As we say good-bye to 2013 and hello to 2014, I wish you joy that never ends and happiness with all your family and friends.

Reflection:

Where were you and who were you with when 2013 began?
In my bed with Rory, waking up just in time to watch London fireworks on TV. Tobie asleep.

Where will you be and who will you be with when 2013 ends?
Going to watch fireworks at 7pm, then back home for cuddles with Tobie and once again in my bed with Rory, waking up just in time to watch London fireworks on TV - unless Tobie is still awake.

Was 2013 a good year for you?
It was a bit tiring but overall, yes.

What was your favorite moment of the year?
Finally getting to take Tobie to the US to meet his grandparents, cousins and Aunties and Uncle.

What was your least favorite moment of the year?
One of the vomit/poo fests Tobie had. Take your pick.

Did you reach your New Year goals for 2013?
Some.

-Continue to lose weight- I did, up until I found out I was pregnant again.

-Travel to the US with Tobie to meet family- Yes!

-Read the 3 books waiting in line to be read- 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

-Buy an awesome bicycle with a basket and bell and take some lovely rides with Tobie- No. But someone gave me a functional bike that I hope to use next year.

-Move house closer to London- No. With the discovery of my second pregnancy this was not in the cards.

-Let people know how much they mean to me even though they've grown distant- I feel I've done my best with this.

-Be the best wifey and mother I can be and never let a day go without telling Rory and Tobie how much I love them- Yes!

What was your favorite month of 2013?
May - finding out number 2 was on the way.

Did you travel in 2013?
Got to go home to the US and while part of the UK (for now at least) we spent Christmas in Scotland, which was a nice change of scenery!

Did you lose anybody close to you in 2013?
No.

What was your favorite movie that you saw in 2013?
The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug

What was your favorite song in 2013?

What was your most exciting moment of 2013?

What was your proudest moment of 2013?
Watching Tobie make developmental leaps.

What are your goals for 2014?

-If possible, have a water birth with 'Squirrel'

-Travel to the US with Tobie, 'Squirrel' and Rory to celebrate our 5 year anniversary.

-Get a chariot for my bike to take Tobie and 'Squirrel' for rides

-Find new ways to express myself to cope with being a mother of 2 little ones.

- Continue to let people know how much they mean to me even though they don't stay in touch much.

- Be the best wifey and mother I can be and never let a day go without telling Rory, Tobie and 'Squirrel' how much I love them.

Cheers to a happy new year!

On the eve of each New Year we often reflect on our lives. As we say good-bye to 2012 and hello to 2013, I wish you joy that never ends and happiness with all your family and friends.

Where were you and who were you with when 2012 began?
In the living room of our new home with Rory, Stickybean and Blinky.

Where will you be and who will you be with when 2012 ends?
At home with Rory, Tobie and Blinky.

Was 2012 a good year for you?
Absolutely yes!

What was your favorite moment of the year?
Announcing the birth of our first child Tobie Joshua Webber.

What was your least favorite moment of the year?
The entire work saga which culminated in me handing in my notice.

Did you reach your New Year goals for 2012?
50/50

• Continue to lose weight - YEP!

• Travel to the US with Stickybean to meet family- No :(

• Read the 5 books waiting in line to be read - read 2 of the 5

• Buy an awesome bicycle with a basket and bell and take some lovely rides with Stickybean and Rory - nope :(

• Get my UK driver's license- YEP!

• Buy a car - YEP!

• Be the best wifey and mother I can be and never let a day go without telling Rory or Stickybean how much I love them- YEP!

• Make my cat famous for her awesome fetch skillz and run a line of crazy T-shirts, even if it's just for us :) - if I could figure out how to get my flippin' videos posted....sigh

What was your favorite month of 2012?
February - Tobie's arrival!

Did you travel in 2012?
Not outside the UK- this is a FIRST! I had to renew my UK visa, so I've been without a passport for months now! Grrrrrr. My travel bug is very, very unhappy about this.

