My favorite thing about New Year’s is the year end countdowns. There is a top 10 list for everything, from top music videos, to top hotties, to best plays, to top names of the year. In keeping with the top whatever tradition, I’ve decided to do a top things from 2006 list. Now these aren’t in any particular order. Ross and I discussed this over the weekend and think the best thing to do is go through the months and pick a favorite event. This list will be roughly based on the Guida School of Blogging... in a truly random Heather order. Hope you enjoy!

• Christmas in Maine! Mom’s home cooking, pancakes for breakfast (the only acceptable breakfast for the day), the Merry Merry Christmas parade “live” from Disney, a visit from two good high school friends, not being sick for the first time in years…and home for the holiday for the first time in 5 years…what could be better!
• Two Master’s Degrees! While we only celebrated one graduation, Taylor and I both successfully completed years of school with matching MBA’s. Well…technically mine is bigger… Surviving May/June and those last six weeks is an event to be proud of. Class four nights a week, breaking $1 in the Annual Fund, planning a successful golf tournament…and staying married to boot!
• Two New Jobs! Putting those fancy new pieces of paper to work, we both scored new jobs and big promotions in the late fall. We’re both still feeling them out, but either way it was a good decision for team MacFarlane
• Floating down the river in a tube! Ross, Taylor and I took a vacation day in the middle of the week to simply float down the river in a tube. While it takes the average person about 90 minutes, the three of us found a way to make a day of this, by hanging out on tree branches, wrapping ourselves around logs, and getting propped up on rocks. The bruises were worth it, it was an incredible day. Cruising around in the Guida-mobile with the top down and tunes blaring (Jack Johnson always takes me back to summer now) rounded out the perfect summer day and gave us a chance to spend some great time with Ross before he left for six months. That day was a blessing for us all and is one of my favorite days of summer!
• No Weddings! Okay, so there were a few, but on the heels of 8 in six months, and with the way 2007 is looking, turns out 2006 was the break we needed. A few babies, but no showers, no bachelorette parties, no drama! Looking forward to getting back on the baby/bridal bandwagon in 2007. February in CT can’t come soon enough!
• Finally beating the January Cold! Christmas 2005 was like being in a hospital ward! Everyone got horribly sick in Taylor’s family. Pam even left dinner early. I spent a good hour in CVS on Christmas day buying supplies for all the sickies only to fall pray to the dreaded illness the following day at the family holiday party. This cold stuck with me for about three full weeks, so my favorite January memory was finally being well enough to go out. Taylor bundled me up and took me the two miles to Chinese buffet. I required a two hour nap when we finally got home, but I made it out of the house and the road to recovery began. Beating the plague of 2005 was my first true victory of 2006!
• Beach Bumming with Krissy! Okay, so it was more like boat bumming, but it was an awesome week in July spent exclusively on the water! Fourth of July fireworks at the Vineyard, shopping, reading, 5:00 cocktail hour (who drinks champagne every day!), and most importantly, catching up with one of my best friends for a week was the perfect vacation. I’m counting the days until my next invitation to hang out on Lynley. She isn’t an Alden, but nothing is perfect!
  

2006 was a great year. Committed to seeing 2007 be a bigger and better year! I’m not sharing my one resolution with the group, but I do have plans that include moving in to a new house, hitting the Machias Blueberry Festival, Italy, the fabled girls weekend with Jeniffer and Kriselyn, new babies of great friends, cherished weddings of more great friends, and taking a vacation (hear that Taylor…WE ARE GOING ON VACATION IN 2007)! I hope all of your 2007’s are amazing too!