Goodbye to 2005 and Hello to 2006

2005 is over. Shocking isn't it. I finally got used to writing it on checks, work documents, etc . . . and now they expect me to remember to write 2006. Ha - maybe by May that'll happen.
Well I was feeling a bit sentimental today and decided to do a little recap of all the major things that I could remember from 2005.
- Matty H and Sarah's New Year's Eve Party
- Spending every Thursday night at Dukum - and I mean pretty much EVERY thursday night.
- My twin and Kim's 21st birthdays
- Spring Break in Cancun - drinking, passing out, walking, tipping, speaking Spanish, cruising, being scandalous(oh wait that was just Liz -my bad!), kissing, dancing, breaking flip flops, climbing insane pyramids, swimming, shopping, and so much more
- Some important acceptance letters from Rice, KU, and CSU - which anyone who wouldn't accept these girls would be insane
- Rugby in Chicago - staying with Spike and going out to the bar there - tackling Ed, scrumming, giving out phone numbers (oh that was only me - I didn't think they'd call!), dancing on poles and bars, and in general having fun
- Helen's 21st
- Rugby Bar Crawl - Some of us were finally old enough to join our loving friends who had ditched us the year before - and those lime green shirts were ingenious
- our last semester being a Bullets Rugby Player (well of course we will be for life but the last time we devote half of our week to it)
- Senior Sems - and the people who were smart enough to double major so they could do two because they are so super fun!
- Our last Formal - Alpha Sigma Sigma sweatshirts, willing stuff, winning awards, and once again crying
- Trying to drink every day until graduation
- Incredibly creative graduation gifts including blankets, board games, bricks, "action figures," R Class DVD's, photomosaics, Kris's DVD, books, etc . . .
- Graduation from Truman State University - granted the diplomas didn't come for how many more months?
- Celebrating at Dukum with my girls and some of my favorite guys: Brennan, Tommy, Kyle, Chris Bell, Halleh's soulmate, and Kurt, who after about a year could finally talk to me again.
- Spending the weekend in K-Ville renting a boat to go out at 1000 hills, tubing, El Vaq, drinking, and watching movies together
- Visiting Linds in Iowa and going out on the river in her friends' boats and having her try to kill me from sleep deprivation
- Graduation party in Hannibal: all laying on the couch together, playing games in the basement, eating tons of Elizabeth's mom's good food, someone trying to get some people to stay forever, some contracts, and let's not forget the crying
- Going to the Ville for my little flyhalf's 21st birthday
- Floating, drinking, cooking on the fire, sleeping in tents, and pulling some drunk behinds down the river when they kept getting stuck (oh wait that was only me - I forgot some people were a little too trashed)
- Enjoying the City Museum just like we were little kids
- Awesome Cardinals tickets with Halleh, going to the horse races, drinking and bowling after work, Hot Shots, hanging out and ordering pizza, and just trying to make our summer fun
- Some really big moves to some new states
- My veteran getting married and forever sealing the fate of the girls and the guys team to be forever "better friends"
- Accepting that someone is now a KU student and crashing at her apartment for the night
- Some new steps into our futures with new schools and new jobs
- Travelling back to our old stomping ground to show some young girls why we're alumni and why we're the coolest people ever (both on and off the field of course)
- Writing newsletters to keep each other in the know with what's going on in our lives
- Having to send Christmas gifts for the first time
- The engagements of Steph and Nick as well as Teague and Matty H - Yay - both my flyhalfs
- Growing up . . . If nothing else I think I should count my blessings that I was able to spend over half of the year doing it with you all.
Well I'm sure that did not by any means cover everything. But it was the biggest and the best memories that I could remember. Feel free to let me know any others you think are worthy.
I miss you girls like crazy. I want to apologize (to a couple of you in particular) if I've been really aloof and sometimes hard to work with recently. These past few months have been a little difficult to stomach with all these changes and lots of alone time and I guess I didn't choose the best ways to handle that.
I hope you all had a great New Year's (I spent mine babysitting and I promise that you will hear all about that adventure in my next newsletter). I hope that 2006 holds new adventures, crushes (and perhaps some boyfriends here and there), good health, continued strong friendships, lots of fun, love from friends and family, and most importantly happiness for all of you. I hope that we will have some great memories in 2006 to look back on and that they will include all of us.
I love you girls.

Lyrics of the Entry:
"And if we lose our way
Any night or day
Well we'll always be
Where we should be
I'm there for you
And I know you're there for me

Oh how the years go by
Oh how the love brings tears to my eyes
All through the changes the soul never dies
We fight, we laugh, we cry
As the years go by."
~ "Oh How the Year's Go By" - Amy Grant