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2013 has been my worst blogging year since I start blogging but one of the biggest years of change for our family – funny how real life gets in the way of documenting life online. Just as it should be. But I miss writing here and staying on top of the things we’re doing and the mundane parts of life that I find funny at the time – or important enough to share (importance is totally relevant – I’d imagine the text exchanges that occur between myself and others are of little to no interest to the rest of the world, but they entertain me and a handful of you). I got my annual site statistics report and hilariously, 4 of my 5 most viewed posts were from previous years:

1. Working Girl (because people are strangely looking for Skidz online quite a lot)
2. Five Question Friday (because way too many people google terms related to freakish feet and toes)
3. Do As I Say (Thanks to “Roll ’em Ferndock” and my dad)
4. Bungee Cords: a parent’s helper (because other parents are as desperate as I have been)

Actually, those four entries were all from 2011 – apparently I wrote about things of greater interest to the general public at that time. Sorry to be letting the masses down by solely blogging about my kids, our lives and inspirational quotes… I will try harder to dredge up crap topics from the recesses of my mind in 2014. The world will be a better place once again.

In the meantime, on to a look back at our year. It was the best of times… it was the most stressful of times.

January 2013
I made a new set of resolutions… later this week (maybe tomorrow, maybe not… I like to keep you on your toes) we’ll see how I did at sticking with those resolutions.

It snowed, finally. Unlike this year where it started snowing at Thanksgiving and has yet to stop, last winter was a little slow to start so when the snow finally came in January, my kids were THRILLED.

Jack started drawing and surprised me by drawing a picture of our family – sadly his first drawing was on a Boogie Board so I had to document the picture on my phone instead of physically saving his first drawing for the rest of his life.

February 2013

Jack turned 4. He’s still a picky eater – though yesterday he did eat (and love) a bagel with cream cheese and a different kind of “fruit” snacks – so there is hope. He said, “I guess I’m not so picky today.”

We visited my college friend, Heidi, and her family in Chicago. Two boys are way crazier than one girl, but they all loved each other.

We also visited Legoland… it was as awesome as my boys had hoped.

March 2013
Fulfilled a fantasy of mine of being in the same room as Adam Levine… at a Maroon 5 concert which ended shortly after it started because Mr. Levine had laryngitis. I am still a little bitter that our time together was cut short.
Jack had an epic nosebleed and I blogged about some things that are not great.

Started our two-week vacation to Texas with a road trip. We survived and even enjoyed it. So much so we’ll be doing it again this coming year. Either it really is fun to be in a car for two days with our two boys or we are gluttons for punishment. You decide. Or maybe, it’s the food that keeps us coming back.

April 2013
We celebrated 8 years of marriage… successfully making it past the 7 year itch.

This kid was still cute:

We decided to put our house on the market (incidentally the most popular post of this year). And unlike the last time we tried, this time the house sold! Whoot! The only time our house has ever looked this uncluttered and clean.

May 2013
Simon and I remained as cheesy as ever!
Realized that selling our house is awesome and buying a new one is even better but it still brings its own issues.

Blogged about more funny text exchanges. They still make me laugh.

June 2013
Chopped my hair off and donated it, marking an item off my 35 things before 35 list.
The boys got their first cavities (and fillings), they started and graduated from swimming lessons and we found handmade tortillas in Grand Rapids!

We went camping with our small group and captured one of my favorite pics of the boys:

Almost all the small group kids in one picture = miracle.

Bought this house and moved into it (technically on July 1):

Liam finished up first grade and I realized there is no chance he will ever grow up to look like me.

July 2014
Moved and said goodbye to the old house.

Started a new list.

Liam lost his first tooth.

Got together with my mom’s side of the family for a little reunion. Aren’t we all so cute?

Attended a wedding of two middle school and high school friends who reconnected and fell in love. Got to dress up and leave the kids home. My favorite picture of the two of us lately.

Attended the most fun water-themed birthday party… my boys were HUGE fans of the giant slip and slide.

Also fans of fountain near our new house.

August 2013
Mah baby turned 7!

Finally made it the Farmer’s Market and stocked up on dill for making pickles. Surprisingly, Jack likes pickles as much as he appears to like having this photo taken.

Got to experience a French macaroon – delicious, heavenly, worth the wait.
Enjoyed hosting my brother and his family from Texas… loved spending time with them here in town and in Whitehall with the whole family. Special thanks to Quinn and Chris for hosting us and letting us burn all their firewood (the Sawyer kids love a good fire).
September 2013
Liam started second grade at his new school and fulfilled his own dream of riding the bus.

Jack decided he should start doing homework.

I decided I needed a book club in my life and that I didn’t want to have to get a babysitter to go to it so I decided to start my own Laid-Back Book Club.
And I started looking forward to contentment after all the change.

October 2013
We discovered a new donut place close to home. They also have apple cider slushies that are yummy (and cheap).

George is still a great dog, despite needing surgery to remove a bladder stone.

We had fun with friends at apple orchards.

And downtown visiting ArtPrize.

