From The First Day: Lookin' back on the things I've done....

**Top 12 of 2012**

As I sit back and reflect on my 2012, I realize that I had another great year even though it was vastly different than my 2011. 2011 had been filled with quantity, while this year seemed to be all about quality. Because I did so many events in 2011, my Top 11 of 2011 contained specific happenings within my events. However, my Top 12 of 2012 tends to contain events as a whole because there weren't as many of them as 2011 and because the events I did go to brought quality interactions as a whole.

Danny Wood tweets me a "thank you" with a photo he
found and cropped himself

12. Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure - In 2011, I had attended six NKOTBSB concerts and at each one I became more and more inspired by Danny Wood and his commitment to fighting breast cancer in memory of his mother, Betty Wood. With my grandmother being a breast cancer survivor, I decided that it was my turn to join in the fight. So, I began a Team Betty for the 2012 Chicago 3-Day and started my fundraising and training. $4,120, 60 miles, and one congratulatory tweet from Danny Wood himself later, I could not have been more proud of my accomplishments.

My Backstreet girls in the
nation's capital

11. Backstreet goes to Washington - What is the next best thing if you can't have the Backstreet Boys? Having a fun filled weekend with all your Backstreet friends, of course! After the 2011 Cruise, us Backstreet fans had no idea what was in store for our 2012. We knew NKOTBSB would be doing a European tour and that chances were there would be no cruise in 2012. How could we go an entire year without seeing the Backstreet Boys, and in turn, not seeing our Backstreet friends? We fixed that quickly with a Backstreet reunion in Washington, D.C. in June. It was great seeing all of the girls again as we had Backstreet dance lessons in front of the White House, designed Backstreet superheroes (Nick was a ninja!), privately did Backstreet karaoke, ate tons of Mexican food (because DC is where you go to eat Mexican apparently), talked non-stop about Brian's sparkly blue eyes, and recounted all of our favorite 2011 cruise memories (mostly how the blue team played #betterly than the yellow). At the time, I thought it would be my the only time seeing the girls this year...however, the Backstreet Boys came through in the end with a group of concerts on the east coast.

Aaron Carter and the "blue monkey
head"

10. A "Fantastick" Day in NYC - When the Backstreet Boys announced a few shows on the east coast at the end of December, my Backstreet friends and I were so happy to be able to see one another again. Many of them had the opportunity with MixTape and Good Morning America to see the Backstreet Boys and each other...I was not so lucky. The two of us that were actually flying in for the shows decided to extend our trip at the beginning, giving us the opportunity to spend the day in New York City. In Madame Tussaud's wax museum we showed the shapes of our heart to the large BSB mural on the wall and told 'N Sync how we really felt about them. We then later spent the evening in a vicious cycle of laughter with the cast of "The Fantasticks," including Backstreet brother, Aaron Carter.

9. BSB Tweets - Sometimes it really is the smaller things in life that can make a person so happy. Sometimes all it takes is something as short as a three word tweet or a message to thousands a fans displaying a video you recorded at a concert to make you jump out of your bed, run into the living room, and do a major happy dance in front of your husband. 2012 marked my first tweets from a Backstreet Boy (two from Nick and two from Brian). While my Nick tweets did not mention me specifically, he was sharing my videos I had taken at his February show in Chicago. This led to a huge jump in views for these particular videos, as well as a growing number of subscribers to my YouTube account.

Brian's tweets, however, were directed at me...with one of them incorparating my other favorite thing, the Wildcats!

Doron Lamb (Milwaukee Bucks) and Marquis Teague
(Chicago Bulls)

8. Meeting former Wildcats turned pro - I received an early birthday present this year when I got to meet two University of Kentucky Wildcat basketball players that were on the 2012 Championship team when they sat at a table next to me at a restaurant in Lexington. While I find that the UK Baseball players I have met are MUCH more personable than these two were (maybe because they have been drafted into the NBA), I was still greatful that they agreed to take a photo with me. For some reason I think of the student athletes at the University of Kentucky as celebrities even though they are just students who happen to play a sport there. Maybe its because I treat University of Kentucky as others would treat a professional team....or maybe its because these college athletes may eventually go on to become professional athletes (much like these two).

