In Review

2008: I've had better. I've most assuredly had worse.

The year begain with the gleeful news that we would welcome a second beautiful Smith child into the world in mid October. Shortly after that, we lost that little blastocyst, or embryo. I prefer to remember it as a blastocyst, just a little ball of rapidly multiplying cells. Unfortunately for this little cell monster, the cells would not reproduce. Chromosomal defect according to my wonderful OB/GYN, Dr. Bo Charles Li. So, a few weeks later, on into February, I had the remnants of the pregnancy removed from my uterus via a D&C.

I quit my job as a mortician, but I retain the license. Really, who knows when you'll need to embalm someone/thing. Now, there is the assumption that I kill animals to embalm them. I do not. I love the animals. I love the dead. I love them more dearly than the living, and I'm sure that this seems morbid and reprehensible.

In April, I began my current post as #1 substitute teacher at Iuka Middle School in Iuka, Mississippi. If the pay were better, I would continue the substituting and not worry with going back to school to get the long overdue Bachelor's degree necessary to teach the childrens. But, I am doing that too.

In August, I went back to school. None of my mortuary science crap transferred, so it's back to sophomore year for me. I have one education class this semester, and the rest of them will begin in the fall. And, by the time I write a notice like this in 2011, I'll be a certified middle school teacher.

Back to shitty 2008.

Backtrack

In May, our little family went to the St. Louis Zoo. It's free and very nice and the only vacation we could afford. It seemed to suffice. (Keep your eye on the prize!)

Aug. 29: I turned 27 (rock star death age)

Sept. 20: Jeremy turned 33 (Jesus death age)

Nov. 2: Ethan turned 4

Halloween: Ethan went as Indiana Jones

Throughout the year, we, more I, went back and forth trying to decide if it was time to procreate again. Then, there's the chronic battle with my weight. Five days ago, we (Jer and I) started the Weight Watchers again. I did well on it about a month post miscarriage. Of course, I gained it all back, and here we are again. I refused to wait for the New Year to start. I feel better already. With the WW, the weight loss is slow, but we're eating better foods. That must be it. I've sullied myself up with all those toxic foods for so long. And, speaking of....

Tonight, on New Year's Eve night, Ethan will be in bed by ten, and then the merrymaking begins. We have four Corona Lights in the fridge left over from Brandy's birthday party. Oh, and we have some limes. We'll have tortilla rolls (sour cream, cream cheese, chiles, garlic salt, jalepeno cheddar tortillas) and chocolate oatmeal cookies. I saved all my points and weekly points for the debauchery to insue.

That's it. The end. Here are the last pictures I took in 2008. Some are Ethan and some are of all the planets right after sunset. The ones of Mercury and Jupiter just above where the sun was setting didn't turn out very well. Well, you could see Jupiter but no Mercury. So, we'll just settle for the crescent moon and Venus, at its brightest. It's not a great picture either.

Have a happy 2009! That is all, just happy.