Oh 2019, you definitely tested me. It seems as if almost every month I was going to another funeral, but if anything, you made me stronger. There was also a lot of 1st birthday parties and babies being born. Let’s kick back and look back on what happened.
2019: Part A
January: When the calendar changed to 2019, I couldn’t have been more excited. 2018 ended with my uncle passing away unexpectedly, so I was looking forward to starting the new year. I had big plans for 2019, including a trip to Hawaii (more on that later). But to start, I had to turn 32. As usual, my birthday falls during Center City restaurant week, so the usual group went to Chop on my birthday. We were looking forward to an excellent meal based on the reviews, however, we left very underwhelmed. However, a week later, A and I tried Butcher and Singer for the first time. This restaurant made up for the underwhelming birthday dinner from the previous week.
February: A and I drove south for a day trip to meet up with my best friend and her family. While eating lunch, I was asked to be their baby girl’s god mother. Of course, I said yes!
March: March was a rough one as we said our final goodbyes to my uncle. This made his death feel real and I was finally able to start dealing with his death.We made the best of the weekend and turned it into a long weekend visiting friends and visiting Love signs in Virginia.
April: In April, my best friend was calling to let me know S was about to become a big sister. I was so excited for my best friend to become a mother to two kids.
May: In May, we got to find out the gender for one of my other best friend’s baby. Baby D was gonna be a…BOY! We also found out another good friend was about to become a dad for the 1st time! Additionally, A and I (well, mainly me) decided to take a trip to Harpers Ferry for a day of hiking.
June: Ugh, this month would forever change my family dynamic. My Dad and I headed south at the end of the month to move my grandmother home. A and I live in my grandmother’s house, however, due to her age, and the amount of steps in the house, she moved into my parents house with them. No one was happy, but we had to do what was best for my grandmom and staying where she was, was not the best option. With the move, Hawaii had to be postponed.
2019: Part B
July: This month I was able to see my goddaughter again for her birthday and my other best friend who came up from Florida for her neice’s birthday! It’s always so much fun to see my two best friends at the same time. This month I also got to see my cousin and her boyfriend, who came up to spend the weekend and go to a Phillies game. I may be bias, but I hope they don’t break up. It would be fun to go to Phillies games in the future with them!
August: This month I should have been packing my bags and heading to Maui for a tropical vacation. A had never been and I was excited to show him some of my favorite Hawaiian locations. Sadly, this year I could only dream of the islands and relive the relaxation through photos. This month also saw our goddog, Bobby, cross the rainbow bridge. Bobby was the goodest dog around and he is missed greatly.
September: September was time to celebrate A’s birthday. He decided this year would be his “go big or go home” birthday. I surprised him with a trip up to New York to go hiking at Harriman State Park in Sloatsburg, followed by wine tasting at Brotherhood Winery. Later that week, it was time for A’s birthday dinner at Na’Brasa in Horsham. Let me just say, that limo ride was fantastic.
October: By the time October rolled around, A and I were ready to celebrate our six year dating anniversary and 2 year marriage anniversary. Since the two dates are four days apart, we celebrate both at the same time. We decided to take PATCO into the city, and since we had time to kill before our reservation at Butcher and Singer, we found a bar for some pre-dinner drinks. It was the perfect evening.
November: One word sums up November…Turkey. As usual there were two holiday dinners. Unfortunately, the tradition of Black Friday shopping ended as everyone involved had to work the day after Thanksgiving. Maybe next year.
December: I can’t say I was sad to see 2019 come to a close this month. There was so much death this year, it was hard to get into the Christmas spirit. Between all the holiday parties, A and I did manage to keep two traditions alive this month…going to see the Transiberian Orchestra and our annual trip to Longwood Gardens to see all the lights. On a positive note, our friends rescued another dog and A and I are now the proud doggy god-parents to Ryder! Another positive note saw a very dear friend return home from deployment just in time for Christmas!
2020: A Preview
2019 challenged me like no other. I feel like I came out stronger than I should have, and for that I thank you. Can’t wait to see what is in store for 2020, but I hear Poland sounds nice.