And Halloween at the new house was filled with Power Rangers, candy and neighborhood fun! We’re so glad we moved.

Simon enjoyed a weekend away in Iowa for MSU football with the Sawyer men.

November 2013
Simon conceded to sushi for date night so I conceded to Thor II for the movie choice. We were both pleased with the evening.

I got away for the weekend with my college friends for lots of laughter, good food and sleep. Perfection. (Also handy since I was at the start of having mono after having had the flu two weeks earlier – so glad I got a flu shot this year.)

We hosted our first Thanksgiving where we cooked the turkey ourselves… despite a couple mishaps, all went well and we hope to be hosting again next year!
Liam went to his first home MSU football game and loved it, which means he gets to join the men at the away game next year (I’m sure Jack will be indignant about that one… too bad little brother).

We also got together with a group of fellow Lucky Fin families from Michigan – Jack happened to be the elder child there with a limb difference and he loved being the big kid!

December 2013
Snow, snow and more snow. We started the month with a brief power outage… just a precursor to the major outages that happened at the end of the month. Our kids loved flashlights, candles and no school.

I got to cuddle for hours with this sweet baby and get my girl fix.

Simon had knee surgery and I had big plans for making holiday treats (plans that were accomplished).

Christmas was marvelous and family-filled and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

After time at my parents we headed a little further southeast to Cleveland to visit our beloved friends (and Trader Joe’s). We left filled up on social time and good food – tanks topped off with love!

We reunited with George and headed home… I drove between Lansing and GR and this is how George sat the whole time – watching my lap and hoping for an opportunity to jump across and snuggle up.

We’re wrapping the new year at home and we’re very happy with that plan.

And that’s all she wrote… see you in 2014!

Outside my window it is a winter wonderland. This is the first December in 13 years where it has snowed since Thanksgiving and not stopped (do not be impressed with my ability to remember the year it last snowed this much – I only remember because I had just moved back to town and I drove from one end of 28th Street to the other to go to work so never really noticed exactly how much snow it was until I drove home at Christmas and my parents had snowbanks taller than my car next to their driveway). I love how gorgeous it is but I do wish there wasn’t ice included in this scenario and power outages – that is less than ideal. But still, pretty. White Christmas here we come!

I am thinking of what needs to get done before Christmas and the end of the year. I love this time of year more each year! The break from school and regular things to celebrate with family and friends. Each year I find more magic in the reason for the season and love sharing that with my kids – teaching them the true meaning of Christmas and making new traditions for how we celebrate Jesus’ birth (and revisiting our old favorite traditions).

I am thankful for our “new” house, our health – despite getting older (and more decrepit) every year, my four boys that I live with – they are the best in every way despite how crazy each of them can make me – and the friends and family that round out this pretty wonderful life (don’t worry – it’s still got stress and bad things – I’m not trying to gloss over anything, I’m not one of those bloggers who is out of touch with reality – at least I don’t think I am).

I am wearing pajamas (changed from the pajamas I was wearing for the past three days – why change if you aren’t going to be seeing people, that’s what I say).

I am remembering to get all the gifts wrapped and tucked into boxes.

I am going to run some final errands and then get things packed up for our trips to Lansing and Cleveland in the next week. Am also finishing up any work that needs to be handled in the next week – I am so looking forward to time off, not thinking about work at all!

I am currently reading a bunch of books, including two on Christian marriage and how maybe its true intention isn’t to make us happy but to bring us closer to God (which ultimately is what makes us happiest). I’m about to start Beautiful Ruins for January’s book club.

I am hoping 2014 won’t bring any bad surprises (it can bring all the good ones it wants to), that Liam will continue to enjoy wrestling, that we’ll turn a corner with the boys and their {in}ability to listen and follow directions and that Simon will get a first shift job at work – it’s nice having him home since his knee surgery last week (oh yes, he had knee surgery last week and he’s doing marvelously… seeing his doctor today for follow up and to learn when he’ll have to start getting injections since he is missing some key cartilage in his knee – darn rugby, ever the giver).

On my mind work, life and how to get the boys to stop arguing with each other and pushing each others’ buttons. And what we’re going to have for dinner.

Noticing that my nails are in serious need of some TLC… my last round of at-home shellac left them very sad. I love how it looks when it is on but getting it off is not my favorite thing.

Around the house Liam is playing iPad, Pandora is playing the Family Christmas station, laundry is going in the washer (though not well since it keeps going out of balance), George is out of sorts because I am sitting at the kitchen counter and not someplace he can sit next to me so he keeps getting up and circling around for a place to curl up and I have finally remembered to drink my second cup of coffee. You know… boring, wonderful life. 

In the kitchen butternut squash and garlic are roasting in the oven and the counter is filled with goodies to be packed up for the holidays.

One of my favorite things is listening to Liam read books to Jack. It’s a rarity but one of the best things in the world to witness.

From my photo archive (4 years ago)
Jack was still adorable (and a baby)

And Liam, while cute and chunky, still had amazing bed head.