Did you lose anybody close to you in 2012?
My Mamaw (mother's mother) in January :(

What was your favorite movie that you saw in 2012?
Strange as it sounds, I was actually impressed with Looper. It was much deeper than appears on the surface.

What was your favorite song in 2012?
Tie:
Somebody that I used to know by Gotye and
Skyfall by Adele

What was your most exciting moment of 2012?
That last push when Tobie finally entered the outside world and I became a mother; something I NEVER thought would happen.

What was your proudest moment of 2012?
Me: Getting my UK license
Parenting: Tobie's first steps were pretty heartwarming.

What was your most embarrassing moment of 2012?
Can't think of anything funny...

What are your goals for 2013?

• Continue to lose weight- I've lost all the pregnancy weight and am back to where I was when I first left for Doha. Only 40 more pounds to go!

• Travel to the US with Tobie to meet family.

• Read the 3 books waiting in line to be read.

• Buy an awesome bicycle with a basket and bell and take some lovely rides with Tobie.

• Move house closer to London.

• Let people know how much they mean to me even though they've grown distant.

• Be the best wifey and mother I can be and never let a day go without telling Rory and Tobie how much I love them.

Cheers to a happy new year, celebrate safely and have fun!!!

As The New Year Rings In
On the eve of each New Year we often reflect on our lives. As we say good-bye to 2011 and hello to 2012, I wish you joy that never ends and happiness with all your family and friends.

Where were you when 2011 began?
In the 33rd floor Sky Lounge of Nido watching London fireworks.

Who were you with?
Rory, my boss, his wife and a few friends.

Where will you be when 2011 ends?
At home.

Whom will you be with when 2011 ends?
Rory.

Was 2011 a good year for you?
Overall yes, but a difficult year in terms of loss.

What was your favorite moment of the year?
Announcing to our parents that we were going to have a baby.

What was your least favorite moment of the year?
Finding out my nephew had cancer, my dog Bambi died and that Joshua had died.

Did you reach your New Year goals for 2011?
Most of the them!

Lose weight- I lost 18 pounds before getting pregnant!

Travel to Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Russian Federation, Denmark, Gibraltar, Brunei and Ireland. I’ve also got this thing about SCUBA diving shipwrecks in Bermuda - Made it to Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and Denmark.

Rewrite a more comprehensive Resident Handbook - did it!

Read more. More specifically, read at least 2 books per month - read more, but didn't reach that specific goal. Pregnancy made me so tired and sick the first 5 months reading wasn't on the menu.

Beat Dead Rising with all endings, all survivors, all quests and full levels. Zombies! - Negative. Couldn't be bothered to play games either.

Buy an awesome bicycle with a basket and bell and take some lovely rides in London. - Nope. Once it came time for nice weather we found out Stickybean was on the way and basically bicycle riding isn't allowed :(

Get to know London better. Start utilizing my secret black book to mark bus routes and hidden treasures we come across in our excursions. - Yep!

Grow more ‘duck feathers’ to let certain things roll off my back a little more quickly. - Yep.

Be the best wifey I can be and never let a day go without telling Rory how much I love him. - Absolutely!

Make my cat famous for her awesome fetch skillz and run a line of crazy T-shirts. OK, this one is a joke, but it would still be fun. - Seriously thinking of this one for next year....

What was your favorite month of 2011?
May; we both stared at the pregnancy test stick in awe.

Did you travel outside of the US in 2011?
Indeed: England, Holland, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Russia, Sweden and Poland.

Did you lose anybody close to you in 2011?
I did. Our dear Joshua and my sweet little Bambi.

What was your favorite movie that you saw in 2011?
Hmmm....I think the King's Speech

What was your favorite song in 2011?
Someone Like You by Adele

What was your most exciting moment of 2011?
Buying our first home together.

What was your proudest moment of 2011?
Being part of the winning team for a prestigious award for Environmental Excellence in the UK.

What was your most embarrassing moment of 2011?
Rocking up to the airport only to find out our tickets were actually for the day PRIOR.

What are your goals for 2012?

• Continue to lose weight- I was doing well before getting pregnant, so once it is safe to do so I'd like to continue with that progress.

