Top 5 of 2017: Highlights

Now that we've seen the hits and misses, I wanted to share my big highlights of the year :) It's funny - I've been so stressed lately and feel like I'm constantly running around that when I started to think of "highlights" I could only think of a few things. Isn't that sad? I had to think about it really hard, but once I did they all started rolling out ... so now I have more than just 5 :) I need to work on my outlook again, but that's something for my reflections post, lol. Here are my highlights this year:

Bert's Eye Surgery Crowd Finding - I posted a plea at the beginning of November to help our new rescued cat get his eye surgery thinking that it was worth a shot since we could not afford the surgery ourselves, and to my amazement it was fully funded 28 hours later. How awe inspiring is that? I've never thought of myself as a "big blogger" who can get crazy amounts of traffic and whatnot, but the generosity of a few followers as well as a few family and friends made this possible for little Bert. This has really made me think about generosity in general. I am still so incredibly grateful for the kindness of these technical strangers. Thank you all so so much! Bert is doing amazingly well, and it is all because of you :)

Listing My House - This was a very long time coming, but I managed to get my house ready and then listed at the beginning of June. Sadly the house is still on the market, but I can't ignore the hugeness of this event. Now someone just needs to buy it, so I guess selling my house will be on this list next year, lol. (P.S. I've even thought about mentioning that the house looks just like the one Mike's family lives in on Stranger Things as a selling feature, lol.)

Running - I don't know if I mentioned it much, but I actually started running in July. This was a huge deal for me since: I hate running, I hate the outdoors in hot weather, and I hate waking up early. I did all of these things for several months 3 days a week. I woke up at 6:30 am to run before work on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as part of the Couch to 5K challenge. It was a crazy slog to make myself do it, and it took serious will power and desire to be healthier, but I stuck with it for months until the hurricane came through (you'll soon notice this is a theme in my life). Even though I did not technically finish the challenge (I kept repeating days to get better at my endurance before moving on), I certainly showed myself that I can do it. I've heard people say it, and now I know for myself, that most of running is a mental thing. If you decide you can do it, you can do it. I'm disappointed that I justified myself into stopping, but I am also very proud that I had the discipline to make myself do it at all.

Taking Up Watercolor Painting - A very nonchalant decision earlier this year lead me to watch Yao Cheng's watercolor classes on Creativebug, which lead to a quick obsession. I decided I might as well try it out, and I went on to take part in her 31 Flowers in 31 Days challenge where I painted a different flower every day in July (the flowers above were some of my favorites I painted that month). I was painting regularly until Hurricane Irma came through, so I stuck with the practice for a few months and I really enjoyed it. I'm happy I gave something completely new a try and I'm really proud of some of the flowers I painted during the challenge :) I definitely want to pick it back up again after my move.

Going to Epcot and Animal Kingdom - This may sound silly, but it really was a highlight for me. I live in Central Florida, so these parks are always a possibility, but considering my situation for the past few years it was in no way feasible to go to any of them. Last Christmas I was able to sing with Soliloquy at a few of the Disney hotels, thus earning me 4 park tickets :) I deliberately saved them for when the weather would be better (read: not so hot you want to die) and when the crowds are smaller, and this year I was finally able to go to the International Food and Wind Festival for the first time. Epcot is my favorite park plus I love trying new foods from different places, so this was the perfect combo. I even had gift cards for the day, so we were able to just eat our way around the park and try anything we wanted :) If you have not been before, I highly recommend it. I will definitely be going again next year. Also the Pandora area in Animal Kingdom is extremely cool, and I didn't even love the movie, lol. We waited 90 minutes to ride the ride - the longest I have ever waited for any ride in my life - and I actually did not feel cheated at the end. That is saying something, lol. I refuse to wait in the lines. All in all these days in the parks were a nice little escape and something fun to do in spite of whatever situation I found myself in.

Sewing my first vintage pattern - I have always wanted to take part in the Vintage Pledge since its inception, yet I always push it off until the year is over and I haven't made up any vintage pieces. This year I had a 60s concert and I needed a costume, so it really was the perfect time to bite the bullet. Now I'm hooked :) I hope to use more vintage patterns next year.

Singing at Disney - Another Disney item on my list, but it's still a pretty big deal for me. The two singing groups I'm in work all year long, but we always try out to sing at Disney over Christmas. This year both groups were chosen, so I am actually singing 8 shows at 4 different hotels :) We've sung around at several concerts and events, but Disney always feels like the biggest deal. Not only is it fun, but we get park tickets as compensation - a total win! So not only does it mean I get to sing again, but I will also keep getting to go to Disney next year. The pictures above are from the 2 performances we've already had, and I will be singing on Wednesday and Thursday as well.

I'm sure I could think of other things, but I will stop there. They really do start rolling when you really think about the year. I guess this year hasn't been so bad :)

Next up: Reflections!