Corey Littrell...yes, you read the
last name right

7. UK Baseball Regionals - I think all of my readers knew that I was a UK basketball and football fan, but they probably don't know how my love for the University of Kentucky baseball team (Bat Cats) has grown this year. 2012 marked the year that I FINALLY got to see the Bat Cats play in person thanks to the fact that they played their NCAA Regional tournament just a short 45 minutes from my town, rather than the 6 hours it would take me to travel to Lexington to see them play. Here I got to meet my favorite Bat Cat, as well as his family, and witness the longest baseball game I have ever seen...a marathon 21 inning game. This wonderful experience also led to a later baseball adventure in New York.

Michael Williams (#35, Hudson Valley Renegades),
Tim Peterson (#22, Brooklyn Cyclones), and Luke
Maile (#21, Hudson Valley Renegades)

6. New York Baseball Bonanza - After the amazing time I had at the NCAA Baseball Regionals, I decided that I wanted to try to go see some of the newly drafted Wildcats on their new minor league teams. It just so happened that two of the players that were drafted onto the same team were playing the team that a sorority sister works for. So, I made my way to the state of New York to attend not one, not two, not three....but FOUR minor league baseball games and meet three former Bat Cats.

Nick Carter and I

5. "I'm Taking Off" with Nick Carter - 2012 marked my first Nick Carter solo concert in February. It also just so happens that I bought a VIP for this show, allowing me to get my first solo photo with Nick. This is also the concert that led to number 9 on this Top 12 list. The concert was so amazing that I wanted to just drive onto the next stop on the tour.

Brow down, goggles up...we
brought 8 back to Rupp!

4. NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four - The University of Kentucky men's basketball team dominated in 2012 so it was no surprise when they made it to the Final Four in New Orleans...and how convenient was it that it was during my Spring Break for work? As the dominant team all season, chances of them winning the championship were very high so I felt that if I was ever going to be able to witness a championship in person, this would be the year. As streamers and confetti rained down upon the Wildcats after they won their 8th National Championship, I couldn't have been more excited to be there to witness this very special team win a special game.

My four favorite guys and three of my favorite girls (sad face
for my other favorite girlies not being in the photo)

3. BSB in Atlantic City - While BSB had several special events in 2012, I was not able to attend any of them. Imagine how happy I was when the Backstreet Boys announced several shows that they would be doing at the end of December on the east coast....especially since it had been over a year since I had last seen them as a group during the 2011 cruise and some very good friends just happened to live right in the middle of all of the excitement. The Silver VIP that my friends and I bought allowed me to see Brian after a very special and important conversation that we had back in September. The concert allowed the Boys to do a combination of older and newer songs, as well as allowed each member a solo song. It was similar to the 2011 cruise concert but included enough differences to make it a unique show. Besides, it allowed another year to see the Backstreet Boys. I also tried my first ever after party, where I was lucky enough to get a photo with Howie.

Bringing in the new year with great
friends

2. New Year's Eve with the Backstreet Boys - I had trouble deciding if this would go under 2012 or 2013 since this particular show started in 2012 and ended in 2013. Why can't it be a part of both my Top 12 of 2012 and Top 13 of 2013??? My friends and I dominated the soundcheck with the Bronze VIPs that we decided to buy at the last minute by having two of our requested songs sung and two of our questions answered. Anyway, this concert was very special and nothing like I have done before since I actually got to bring in the new year with not only some of my best friends, but the music group that means the world to me. The Backstreet Boys helped the audience bring in the new year by pausing their concert for a countdown, balloon drop, and their own special rendition of "Auld Lang Syne." By bringing in the new year with BSB, I fully expect 2013 to be the best one yet.

A birthday dream come true with Brian
and Leighanne

1. Wylee Party in Roswell - There were so many things that made this event amazing and number one on my list. First, it was on my birthday. Who wouldn't want to spend their birthday with Brian and Leighanne Littrell???? Most of all, I had the most amazing conversation with Brian that lasted a good 45 minutes....and not just any superficial conversation, but a real heart to heart where he gave me advice and shared his own personal stories that I had never heard before (if you haven't heard the story you need to click on the link and read it NOW!). Most importantly, I finally got to thank him for influencing me to make the best decision one can make....becoming a Christian. As I am typing this I am getting goose bumps just thinking about that weekend and what that day meant to me.

As I read back over this list, I also realize one thing.....I have a lot of blogging to catch up on! I am so behind.......

And as will become tradition, my collage of meeting "celebrities" in 2012 (in quotes because of the UK athletes pictured) in collage format...