• Travel to the US with Stickybean to meet family.

• Read the 5 books waiting in line to be read.

• Buy an awesome bicycle with a basket and bell and take some lovely rides with Stickybean and Rory.

• Get my UK driver's license.

• Buy a car.

• Be the best wifey and mother I can be and never let a day go without telling Rory or Stickybean how much I love them.

• Make my cat famous for her awesome fetch skillz and run a line of crazy T-shirts, even if it's just for us :)

Cheers to a happy new year, celebrate safely and have fun!!!

On the eve of each New Year we often reflect on our lives. As we say good-bye to 2010 and hello to 2011, I wish you joy that never ends and happiness with all your family and friends.

Where were you when 2010 began?
In my bed with a massive migraine. Rory and I toasted with orange juice.

Who were you with?
Rory

Where will you be when 2010 ends?
At The Pipeline, the bar next door.

Whom will you be with when 2010 ends?
My husband, a work colleague, and lots of strangers.

Was 2010 a good year for you?
It was. Beyond the stress and heartache, I learned so much about myself, my morals and just how supportive my husband is. I couldn’t ask for more.

What was your favorite moment of the year?
Sitting in business class with a glass of champagne at 7 in the morning, about to depart Doha for the last time. I shed one tear, my heart was lightened and I felt so free.

What was your least favorite moment of the year?
Dropping off Blinky for her flight to prison (quarantine). It was heartbreaking.

Did you keep your New Year resolutions of 2010?
I don't do resolutions. This year was a bit of a curveball in trying to accomplish my original ‘plans for 2010’ list though.

• Master the art of packing light

- definitely did it, we are pros through and through.

• Travel to New Zealand, Oman, Abu Dhabi, India, Egypt, Jordan, Australia, and Antarctica

- made it to Dubai, India and Jordan. Plans for the rest were drastically changed by the decision
to leave Qatar.

• Lose 40 pounds by our 1 year anniversary

-nope 

• Pay off my car in November

-even sooner than, and then sold it to lovely young woman just moving to Doha. Also bought a
car for the USA so we can stop wasting loads on rentals and my mom has something to get
around in.

• Pay off 1/3 of one of my student loans

-nope, again plans to leave Qatar interrupted this plan

• Knit tons of goodies to donate to charity

-I wouldn’t call it ‘tons’, but yes I did knit for charity

• Participate in more community service opportunities

-Some. Not as much as I had hoped, but if you live your life well it is in everything you do

• Be the best teammate (wifey) I can be

-I think so, and I get told so!

• Drop the dead weight in my life and look for more positive forces to surround myself with.

-Did it!

• Create a solid sustainability campaign in our residence halls

-Did it! Won a personal award for it as well as one for Qatar Foundation by the country.

Do you have any New Year resolutions for 2011?
Just plans.

Did you fall in love in 2010?
I do it every day.

What was your favorite month of 2010?
August; it was the start of our new life in London.

Did you travel outside of the US in 2010?
Qatar, Dubai, India, Jordan, Scotland, England.

How many different states did you travel to in 2010?
New York, Texas, Kansas.

Did you lose anybody close to you in 2010?
Close, no.

What was your favorite movie that you saw in 2010?
Inception

What was your favorite song in 2010?
I think The Flood by Take That. It’s catchy.

What was your favorite album in 2010?
I’m going for a Christmas album this year with Annie Lennox’s Cornucopia. It’s a little wacky.

What was your most exciting moment of 2010?
Being able to let go of Doha then showing them exactly what I’m made of by landing a job in London that was a higher promotion than what they shafted me for. The looks on their faces were priceless.

What was your proudest moment of 2010?
Watching and supporting Rory and our friend Annie in getting their half SCUBA certification.

What was your most embarrassing moment of 2010?
I’m having trouble of thinking of one.

If you could go back in time to any moment of 2010 and change something, what would it be?
Hindsight being 20/20...I would have done just a tad more regional travel if I had known I’d be leaving Qatar a year early, as a matter of convenience.

