's cheer up this blog a bit here.
Here are some of my top 5's for 2008:

Top 5 Accomplishments:
1. Flying far away on my own
2. Learning to drive a motto
3. Successfully planning the completion of my degree
4. Painting and doing artsy things again
5. Conquering "Dance Dance" on basic on DDR. I know. I aim high.

Top 5 Funny moments:
(caution, these will be long.. but funny!)
1. The motto accident, as was previously posted about. Regardless, the story shall briefly be shared. Brianna and I were in a very minor accident in Cambodia, which occurred when we had to turn very suddenly on her motto to avoid someone. Brianna managed to bail, however I was sitting sidesadle like a lady, and fell backwards, back to pavement, legs in air. Picture THAT. (...I had put on a skirt that day and then suddenly changed my mind. kind of made it all seem a bit better).
2. Laughing fit with Jon on Christmas day. It was seriously about 3 minutes long. For the record, that's a long time when you're laughing.
3. The development of the spider killing technique of: see spider, yell at spider, drop binder on spider, drop kick on binder, break binder and spider.
4. Jill and I may or may not have mooned MBCI. Kind of a remenicent moon, as we did it once the summer after grade 12, when we both "snuck out" for the first time.
5. 101 moments with Joelle at work. One to highlight may definietly be a moment during the Euro cup. There was a large group of Italian youths gathered outside of Bar Italia shouting their support for their soccer team. Joelle and I attempted to slip past with our street cleaning cart unnoticed, but it was to no avail. As we walked towards them on our way back to the office for lunch, they joined in a chorus of "YEAH CLEANING LADIESSSSS!!!!". I turn red easily. That was beyond red.

Top 5 most exciting moments:
1. Landing in Cambodia
2. Driving a motto
3. Going to Vietnam
4. Seeing the Backstreet boys
5. Exams being DONE.

Top 5 Beautiful moments:
1. 2008 was perhpas a rougher year for the emotions. I have beautiful friends who would never tire of caring for my broken little heart, and every moment that they did so so selflessly, was one of the most beautiful.
2. Watching the sun rise of ankor wat.
3. When a particular youth approached me and humboled me in a beautiful way. She, a wise beyone her years 14 year old girl (...maybe 13? shoot), expressed to me that she understood I was not doing well and was praying for me and would be there should I need it. It reminded me of the verse that begins with "do not let others look down on you because you are young". Not that I'd ever looked down on here EVER, but she spoke to me as a peer with confidence, and her heart shone out so brightly.
4. Every moment that I became aware the God was using, shaping, teaching, or loving me.
5. Many a moment with Andrew. Amongst the best, would likely be the evening we started dating, because it was perfect. Also among those would be when we were secretly smitten by the other but not saying yet, and my smittenness went beyond a hope when he shoved a chop stick through his lip ring and made me laugh really hard. I don't fall for the normal stuff...

Happy 2009. Yesterday I thought the last day of 2008 was going to be unsalvagable (crappy morning, sisterless, car accident (in which everyone was okay and it wasn't my fault), and emotional distress), but it managed to come around, as all things do. I hope you have high hopes for 2009. I know it's just one day that marks the fact that we have to cross off "2008" when we write it by accident on the top right hand corner of our notes or letters and rewrite "2009", but still. Happy New Year.