If interested for comparison purposes, you can find 2010’s end-of-year summary here.  If you write one, let me know in the comments – I love reading these as much as I love writing them!

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?

Maintained a 4.0 GPA.  Made a one-day out-of-state trip for a job interview, then turned down the subsequent job offer.  Went to the Middle East.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Here’s what I wrote for 2011:

I generally don’t make specific resolutions.  And if you want to know the honest truth, it’s because I’ll forget what I resolved to do.

True dat.  Maybe I could use this entry as a reminder of what I hope to accomplish over the year.  Resolutions always seem sort of lame to me, but I love a good to-do list so maybe if I look at it from that perspective it will work.  So:

• Finish grad school.  This should be accomplished in early May.
• Improve my job situation.  Work has been…challenging for several months now and I’d like to improve that in one way or another.  At this point I’m not picky.
• Make more of an effort to record family memories.  Either I need to blog more reliably or take up scrapbooking again.  Or start creating professionally printed photo books.  Now that I’m almost done with school I should have more free time. Theoretically.
• Have more patience with the kids.  Patience may be a virtue but unfortunately is not one of mine.  I’m hoping things will be easier on this front now that we’ve turned the corner out of age three with Misty.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

No, but a good friend is pregnant so I’m looking forward to April.  A new baby to cuddle that doesn’t keep me up at night!  Woo!

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No, and thank goodness for that.

5. What countries did you visit?

Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Mexico.  Qatar.  And technically I was in UAE, but never left the airport so I wouldn’t call it a visit.  Although the duty-free shopping in the Dubai airport is incredibly impressive and possibly a tourist destination all on its own.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

Forward motion.  As previously mentioned, I’m finishing up my master’s in the spring and would like to use it, you know?  Although I’m not sure that things are going to pan out along the original plan, I’d like to feel as though I’m moving UP a career ladder rather than just chilling on the same damn rung year after year.

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

It isn’t every day that a gal gets to fly halfway across the world (in business class, no less), so I’m not likely to forget that anytime soon.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

I think it bears repeating that I’ve managed to maintain straight As in my classwork while working full-time and parenting two kids.  Of course, none of it would be possible without N – he is the most awesome husband and co-parent any woman could ask for.  Achieving an entire decade of marriage is pretty impressive too.

9. What was your biggest failure?

I continue to be the opposite of a domestic goddess, whatever that may be.  The anti-housewife, I suppose.  A big fat FAIL in the domesticity department, no matter how you look at it.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Nothing really.  Sinus troubles here and there, although I’ve discovered the wonder of Mucinex and therefore managed to avoid a full-blown sinus infection for an entire year.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

LASIK.  Hands down.

12. Where did most of your money go?

As usual, our mortgage payment and child care fees ate up a significant chunk of change.

13. What did you get really excited about?

Going from 20/400 to 20/15 vision is pretty damn exciting.

14. What song will always remind you of 2011?

Not exactly sure…I listen to such an eclectic mix of music that it’s hard to say.  Probably something by Bruno Mars – like maybe The Lazy Song.

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:

– happier or sadder? Sadder overall, but only because work has been so massively frustrating lately.  I’d say my personal happiness is about the same as last year.
– thinner or fatter? No real change.
– richer or poorer? We’ve taken better control of our finances by going to a mostly cash-based budget, but still have some debt to get paid off.  So taking all that into consideration, about the same I guess.

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Distance running – I’ve been copping out with 1-2 mile runs most of the time and would like to get back to a place where a 5K is nothing big.  Writing here.  Playing with the kids.

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Fretting over work and making my husband miserable with all of the constant bitching.

18. How did you spend Christmas?

In The Swamp, splitting days between our families for the last time – my parents are permanently moving to their retirement home in a few weeks.

19. What was your favorite TV program?

Still totally into Burn Notice, NCIS, Psych and Sons of Anarchy.  I’ve added Hawaii 5-0 to the list this year.

20. What were your favorite books of the year?

Other than the usual slew of Nora Roberts between semesters, I didn’t really read much of anything.

21. What was your favorite music from this year?

I listened to a lot of Rob Zombie to get me through increasingly torturous workdays.

22. What were your favorite films of the year?

Fast Five.  It may not be Oscar-worthy, but that’s the one that stands out as most enjoyable.  It seems I didn’t do a lot of movie-watching in 2011.

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I’m honestly not sure.  I checked my archives and evidently didn’t write about it.  I’m sure we just celebrated at home.  I turned 32.

24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Access to a reliable, inexpensive babysitter.  I generally don’t mind living a couple hours away from family but sometimes it is frustrating to not have ready access to grandparents-as-free-childcare.

25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?

Second verse, same as the first.  I wear what is comfortable for me, which includes black and gray 95% of the time.

26. What kept you sane?

Friends and family, especially my husband.  I would have gone off the deep end long ago if I didn’t have him to help me keep it all together.

27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.

Not all good memories have to involve spending vast quantities of money.  Being a homeowner is totally overrated.  White wine makes my teeth sensitive sometimes, but red wines do not.  Anything worth having is worth working for.