What are your plans for 2010?
•    That ever illusive plan to lose weight- no more excuses. I’ve got a more concrete plan and a nice little gym on the top floor of my building to make sure it happens.
•    Travel to Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Russian Federation, Denmark, Gibraltar, Brunei and Ireland. I’ve also got this thing about SCUBA diving shipwrecks in Bermuda.
•    Rewrite a more comprehensive Resident Handbook
•    Read more. More specifically, read at least 2 books per month.
•    Beat Dead Rising with all endings, all survivors, all quests and full levels. Zombies!
•    Buy an awesome bicycle with a basket and bell and take some lovely rides in London.
•    Get to know London better. Start utilizing my secret black book to mark bus routes and hidden treasures we come across in our excursions.
•    Grow more ‘duck feathers’ to let certain things roll off my back a little more quickly.
•    Be the best wifey I can be and never let a day go without telling Rory how much I love him.
•    Make my cat famous for her awesome fetch skillz and run a line of crazy T-shirts. OK, this one is a joke, but it would still be fun 

If my cat was a boy I'd have to name it Hammy after that crazy squirrel on Over the Hedge. Seriously. For a cat with no eyes she's pretty spastic.

I just opened a bag of Cheetos and I swear it was just like this clip from the Over the Hedge trailer. 35 seconds in, watch Hammy's reaction to a bag of cheese chips being opened.



Now replace the squirrel with a frantic no eyed kitten. MeOW!

Happy New Year 2010! We'll be ringing it in 8 hours ahead of you, so at 4pm give a shout out to Doha! I'm afraid I'll not be awake at 8am to return the favor, so Happy New Year B-lo!

OH - and happy blue moon! Though you won't get to witness it in North America, there will be a partial eclipse tonight to make it all the more special (viewable from Europe, Africa and Asia only I'm afraid).

Photos to share of my new do, feeling like my old crofty self again....ahhhh purple ;)

On the eve of each New Year we often reflect on our lives. As I do this dear e-strippers, I wish you joy that never ends and happiness with all your family and friends.

Where were you when 2009 began?
At PMT's

Who were you with?
everyone

Where will you be when 2009 ends?
At a house party here in Doha

Whom will you be with when 2009 ends?
My husband, a work colleague, and lots of new people

Was 2009 a good year for you?
Amazing! Married the love of my life and am eternally happy for it!

What was your favorite moment of the year?
Tie: when (e:Rory) proposed to me and when (e:Drew) announced we were official

What was your least favorite moment of the year?
Maybe 3 days before the wedding. My family were at each others' throats and stressing me out.

Did you reach your New Year 2009 goals?

• Meet Rory's family and friends - did it
• Finish my sailing course with minimal bruising - sort of did it
• Travel to Jordan, Singapore, Antarctica - wedding superseded these plans
• Present at the NASPA conference - attended NASPA, worked on presentation, but had to leave early for Rory's grandfather's funeral
• Increase my fitness level considerably - negative ghost rider
• Be the best supervisor I can be - I think so!
• Marry the love of my life - did it!

Did you fall in love in 2009?
Absolutely! Madly and deeply.

What was your favorite month of 2009?
October - I GOT MARRIED!

Did you travel outside of the US in 2009?
Qatar, England, Italy, Maldives - skim on the travel but for good reason.

How many different states did you travel to in 2009?
D.C., Massachusetts, New York

Did you lose anybody close to you in 2009?
Rory's grandfather Trevor

What was your favorite movie that you saw in 2009?
Coraline!

What was your favorite song in 2009?
Tonight's Gonna Be a Good Night by Black Eyed Peas

What was your favorite album in 2009?
This is War by 30 Seconds to Mars

What was your most exciting moment of 2009?
Convincing Rory to try SCUBA diving with me and him doing really well and enjoying it!

What was your proudest moment of 2009?
Marrying Rory. We did it as a team, together all the way.

What was your most embarrassing moment of 2009?
Having a very temporary haircut after donating my hair and a woman run up to me and say "Oh my God did you just get your haircut, you have a piece hanging in the back!"

