The Year In Review

(I started this post a few weeks ago and figured I'd better get it posted!!)

Today I looked at all the pictures I've taken throughout the year and was surprised to realize how many big things happened in my family in 2008. God has truly blessed our lives and I thank him! So what all happened for the McIntosh/Langford crew in '08? Just take a look:

January - I guess January was slow...I can't remember anything happening. I do know that at some point this year, I was promoted from Coordinator of Recruitment to Director so I'll stick it here. Yay!

February - Alyssa turned 18!

March - Victoria makes a leap by trying out for cheerleading and makes the squad! I'm proud of her for going after something she wants! Rodney reaches "44"!

April - Promenade makes its way to Harleton and my girls are transformed into princesses! I think it was April when Alyssa performed in her last high school play...my memory is not the best :)

May - Alyssa graduated from high school! Hurray Alyssa for reaching this major milestone! Mamaw turns a young 78 on the 23rd. Rodney's daughter Kayti also graduates from high school, gets an apartment in Longview and prepares to start Kilgore College. I am honored to receive the TSTC Chancellor's Award for Excellence and the National Institute of Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Award for Excellence. I traveled to Austin to accept this award.

June - My awesome sisters and sister-in-law hosted a senior party for Alyssa. Seven friends showed up at Camelia's house for swimming and fun. Uncle Hubert's children throw him a HUGE 85th birthday bash complete with tons of fun and pounds and pounds of catfish! The Baker Reunion takes place in Ore City this year...a new venue for us. A trip to Waco was in the cards for me! "LEAP" was a great gathering of innovative-thinking colleagues. Devin started working this summer for his Uncle Bill and our neighbor Jimmy. He proves to be a hard worker and usually has more money in his pocket than me!

July - Sweet sixteen was the theme of the month for Victoria! Sweet "38" was the magic number for Debra! Rodney and Debra celebrate their 7 year anniversary! We take a week off and travel to Fredericksburg for some sight-seeing. On the way back, we stop off in Dripping Springs and spend time with my childhood best friend. When we get back home, Rodney puts me to work and together we build a tractor shed and put in a couple of flower beds.

August - My first little bird spreads her wings and flies out of the nest. Alyssa moves into her on-campus apartment and begins classes at TSTC majoring in Multimedia Publishing. She worked at Joe Bucks Coffee Shop for a good while. Victoria "jumps" into 11th grade and Devin "tackles" 7th.

September - My little boy turned thirteen this month. My how time flies! We celebrated with a family party at home. Football season officially kicks off, team spirit soars and schedules get chaotic. We have a 7th grade player this year, two band members and a cheerleader; and Victoria's boyfriend Spencer plays on the Varsity Wildcat team. My 20 year high school reunion occurs in Marshall. Yea, I intended to lose weight and I didn't but I still had a great time.

October - Football football football! And Alyssa makes her campus debut by planning, organizing and decorating a campus event! She pulls off a Modern Miracle concert on campus that brought TSTC and ETBU students together worshiping God in music. How proud I am of her! Not sure when, but Alyssa starts working at Porkys. At some point this fall, Rodney spends two weeks teaching at TSTC! I'm so proud of him! After his class ends, he begins working at ETS (Electrical Testing Specialists). What a blessing for him to be able to get a full-time job so quickly!

November - And more football football football! It's Texas. What can I say? Thank goodness I get to sneak off to Corpus this month for the annual TACRAO (Texas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers) Conference. I conclude football season by going on a girlfriend's retreat with friends Patty and Kim and the Texarkana girls. Victoria passes her written driving exam and Rodney picks up a used Honda for her to earn. And over the Thanksgiving holidays, me and Hildi get together and talk about "the good old days". We had a great time but man, I'm feeling old! During deer season, Devin kills two deer, one of which feeds us through the winter! Thanks Devin! He also becomes quite the duck hunter!!

December - I joined a gym! The Townlin Reunion is a great success! I got to see lots of relatives I hadn't seen in awhile. It felt like an old-time Townlin Christmas Reunion :) My family gathers at Camelia's on Christmas day for a wonderful time! As always, there was lots of laughter. This Christmas, we started something new - the ladies all exchanged homemade/handcrafted gifts. The guys played a hilarious left-right game and exchanged gift cards. Rodney and I got ourselves a beautiful new bed and I got a digital photo frame for home and work so I can enjoy all my family pictures. The last two weeks of the year were quiet around my house because the kids stayed with their dad. Rodney and I enjoyed lots of time together and I actually got some house cleaning done! On New Year's Eve, we went to bed about 9:30 pm (because we're real partiers!). 2008 was a blessed year. Now on to 2009....