2012: A Retrospective

January

...after the Roman god Ianuarius, the god of the doorway, because January is the door to the year.

The beginning of 2012 was as good a start as any to a new year. We had our new puppy, some good friends came to visit us, and we were on the road. Not to mention that TC proposed to me!! 

February

...from the Latin, Februum, named after the Roman purification festival Februa, held on the 15th of the month.

February was a great month. There was the Ren Fest and one of my good friends got married! We started out the month in Colorado and we ended the month in Texas. The beginning of some crazy times...

March

...named after the Roman god of war Martius (Mars).

March led to more Ren Fest and we had our engagement photos taken. They turned out great! 

April

...from the Latin Aprilis, which most likely means "opening", referring to the opening of buds in Spring.

This is a significant photo for the year. I spent a lot of time in this house, and this is a picture of when I stripped the kitchen flood. That's my excitement for April. 

May

...named after the Greek goddess of fertility, Maia.

May... gosh, I love this month. I finally got to meet the entirety of TC's family. The first picture is of his sister, Dakota. The second picture is of the day we got married. We had a lovely, yet tiny ceremony at Splitrock Lighthouse in Minnesota. Couldn't have asked for a better day. For years, I never thought I would get married... and now, here I am!! Married!

June

...named after the Roman goddess of marriage, Juno.

After the wedding, EVERYTHING changed. We went from being on the road all the time to TC getting an office job. We went from having very little to moving into a house with 2 bedrooms. We went from being in the pleasant climate of the southwest to Houston, Texas. Ugh. To be brief, this was a difficult year for me. Our world flipped upside down. I spent a lot of time in a house with nowhere to go and no way to get there. Rommy was my constant companion, and I had to find things to do inside the house. This is a hard time for me to describe to others, I get a lot of "Why didn't you get a job?" and "What do you do all day?" kinds of questions. It's not as simple as that. I didn't have the option to get a job. I didn't have the option to go for walks. I was mostly in the house and in the yard. I was often alone. I spent many months like this, and it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, stay stationary like that. It was totally worth it. TC helped me out when he could, and though he was in the field often, it made me appreciate my time with him all the more. 

The first picture is from a camping trip we took to Jasper, TX (which was terribly hot and humid). There is a gator in the swimming area. We decided to not go swimming. Also, this is the first time I saw an alligator!
The second is from TC's first day of work at the office. First day out of the field!

July

...named after Julius Caesar, although the name Julius comes from the Roman goddess Julus (Venus). 

July got me out and about in Houston a little more, but not too much. I discovered Roller Derby, we had some good friends come and visit us, I went off-shore fishing in the gulf (and discovered sea sickness), and TC and I got to spend a day at an Antique Firehouse for our first cousins (once removed) birthday party... which is to say TC's cousin's children had a birthday party there. 

August

...named after Caesar Augustus. Augustus means "majestic", "increaser", "venerable."

This month was hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. We had our Texas wedding Reception in August, but other than that, it wasn't an exciting month. I worked on my Couch to 5K program, and that was about it. 

September

...from the Latin "septem" meaning seven; i.e the seventh month.

According to the pictures I have, the only exciting thing that happened was that we found a stray puppy. We took him in, fed him, made sure he was safe etc. We tried to bring him in to a shelter and we were told that "he has some pitbull in him" and if we surrendered him, they would euthanize him. He ended up running away. Then he came back 3 days later. We brought him to a shelter that accepts pitbulls and pit mixes. He was a cutie, and super sweet. All the strays around that place, I often wonder where they are now. 

October

...from the Latin "octo" meaning eight.

October let me do some photography at the Smithville Photo Festival. I finally got to see Trampled by Turtles in concert. We carved pumpkins, and I learned how to make cranberry sauce from scratch. Still ridiculously hot in Texas. What a weird place. 

November

...from the Latin "novem" meaning nine.

This was the most exciting month since we were married. The month started out with G.I.S.H.W.H.E.S. (the Greatest International Scavenger Hunt the World Has Ever Seen). It was a blast, and I had an awesome team from all over the world to work with. We also went to the Texas Renaissance Festival a few times, and we moved to a much better neighborhood where I can actually walk to stuff and get out and about. It was glorious. 

December

...from the Latin "decem" meaning ten.

TC was gone for the first part of December, but I still managed to get out and do stuff! I started out the month with Dickens on the Strand (A Charles Dickens themed weekend in Galveston) and a Jonathan Coulton concert! We got to see Zoo Lights at the Houston Zoo and we celebrated Christmas in our new apartment! It was an awesome end to a rollercoaster of a year. 

I hope you enjoyed my look back at 2012! I can't wait to see what 2013 holds. I hope this is the best year yet for everyone!