Goodbye 2011 & Goodbye Blog

A new year, 2012. It's time to say goodbye to 2011 and look ahead.

2011 was a truly magical and eventful year. Let's take off where I finished the recap of 2010.

We spent the first days of 2011 in Romme, skiing. We had just got engaged and had a lot to celebrate and a wedding to plan!

January: We started planning for our wedding. We booked a church, got my engagement ring changed for the right size and started thinking about who to invite. James sister Kristina turned 30 and we went to England to celebrate her birthday.


James and Kristina



Me at Kristina's party

February: We worked away in our kitchen, James spent all his spare time completely gutting it. I did a lot of running even though it was freezing cold and lots of snow, and went for cosy cheese/girls nights. The cold was getting to me as it had been such a long winter, and it was still about -20! We kept planning for the wedding, and decided that we wanted to go to South Africa for our honeymoon. I did a lot of riding in the snow, and went to a riding house every other weekend. Me and Gabriella booked tickets to go and see Rihanna.

James working in our kitchen



We also went to a Christening in Kungsör

Me and Corvette in the riding house

March: We sent Josephine off for the third try of getting her pregnant. I did a lot of running but started to feel strange and weak and struggled to breathe. We kept planning for our wedding, and worried a bit as it felt like the costs where piling up. The snow finally started to melt, and I was looking forward to spring. I went to my high school reunion and had a blast.

Me on our way to our reunion.

In March the snow finally started melting

I wasn't feeling on top

Josephine

April: We kept planning for the wedding. I went dress shopping with my mum, and booked a hair dresser. The winter was finally giving way for a wet and cold spring. I went to the doctor for my breathing problems and was told that I had astma! She gave me medicine that instantly made me feel better. Thank god! We found out that Josephine was expecting kittens. We kept working hard in the kitchen every weekend. I started doing longer runs, and felt like superwoman with my inhalers. I started my 100 day abs challenge. I went for an adventorous ride on Ottino with Elina and Emmi. At the end of April it suddenly got really warm and started to feel like summer!




Josephine's growing belly





Early spring, me and Corvette



End of April suddenly felt like summer


May: It started snowing again, we couldn't believe it! Luckily it didn't last long. Josephine gave birth to four lovely kittens! We started to plan the last bits for the wedding, everything was coming together but there was lots to think about. We looked after the kittens, worked in the kitchen and planned the wedding. I did lots of running and horse riding and worked away on my abs challenge. James went to England for his stag do, and I went for a Rockabilly party. My friends arranged a crazy hen do for me!



The new kittens

At my hen do

James on his way to the airport.
His friends arranged for a motorcycle to take him there!

Rockabilly party

June: The month of our wedding! We had so much to sort out the last weeks. I took a break from horse riding to have time for the wedding preparations. The kittens kept growing. I still did lots of running which was a great way for me to relax. James family and our friends came over to help out with the last bits before the wedding. Then the day arrived and it was perfect! On June 25 we got married surrounded by all our friends and family. I will remember that for ever.

Full house in our new kitchen

Growing Domino

Mr and Mrs Swan

July: We went on our honeymoon to South Africa, where we spent three wonderful weeks! We went to the Victoria Falls, we rode on elephants, fed monkeys, went for a whale safari, experienced Kruger Park, ate in the best restaurant in Cape Town, drove through Swaziland, went for wine tasting in Stellenbosch. We also celebrated James' birthday over there. It was a perfect honeymoon with lots of laughs, new experiences and great food and wine! I also finished my abs challenge and felt fit and happy!


The challenge was hard work!

Me feeding Janet in South Africa

Wine tasting tour in SA

August: I started horse riding again and started taking jumping lessons. The kittens kept growing. It was summer, no more stress about the wedding and we were all relaxed after our wonderful honeymoon. Happy days! We got a beautiful photo book of our wedding from our friends Jens and Christin! I wanted a change and dyed my hair. We went to a wedding, Madéleine and Peter got married. It was lovely and brought back memories from our own wedding. I went to the opera with work. It was very very hot.

Me and Corvette

Love this book!

My new hair colour. I also went riding on Ottino again.

Madéleine and Peter



The kittens kept growing

September: We celebrated Emmi's and Elina's birthdays. Elina turned 25 so we took her to Västerås for a day of shopping and a make up course, and then arranged a surprise party. Two of the kittens left us and it was sad to say goodbye. I started singing in a choir with Alina and my mum. It started getting darker in the evenings and I really didn't want summer to end! James' parents came over to visit us. James started riding with me more and more. Me and Linda (Corvette's owner) both entered a jumping competition with Corvette. It was Corvette's first time and it went really well! Domino left us at the end of the month, to go to his new home in Russia.

Elina

Corvette at her first competition.



Me and Domino

October: I started a new challenge involving doing push ups every day. I kept up my running and horse riding. Me and Alina went to watch Emma's band One By One perform. I got a hair cut and worked at the technical exhibition in Stockholm. I got a cold and felt a bit iffy. I started to miss being blonde. As soon as I started to feel better I stepped up my running again. I finished my four week push up challenge feeling really strong!

Emma and One by One



Ready for work

November: Me and Gabriella went to Stockholm to watch Rihanna perform. That was a big time fail as all we got to see after 4 hours of waiting was a guy who informed everyone that she was ill and could not go through with the show. We stayed in a hotel and spent the next day shopping in Stockholm. We celebrated Gabriella's birthday and I went to a reunion party with my old college. I went bowling with work. James started riding Miramis once a week and we started riding together every Sunday.

Party for Kopparlundsgymnasiet

December:
I went back to being blonde. I turned 26 and got properly celebrated by my family, a dinner out with James and a girls night with my friends. We spent Christmas at my parents house, and had a few lovely days off with horse riding and seeing friends. James' parents came over and we went to Sälen for New Years.

So, what does 2012 have in store for us? Well...

Just like last year we will start counting down to June 25, but for a whole new reason.

On June 25 we are expecting our first baby!

So let me tell you, 2012 will be another magical year, full of new experiences and whole new roles for us. We are going to become parents. We are happy and excited to start our own little family, and we can't wait for whoever is in inside my belly to come out and meet us. I know James will be the best dad you could wish for, and I will do everything I can to be the best mum I can be.

So goodbye 2011, and hello new adventures that lies ahead in the year to come!

Thank you to everyone who has been following my blog, I have loved writing it knowing that there are people out there reading. If I ever decide to start a new blog up I will post it on here!

LOTS OF LOVE!