If you could go back in time to any moment of 2009 and change something, what would it be?
I would have started the turkey with Rory much earlier in the day - it took us way longer to dismember it than I thought it would.

What are your goals for 2010?

• Master the art of packing light
• Travel to New Zealand, Oman, Abu Dabi, India, Egypt, Jordan, Australia, and Antarctica
• Lose 40 pounds by our 1 year anniversary
• Pay off my car in November
• Pay off 1/3 of one of my student loans
• Knit tons of goodies to donate to charity
• Participate in more community service opportunities
• Be the best teammate (wifey) I can be
• Drop the dead weight in my life and look for more positive forces to surround myself with
• Create a solid sustainability campaign in our residence halls

On the eve of each New Year we often reflect on our lives. As I do this dear e-strippers, I wish you joy that never ends and happiness with all your family and friends.

Where were you when 2008 began?
At PMT's

Who were you with?
everyone

Where will you be when 2008 ends?
At PMT's

Whom will you be with when 2008 ends?
everyone!

Was 2008 a good year for you?
Really, very good! I met the love of my life.

What was your favorite moment of the year?
Exploring one of the Tomb Raider temples in Cambodia!

What was your least favorite moment of the year?
The night before I met Rory, I was really down on myself.

Did you reach your New Year 2008 goals?

• Visit family and friends around Europe - did it
• Paint my apartment - did it
• Get much better at guitar - oops
• Go camping in the desert - did it
• Go duning - did it
• Get SCUBA open water certified - did it
• Travel to Singapore, Cambodia, and China - one out of the three ain't bad

Did you fall in love in 2008?
Absolutely! Madly and deeply.

Did you breakup with anyone in 2008?
No.

Did you make any new friends in 2008?
Yes.

What was your favorite month of 2008?
April, Rory :)

Did you travel outside of the US in 2008?
Qatar, Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, France, Vietnam, Cambodia, Seychelles, Ireland, and Northern Ireland.

How many different states did you travel to in 2008?
D.C., Florida

Did you lose anybody close to you in 2008?
No.

What was your favorite movie that you saw in 2008?
Dark Knight

What was your favorite song in 2008?
Inni mer syngur vitleysingur by Sigur Ros

What was your favorite album in 2008?
Made of Bricks by Kate Nash

What was your proudest moment of 2008?
The day one of my staffers made the connection between her work and the real world. I felt very fulfilled in my work knowing at last my teaching is helping others blossom.

What was your most embarrassing moment of 2008?
Breakfast the next morning with the roommates.

If you could go back in time to any moment of 2008 and change something, what would it be?
I would have cleaned up better.

What are your goals for 2009?

• Meet Rory's family and friends
• Finish my sailing course with minimal bruising
• Travel to Jordan, Singapore, Antarctica
• Present at the NASPA conference
• Increase my fitness level considerably
• Be the best supervisor I can be
• Marry the love of my life

On the eve of each new year we often reflect on our lives. As I do this dear e-strippers, I wish you joy that never ends and happiness with all your family and friends.

Where were you when 2007 began?
At PMT's in Ab Fab gear

Who were you with?
everyone

Where will you be when 2007 ends?
Unkown

Whom will you be with when 2007 ends?
Unkown

Was 2007 a good year for you?
Very. Probably the single most growing year of my life. I battled depression, graduated again, landed a dream job, bought a new car, traveled, and learned a lot about how strong I really am.

What was your favorite moment of the year?
Stepping on the plane in Buffalo that would start my journey to my new home. It was scary and exciting like I've never known before.

What was your least favorite moment of the year?
Being told I wasn't worth knowing.

Did you reach your New Year 2007 goals?
I crossed off almost everything on my list!

Did you fall in love in 2007?
No.

Did you breakup with anyone in 2007?
Friends, yes.

Did you make any new friends in 2007?
Yes.

What was your favorite month of 2007?
May

Did you travel outside of the US in 2007?
Canada, Qatar, Turkey and Greece

How many different states did you travel to in 2007?
Florida, Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts.

Did you lose anybody close to you in 2007?
Yes.

