The midnight hour is fast approaching and it is time for my annual summary-of-the-past-year blog post. To be completely honest, I've been dreading this all week. I normally really look forward to it, and it's not like I feel that I have to do it or anything (obviously I feel zero obligation, since I've somehow managed to completely ignore my blog for over 2 months now - yikes!!), but I know that later on down the road, I will appreciate having this post as a concise way to look back on this year. Besides, I'm hoping that this little recap will help me to realize that maybe, just maybe, 2013 wasn't the total disappointment that I currently feel it was (I shouldn't say "total" disappointment -- I can definitely think of a couple incredible highlights). Ha! Is this going to be fun, or what?! I know, I'm just a barrel of laughs these days.
The better portion of the first half of 2013 was spent hating my job (again? what?? Nasty pattern I seem to have fallen into...) and counting down the days to summer break. I had many long days at school and did my best to combat the exhaustion and impending depression by taking zumba classes 3 days a week, and sharing the occasional Chipotle burrito with Steven. I did some really cool projects with my kids including painting portraits of the presidents, which were proudly displayed out in the hallway during the month of February. And I planned the best ever 100th Day of School festivities. Events and bulletin boards are the most fun, even if they do wear me out. Steven and I had a truly incredible Valentine's Day - Cirque du Soleil style!! We became friends with our next door neighbors, Canyon & Andrea. It's so fun reading back over my one-line-a-day journal and seeing all of the times that we had dinner or watched football games together. We even went on a double-date to a movie once, but it might not happen again because we saw The Hobbit and Andrea is still complaining about it ;) We had some new neighbors move in across the street last winter and we hope to continue to get to know Jeff & Erin better in this new year. Steven rocked the Stairclimb this year -- came in 56 out of 1500 with a time of 14 minutes 48 seconds!! Since he was also a top fundraiser, we had the pleasure of attending a special ceremony in April -- it made us proud to support the LLS. 2013 was positively full of sunshine, which made me a very happy lady. We took a trip up Mt. Si on one glorious 70+ degree day in March and we made it to the top in just 2 hours. That's probably twice as fast as the last time we did that hike (Thanksgiving week the first year we were dating -- 6 years ago!), which made me feel really good about myself. Thank you, Zumba!! Spring break -- we wanted more sunshine but couldn't quite afford the heat to go with it, so we ended up in Whitefish, Montana at our timeshare for a few days. Montana is beautiful!! We saw a bit of Glacier NP, played loads of boardgames, enjoyed the wood burning fire place, and I surprised Steven with a rock climbing outing as an early birthday gift. I'm so brave! I never want to do it again. I made my first ever quilt as a gift for a coworker, and then my second and third quilts later in the summer -- lots of work but so rewarding! First week of June, I became a licensed Zumba instructor (who would have ever thought?), and quit my job - Praise the Lord!!! Such a relief, though my heart broke when a few of my favorite students started crying when I told them the news. My mom got a puppy and moved back into my childhood home (crazy!). I taught a cooking group this summer and had many kitchen adventures including baklava, gnocchi, and churros! Highlight of the year: our Big Trip!! A full month of travel: London, Oslo, Madrid, Barcelona, Birmingham, and then a transatlantic cruise from England to Boston with stops in France, Ireland (Cobh & Dublin), The Faroe Islands, and Iceland. AND we got to visit so many friends! We came back refreshed and excited to start the next phase of life: baby making. Eeeeee!! I've only been waiting for this phase my entire life. Since I didn't have a job when we got back from our trip, Uncle Barry hired me as his personal assistant/organizer/life-coordinator. It has been such a blessing to have part time employment/a little extra income. I cut my hair really short (love it, but miss my long locks). We finally got to attend a bottling party at the Woodinville Whiskey Company in the fall (fun!). Then had some shocking news in the first week of November when the levy failed and we found out that Steven will be getting laid off. It felt like the end of the world, though we're certain it's a blessing in disguise. Just can't believe we're back to square one again. I started teaching zumba classes - that makes me a dance fitness instructor (still seems so weird to me but I love it). At the beginning of December we received the best possible news - I was pregnant. I have never been happier in my entire life and was so excited to tell Steven that he was going to become a daddy. Our joy came to an abrupt and tearful end when we lost the baby the week before Christmas. So here we are. Reeling from the grief of a miscarriage and facing a layoff at the end of January. Yes, it was a great year, and there are many happy memories to look back on, but the thing I was most excited for in 2013 was becoming pregnant, and here I am at the turn of the new year with an empty uterus and a broken heart. Thank God for my amazing husband, and for the security I find in our loving relationship even when nothing else in my life is certain. Here's to hoping we find our happily-ever-after in 2014.
Cheers.
