2013 - What a Year!

You know you're old when....you say things like, "time flies!" and you really mean it.  I mean, come on!  How is it that we're already wrapping up 2013 and welcoming in 2014?  Also, how is it that I'm still so horrrrrrible about capturing moments by taking pictures?  I don't know if I'll ever master snapping photos, and because of that, this post is pretty lame photo-less...(okay, I lied...I creeped on instagram and got pics off my phone - this post ended up being photo-filled!  It's a Christmas miracle...or something like that)

Here's a look back on a super fast year - 2013, you were pretty uneventful, but that's okay with me!

January:

-Embarked upon my self-appointed "No-Jiggle-January" and was rather successful at losing a few pounds.

-Celebrated having Princeton one full year!

-Bought this dresser off Craigslist and turned it into a t.v. stand for our family room.

-Found out I was going to be an aunt (again!) because my sister (Melissa) was pregnant!

February:

-Convinced my husband to ditch the tube television and get a 40" flat-screen.  That was a hard task! (total first world problem)

-Enjoyed a week off of school thanks to built-in-snow-days.

-Traveled to Johnson City, TN with my 2 sisters and nephew to visit my Aunt Shirley, Uncle Gene and cousins Tressa and Wendell.

-Continued on with No-Flab-February and continued to rock it out.

March:

-Worked hard to get through this month.  Totally ready for Spring but still suffering from winter-like weather in KY.

-Started the seeds for my garden (better late than never, right?)

-Came down with strep throat...uggggggghhhhh

-Longed for a break!

-Fell off the wagon and jumped ship on No-Munchy March (maybe it was because the name was lame?)

April:

-Ventured to Destin with my good friends Julie, Katie, and Jenna for Spring Break.

 

-Officially began rereading the Harry Potter series (yesssssss!!!!)

May:

-Feverishly awaited the arrival of summer...it couldn't come fast enough!

-Transferred my seeds to the garden out back.

-Opened our pool for the second year, but this time we did it ourselves and were very successful at it!

-Made cake balls in the design of a flag...lame to include that in here, but as a teacher that was quite a feat to accomplish during the school year!

-Hung a new light fixture in our foyer.

June:

-Completed my 2nd year teaching in Louisville and my 5th year teaching altogether.

-Weeding the backyard took over my life.

-Continued reading the Harry Potter series...why hello book 3!

-Began taking doors off the hinges and repainted all of them.

-Attempted a return to blogging...decided that good things can't be forced.

-Began running with the help of Couch to 5K.

July:

-Hosted a 4th of July swimming party during the middle of a monsoon in Louisville.

-Stephen passed his CFP courses and tests!

-Ventured to Outerbanks, NC with Stephen's family.

-Continued running with the help of Couch to 5K.

-Began reaping the benefits of a backyard garden!  Tomatoes, peppers and squash, oh my!

-Spent a weekend in Chicago for my dear friend Debbie and Stephen's wedding.

-Kept on trucking through HP - I forgot how much I love you, book 4.

August:

-Began prepping for my 3rd year of teaching at my current school.

- Cut 13 inches off my hair (despite Stephen's pleas not to) and donated (well...am planning on donating) it.

-Ventured to Pittsburgh for Stephen's cousins wedding.

-Continued running - thank you, Couch to 5K.

-School started and I vowed my life would not end just because of this.

-Keepin' it moving with HP...oh book 5, how long and a little painful you proved to be.

September:

-My niece (YAY!  We didn't know if she were a boy or girl until she came!), Emerson Lee joined us :).

- Running became harder, although I was trying really hard to keep up with it.

-Hosted a co-ed Baby Shower for my good friends, Katie and Kyle.

-Reading began to slooow down....school began to take over....noooooooooooooo!!!

October:

-Stephen and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary.

-To celebrate, we hit up the Bourbon Trail.

 -I came down with Hand, Foot, Mouth Disease (you just read that correctly).

-Hand, Foot, Mouth officially ended my love-affair with running.

-Our good friends Mike, Amanda (their daughter Emma), Stephen and Debbie came to visit from Chicago.

-We enjoyed a trip to Hubers Apple Orchard and Pumpkin Patch with our Young Life friends.

-We celebrated with our friends, Katie and Brad as they got married here in Louisville.

-Stephen and I were characters from Shrek for Halloween (I was Donkey {or an @$$ if you ask Stephen} and he was Gingerbread Man) along with our friends, Seth and Julie.

-Stephen and I officially became adults when we got new windows for the front of our house...and were excited about it.

November:

-We drove...yes DROVE to Dallas, Texas for our good friend's (Brian and his now-wife Amber's) wedding and got to hang out with a handful of great friends there!

 

-Despite the pain I endured in book 5, I welcomed HP book 6 into my life.

-We headed north to Chicago for our friend, Emily's wedding.

-My best friend, Katie, had her baby!  As of today, I still have not met this bundle of sweetness...stay tuned...

December:

-We followed along in last year's steps and got another real tree to decorate in our dining room.

-I got 2 snow days....ugh - so early in the year...I'm fearful for January and February!

-Finished book 6 and reluctantly began book 7 - I want to finish HP so badly, and yet I don't want it to end!

-We celebrated Christmas in Kentucky this year, which made my break seem so much longer and more relaxing, although I did miss seeing our Pittsburgh family!

-I turned the big 3-1 and got to spend some quality time with my bestie, Donielle.

-Stephen and I were officially old hags: we stayed home on NYE, watched HP and ate left-overs.  Ugh.  At least my company was good :).

What a year!  I look forward to making this list again a year from now - I wonder what all will be on it then?  What fun did you embark upon in 2013?  Did you begin running and actually stick with it? What about a diet - did you stick with that as well?  Am I the only one who made these resolutions and then fell off the resolution boat?!