Current mood:	contemplative
Entry tags:	factoids about me

2008 In Review
Wow... I worked on this entry for like two hours! So I hope someone actually reads it LOL

The holidays are coming to an end and I loathe to take down my Christmas tree. I told John I decided we are going to have Christmas all year because I love having a tree so much haha

I can't believe the year is over in two days. This has definitely been the busiest and most action-packed year of my life. I probably won't ever have so many life changing events happen in such close proximity ever again!



Dec 2007

I have to start here. At the beginning of the month I resigned from work at the movie theater, the only job I had ever worked at and my home-away-from-home for seven years! I started out selling popcorn and worked my way up to management over the years. It was a fun job with lots of great memories. Its where I developed my core group of friends I still hang out with and also where John & I first met!

On Dec 19 2007 I graduated from NC State University with a degree in Political Science & Spanish. That same night at my graduation dinner, John proposed to me in front of my family and all my friends!

Dec 28 2007 was my official first day with the police department and a start of a whole new chapter of my life!










January

Rang in New Year's with friends at John's apartment and a whole lot of Rock Band.

Jan 7 I started Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET), the first of 17 looooooong & challenging weeks in Wilson, NC.

Just for fun... follow the links to read about the first weeks in BLET:
Week 1
Week 2






February

February was filled with wedding planning and coping with BLET. Nothing too major but this entry pretty much sums up the month.

dress shopping with my Maid of Honor





March

Highlight of the month was I finally caved and bought my first car... my DREAM car.

A 2008 Mustang GT-California Special.
300 Horsepower.
Dark candy apple red.
And, of course, a stick-shift.

My friend Casey actually taught me to drive a stick-shift the week before I bought it. I simply could not let myself buy an automatic Mustang. It felt like cheating or something!








April

April was the last month of BLET. Two of the toughest weeks were this month... the week at the range and the week at the driving track. Both serious, wicked FUN but if someone fails even one of these weeks... they are GONE.

taking a lunch break at the driving track







May

This was a busy month. I took the state exam and passed with flying colors, which granted me my Law Enforcement Certification so that I could be a sworn police officer. We also had our graduation ceremony for BLET. We were the 88th class of the Coastal Plains Academy and the FIRST to graduate with every single person that started. And this program has been around since the sixtys! My current police chief is actually a graduate from the same program.

Dad pinning my badge


I won the smarty pants award (highest academic average)


For Memorial Day I took a short vacay with the girls to visit Leslie in Texas. It was like a high school reunion minus the people I wasn't interested in seeing haha






June

On June 6 I was sworn in with the police department and the next day I officially started field training. Field training consisted of me working with another officer for 3 months, slowly doing more and more by myself. I learn by doing anyways so I was excited but nervous as hell the first day!





This is also the month John and I moved in together. This was a big deal for me since I have never lived with a guy/significant other before. The most time I'd ever spent with John, no breaks, was a week when we took a vacation in 2007. His lease was ending and the wedding was four months away... so I saw no reason to put it off any longer!




July

I spent the month focusing on field training. About mid-July I worked night shift for 4 weeks which was an experience - I got two DWIs and my first felony drug case.

John and I also celebrated (low-key style) our 5 year anniversary.




August

Birthday month... uneventful since I worked on my birthday. At the end of August I was released from field training and I started work all on my own.

Mom & I caved and hired a wedding coordinator to help us finish up a few things as well as to orchestrate events the day of the wedding. She ended up being a godsend!




September

This was a super busy month as the wedding was coming up quick. My mom's best friend hosted my bridal shower.

John's mother, grandmother, and his five sisters drove into town for my shower!


Me and mom





October
Oh the month of months.

October 3 2008 = The New Best Day of My Life (aka wedding!)














October 5-14 2008 = The New Best Vacation of My Life (aka Honeymoon)

the view from our suite every night









November

Spent the month winding down from all the excitement of the last year. Continued to enjoy life as a newly-wed. I finally finished writing Thank You cards for wedding gifts. John and I drove up to VA the day before Thanksgiving to see Jason Mraz in concert. Then we spent Thanksgiving with my family and family friends.




December

Mom was hosting a Christmas themed workshop at the pole-dancing studio. I brought a few girlfriends along for a fun girls-night in.





This month the department was shaking things up a bit and opened up shift bids for officers to change schedules. I put in the bid to work weekend night shift and started that a few weeks ago.

John & I spent Christmas with his family in Taylorsville. Then we had a fun get-together at home with our friends. We also got our first Christmas tree.







And now I've spent the last few hours wondering where the heck 2008 went and amazed at all the things I've done this year!