2008: A Year in Photos.

January

Maryland: Courtney's birthday! Snowy. Cold. Quiet. The unemployed holder of an undergraduate degree. A wintry month spent searching CraigsList for apartments, Gmail for resume queries, and the kitchen cabinets for new tea bags.

February

Oklahoma: The celebration of Grannie Jo's 80th year of life, the celebration of Isaac's 20th. Travel through my least favorite airport of all time, Dallas/Ft. Worth. Baking cinnamon rolls with Anna. Josh becomes the proud owner of Hermione the Hamster. Alas, a hamster funeral is held soon after the purchase. A solemn moment in the backyard burial ground. But, not the end of the story! Josh purchases Pippin (who is still living as of the writing of this entry. Which, in our family, is really saying something).

March

Hilton Head, South Carolina: Surprisingly chilly! Where are the warm breezes we remember? Easter sunrise on the beach with Courtney. South of the Border trinkets. Missing Isaac, the O'Dell Seven seems odd. The job hunt continues.

April

Maryland: Stephen's junior prom with a girl in a Swiss Miss colored dress. Saucer magnolias, tulips, yellow forsythia blooming on fenceposts. Spring in Washington, D.C. means Cherry Blossoms around the Tidal Basin. Long walks with Desmond in the backyard. Long walks with Mom around the neighborhood.

May Los Angeles, California: Stephen turns 18 and can legally vote and smoke. He and Isaac share birthday cigars. A trip out west! Cafe Pinot. Siblings reunited, at long last. A weekend spend traipsing around southern California; Surf City, USA, In-N-Out Burger, the Dollar Movie Theater. Job talks. A visit to New York City. Meeting three fabulous women. Future roommates? Yes! An apartment, and a job within 24 hours.

JuneNew York, New York: Moving Day. 6am goodbyes. Traveling north on I-95 in a rented U-Haul, with Mom behind the wheel. Watch out! An apartment on Broadway. An unusally breezy and cool moving day, and a visit from a faraway friend. The Summer Solstice. Celebrating year 24 with roommates and Courtney and Rachel at the Dinosaur BBQ in Harlem. A new job! Welcome to 8th Avenue's version of corporate America.

JulyMaryland: Home for the 4th of July neighborhood parade. A hot, sticky month in the Big Apple. Activities with roommates, a Rascal Flatts concert, and an Open House Party on the Upper West Side. Riding the subway to and from work, and thinking of the family, vacationing in upstate New York. Samson-The-Wonder-Cat spends three nights in the woods; somehow manages to survive. Stephen and Courtney's visit to the City in three words- squashed on couches.

AugustMt. Bethel, Pennsylvania: A much needed trip away from New York to visit an old college friend. For one weekend, the Country Mouse and the City Mouse, together again. Josh visits the Big City, and we spend one eventful night eating too many Pringles and running through the American Natural Museum of Histrory. The Naked Cowboy in Times Square=Priceless.

September

Annapolis, Maryland: Navy games with Mom and Dad. Nights out in downtown Annapolis. Dinner at the Boat House with Isaac and Dad. Mom and Josh celebrate another year of life! Summer begins to wane. The evenings grow chilly. The Upper West Side ladies spend a Labor Day weekend at the beach in New Jersey at the Roach Motel!

October

Maryland: Nate and Dad celebrate another year of life! A trip on the Vamoose bus with three friends. Homecoming parades, football games, football season teaches this Yankee all about the SEC (Go Auburn! Go Georgia! Go 'Bama!). Pumpkin Spice lattes from Starbucks. The beautiful colors of autumn descending on the mid- Atlantic.

NovemberMaryland and New York: Election results, President-Elect Obama. The first few winter flurries. Missing California right about now. The anticipation of Thanksgiving. Home for the holidays! Siblings reunited! Family all together! Desmond! Holiday traditions like Christmas photos, and cutting down the tree, and watching "White Christmas." Thanksfulness for family.

DecemberHot Springs, Virginia: It's Christmastime in the City. Goodbye, Manhattan. Goodbye, Roommates. Home for the holidays! Family together again. The Homestead at Christmas- dinner, dancing, and afternoon tea. Brisk winter air. Mittens. Scarves. "Josh and Nate, where are your hats?" Christmas morning! Luke chapter two. So many wonderful presents, but those stockings!
Gratefulness for one another.
Gratefulness for another year.
Hope and joy for 2009!