Happy New Year

I wrote down a 13 for 13 way back on the 13th of January - I shan't revisit the 13 since I'm fairly certain the only thing I accomplished on that list was to learn to knit. I'd give a 14 for 14 but that's a ton of things to think on and knowing me it would take me until the 14th of February to finish and post given my track record. It was bound to be a banner year since I ended 2012 with winning the 5000th Twitter Fan Carmike Contest which remains the coolest and only thing I ever did win. And now I give you . . .

Thirteen Things From 20-13:
 * Thanks to our movie pass for a year we saw way more movies than I think I've seen in one year in my LIFE. It has been a blast to have dates and to see things long before they come out on regular TV!

* We frequently heard how Awesome The Boy was "because it's just so hard to think of another adjective." He continues to keep us on our toes and ask Big Questions, some of which we have to Google the answers.

* We visited old friends. The zoo and lunch after was a blast and the surprising was even more awesome. We spent time with our good friends, spending summer nights at Sweet Frog even when it started to sprinkle. And we swam, visited Six Flags and seriously rocked a pick-up baseball game birthday party

* We got a new puppy! We thought she was deaf but she was just a punk. She ate homework, 239487234 pairs of headphones, rolls of toilet paper and boxes of tissues, the box of plastic spoons and let us not forget the baking soda. Maggie (better known as Petunia Picklebottoms) brought some spunk back to old Mildred Louise - she's keeping her young. And by young it sometimes means escaping the back gate and running through the creek.

* The Boy continues to crack us up with Jethroisms. My favorite quote from The Boy this year: So are you born a vegetarian or vegan or is it a choice? Because I didn't know if the doctor passes you the baby and says 'it's a boy and he's a vegan' or something.


* The Boy learned to ride a 4-wheeler. He crashed nearly every time he rode. Thankfully he did not break anything.

* We played a lot of baseball. Spring the weather was awesome, we came in 4th place and it was fun. Fall we played every single Friday and learned to play every position and it was fun. Now we are getting geared up for B-Ball in the Spring and well it might not be too fun in the way t-ball isn't always fun. Like watching paint dry? Maybe not but B-Ball seems to be a game of Walking and Stealing.

* The Boy finished 3rd Grade and had many accomplishments. The Boy started 4th grade and has learned a ton about space. He's also back to reading again. We may just get that Balloon Walk yet! This is the year for Real Grades and we couldn't be more proud of how Awesome The Boy is doing

* We went to our first Braves game together! It was just as awesome as we thought it would be. And in honor of Father's Day The Boy and Dave were able to run the bases together after the game!

* Got rid of the motorcycle, added on the Explorer. Dave and The Boy were sad for the loss but I Hate Motorcycles So I'm All Good.

* I joined a book club - and I swear I'm not just in it for the adult interaction but HELLO what a plus. I joined a co-op and am loving learning new recipes for the different veggies we have here. And I bought my first pair of cowboy boots.

* Dave stopped working at the shop. And quit dipping. I don't think I've ever been more proud of him. Ever.

* We began the foster care process and felt led to do Resource Parenting instead of Straight Adoption. It's a scary decision but we hope that God has a special child He plans to stay here forever. We attended class every Thursday. We survived two home inspections. We waited not-so-patiently for approval. And then we had a respite weekend and a weekend with two little boys that I thought were going to do me in. I'm happy to report we finished our required hours to stay active in the nick of time (read: last night) and we are good to go for starting back in January.

There were hard parts to the year - I was pretty sure November wanted to destroy me between losing my friend Carla, the tough time with the foster kids, the hot water heater exploding and a bunch of other stuff. I could have done without all the health stuff we had going on. And my ever-present being behind on all things paperwork. I wish I would go to bed earlier and exercise more - drink less coke, more water - learn to like running. But thinking back on all the things we did in 2013 - I'm glad for my family and friends. And memories. And laughs.


So in looking forward to 2014 I have a few hopes - to laugh more & cry less; to work hard and do my best; to read the entire Bible; to visit with friends, to spend time with family. I want to start taking pictures again. And keep my room clean. Hahahahaha yeah I'm just joking on that last one.

I'm hopeful 2014 will be our Best Year Yet and I'm excited to see what God has in store for us. Wishing you all a very Happy New Year. Much Love ~ Shan.