I initially wanted to make this post tomorrow, but I discovered I won't have time since I'm working much of the day and then I'll be out the rest of it with family. So, I'm taking a bit of time here now to look back on this past year, with some highlights of many memories -- both good and bad.

January:
Actually, I don't remember too much happening in January. I do remember my classes during that semester being really fun and exciting, and January was when they all started. I took two English courses and continued my studies of animation and other related art fields. My sister turned 18 on the 13th, and as of that day everyone in my household are officially adults. It's a strange feeling.

There were two big events during this month. The first was seeing Alice in Chains in concert at the Hollywood Palladium, my third time seeing them. All the brothers went, including my sister-in-law's brother, just a guy's night out. I love Alice in Chains. In fact, they are second only to Coheed and Cambria. That was a kickass night, and they played all their best hits. The second big thing was my nephew James' 3rd birthday. His parents have thrown him wonderful parties for his birthday every year, and the little guy's been growing into a cute little kid. I'm so excited to see where he goes from here on out.

Very little happened in March. My brothers Tim and Steven had their birthdays, ten days apart, Tim turning 22 and Steven turning 34. One of the things I've kinda liked is how Steven was born on St. Patrick's Day, and thus was given the middle name Patrick. I always remember this every year.

This was by far one of the best months. Oh, where to start... Spring break came along, and my friends, my brother, and I went on a one day camping trip. Short, but so worth it. Sloppy Joes are amazing! Easter Sunday with the family, good food and lots of entertainment as it always is. It was also the month of the release of Coheed's latest album, Year of the Black Rainbow. My love for this band has grown so considerably that this was arguably the first Coheed record I was really looking forward to. April also saw my participation in Relay for Life, a massive cancer fundraiser. My team and I raised over $1000 for it, and the event itself was a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to it next year! And finally, it was my niece Rachel's birthday. She turned 1. I adore her so much. Having a niece, in some ways, is such a special thing. Since then, she's becoming a cute and very outgoing little girl, and I'm just as excited to watch her grow up.

By far, the highlight of this month was seeing Coheed and Cambria live for the first time in nearly four years. In support of their recently released album, the band played many songs off the new record and some old hits. As it was also the first time seeing them live where I knew all the songs, this was a far better experience than the first time I saw them in 2006. Mother's Day was also really nice. It was nothing extravagant, just some simple gift giving to my mom, but she had a wonderful time. The only other highlight was school letting out for the summer.

I barely remember anything that happened during June, except for Father's Day, which was more or less like Mother's Day. Just something simple with the family alone. I also saw Iron Maiden in concert. Totally awesome!

I love barbecues, especially fourth of July barbecues. And when they're done at my Steven and Christy's house, you know you're in for a fun time! The only crappy part was my phone falling into the pool, but that was quickly made up for with a cool new one within a week!

I saw Coheed and Cambria another time. In fact, it was four years exactly to the day I first saw them. It wasn't quite a similar epic experience during the time I saw them in May, but it was still awesome. I can't express in words alone how completely amazing it is to be that close up to the guys as they jam. August was also my mom's birthday. She's a trooper. My mom is one of the most amazing people I know. She's been through a lot, much of which should never happen to anyone, but she presses on. For that, I can never thank her enough. August is also the month of my other nephew -- and James' baby brother -- Cole. He turned 1 year old. He's a shy little guy, but I swear his laugh is the most precious thing I've heard. And as I look back on the year, you know what the best thing about this month was? I met Katie.

School was back by now. Most of my classes proved they were no pushovers, as work began to pile up. However, I alleviated much of this by playing a lot of Zelda with Katie. We're total nerds, we know it, but it's so much fun to play along to a game with someone. :) I also started blogging, and I've grown to really enjoy writing my thoughts down.

October was rough. There were many moments during this when I felt at my worst, and many people I know were feeling down as well. There were some good points though. My twin brother, Jonathan, and I turned 21, and celebrated the following week by going to Vegas with Steven and Tim. It was a small trip but so well worth it. I'm not really one for gambling, but just the thought that I can do it legally is quite the cool feeling. Halloween was boring, largely because I was working that night and it was really slow. I played even more Zelda with Katie during this month, and we finally kicked the crap out of Ocarina of Time!

The first bit of the month wasn't too great, but it picked up after a while. It was stressful and very overwhelming in terms of school and work, but I pressed on. My dad had his birthday. There are a lot of issues between my dad and... well, pretty much everyone. Some are for good reason. In spite of this, I know he's only trying to do what he can, and no matter what happens, I'll always be proud of the fact that he helped raise me to be who I am. Thanksgiving was a wonderful event. I love when my family comes over to our house; it's roomy, plenty of space, and there's a lot to do in the different rooms. And such amazing food!

December:
This year definitely went out with a bang. School ended, and my grades were some of the best I've had in a long time, which I'm proud of because I was struggling when the semester started. After weeks of planning, my grandpa arrived two days before Christmas and spent the holiday with us. Christmas Eve was a quiet family at home night, while Christmas Day saw the whole family over with us again. I got lots of new clothes as well as The Amory Wars comics, so that I can finally understand Coheed's concept. It was, truthfully, the best Christmas I've had in years. The day after Thanksgiving we had a potluck. This past Tuesday, the grandchildren took our grandpa out deep sea fishing. We caught 85 fish that day and grandpa showed us how to clean and fillet them! And yesterday, we had a massive fish fry. Today, my grandpa went home. It was truly a wonderful week and month, and I'm kind of sad it's over. However, I'm also happy. I'm the happiest I've ever felt in a long time thanks to a very special someone who's made me feel like the luckiest guy in the world.

2010 was probably one of the best years, or at least that I really remember. I had more good moments than bad. Even those moments where I felt like giving up were overshadowed by all the good that happened. To this, I wish you all a wonderful and happy new year in 2011!

My family put up Christmas lights over previous weekend. I wanted to take pictures and post them up here much earlier, but I never got around to it. Tonight, in the spirit of the holiday season, I present a Christmas light display.





There are actually a lot of these pictures, but I'm not gonna post all of them. Happy holidays, everyone!

Kate over at Simply Kate tagged me in a game that appears to be ongoing so far amongst bloggers. The rules are fairly simple: eight questions are passed along to another blogger (it appears to be roughly eight people every time). Each one must answer the questions that have been posed. Once done, they must come up with 8 different questions and pass them along to other bloggers.

Well, I only have one follower and I'm sure she's the only person who reads any of this as of right now. But, I'll go ahead and play this little game anyway, just for kicks. Let's get started, shall we?