Did you miss anybody in the past year?
EVERYBODY

What was your favorite movie that you saw in 2007?
Death at a Funeral (it's hysterical)

What was your favorite song in 2007?
She's my ride home by Blue October

What was your favorite album in 2007?
Well, what I listened to the most was Black Parade by My Chemical Romance

What was your proudest moment of 2007?
Being offered a great job just 3 hours before graduation.

What was your most embarrassing moment of 2007?
Falling for a 'line' when I knew it was a lie.

If you could go back in time to any moment of 2007 and change something, what would it be?
I'd make sure I had more than 2 day's notice to pack up my life and move half way around the world!

What are your goals for 2008?

Visit family and friends around Europe
Paint my apartment
Get much better at guitar
Go camping in the desert
Go duning - weeee
Get open water SCUBA certified
Travel to Singapore, Cambodia, and China
Don't make assumptions
Always do my best
And try not to take things personally!

Woke up with such energy this morning I'm not even sure I really went to bed. Took a long hot shower and 4 shampoos and a gallon of conditioner later, my hair has returned to normal. Had an absolutely fabulous time at the party, merci PMT. I loved the ball! I still think the hippo was a nice touch :)

So my lovelies. May the best of your past be the worst of your future in this beautiful year 2007! Wishing you joy that never ends.

Ciao,
LC

p.s. to my secret santa des, i LOVE my guinness gear!!!!

On the eve of each new year we often reflect on our lives. As I do this dear e-strippers, I wish you joy that never ends and happiness with all your family and friends.

Where were you when 2006 began?
Drunk in the ladies restroom of Regal theatre.

Who were you with?
(e:theecarey)

Where will you be when 2006 ends?
Dressed as Patsy from Ab Fab at the PMT party!

Whom will you be with when 2006 ends?
Everyone at the party.

Was 2006 a good year for you?
Overall, yes. It has been a struggle but I learned so much about myself and who I am that it was worth all the hurt!

What was your favorite moment of the year?
Holding my nephew Ryan for the first time.

What was your least favorite moment of the year?
My Gramma's wake.

Did you keep your New Year resolutions of 2006?
I don't do resolutions.

Do you have any New Year resolutions for 2007?
Again, I don't do resolutions. Just see the list for my plans at the bottom.

Did you fall in love in 2006?
No.

Did you breakup with anyone in 2006?
Friends, yes.

Did you make any new friends in 2006?
Yes.

What was your favorite month of 2006?
September

Did you travel outside of the US in 2006?
Only Canada this year. Blah.

How many different states did you travel to in 2006?
Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, D.C., Pennsylvania

Did you lose anybody close to you in 2006?
My Gramma.

Did you miss anybody in the past year?
All my family and friends that live in other countries and states.

What was your favorite movie that you saw in 2006?
The Science of Sleep

What was your favorite song from 2006?
James Blunt - Goodbye My Lover

What was your favorite album from 2006?
30 Seconds to Mars - A Beautiful Lie

How many concerts did you see in 2006?
9

Did you have a favorite concert in 2006?
30STM at Edge Fest

Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2006?
Yes.

Did you do drugs in 2006?
Yes.

Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
I let others walk on me. No more.

What was the worst lie someone told you in 2006?
You're a very beautiful woman.

Did you treat somebody badly in 2006?
Questionable, but probably yes.

Did somebody treat you badly in 2006?
Many.

What was your proudest moment of 2006?
Getting two outstanding employee reviews by both of my bosses.

What was your most embarrassing moment of 2006?
My door opening while having sex.

If you could go back in time to any moment of 2006 and change something, what would it be?
Not drink 8 martinis at Cecilias. Oy.

What are your plans for 2007?

Visit family and friends around Europe
Fix my bike
Fix my trunk and put new wheels on it
Hang that damn spice rack before it's time to move
Write my structure for the text book I'm working on
Get much better at guitar
Graduate
Land a job I love
Buy a car that's not a total piece of shit
Say what I mean and mean what I say
Don't make assumptions
Always do my best
And try not to take things personally!