2014: A Year of Adventure

As I mentioned earlier today, 2013 was our year of love.

And 2014? Instead of resolutions, we are declaring a theme this year.

So let it be declared.

What a fun theme, you may be thinking. Well friends, it is about to get a LOT more interesting.

Because.


Maybe I should say, 冒険の年 instead.


Intrigued?


It is {officially as official can be in the Navy at this stage of the game} official.


In late summer 2014, we will be making a move.


To...

Japan!

We don't have a ton of details yet, but A verbally accepted these orders, we have been in touch with his potential new command, broken the news to our families, and everyone is so excited for us.

We are excited for us too!

Well, my husband is super excited. I can see excited in the distance...you know, after the whole sell your first home, pack up your whole family's life and move it to the other side of the globe thing. Ha!

We weren't even really supposed to talk about orders until a couple of weeks from now, so neither of us were particularly emotionally prepared to deal with all of this in addition to the general holiday bustle. So our minds have been reeling, but in a totally ready for adventure and anxious/excited kind of way.

As always in the Navy, nothing is for sure until you are on board the plane...and sometimes even then, plans can change.

In any case, 2014 will indeed be a year for adventure.

Evelyn Rae is two, Liam is ten months old

...and my baby girl may very well start kindergarten in Japan. 

WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT?!

2013: A Year of Love

Everyone else is sharing their resolutions and broadcasts and predictions for 2014 today, but I will go ahead and be back with you on that a little later today.

{Because, thanks to no napping, crazy off schedule, overtired and general messes of kids...this post did not get written yesterday as planned. Naturally.}


Last year, I made some resolutions for 2013. Let's evaluate.

1. Survive and Thrive - We definitely survived...thrived? Ummm. Well. Some days we did, and some days we didn't. Such is life. We did indulge in the philosophy that Babies Don't Keep and did our fair share (and then some) of snuggling, cuddling, loving and hugging.

2. Invest time in relationships - Sigh. I did and I didn't. I had highs and lows on this one. I hate to make excuses for this, but that whole world getting rocked by another baby{and then anxiety} thing meant that some days I didn't even want to hear my own thoughts by the end of it. I am going to be working *much* harder on this one this year.

3. Simplify - We did it! We cut cable. We don't watch nearly as much TV, though we honestly wouldn't have time to anyways with the way bedtime looks some days. It is hard to claim that we simplified "stuff" as I sit here surrounded in new Christmas presents and toys up to my very eyeballs, so it must be time for round 2...or 27. We are going to be purging even more in the days to come. That one is for sure.

4. Blog better - Yeah. Meh. I did write some things I was really proud of this year, but again, the time, friends. Where is the time?! I think this year will be better, as I begin to balance the needs of everyone a bit better, including my own.

5. Fiscal Responsibility - We can *always* do better, but I am actually pretty proud of us on this one this year. Bigger and better things to come.

So, I didn't do outstandingly well at everything I thought I would.

But, here's to 2013.

{With all of its ups and downs and all arounds.}

Our year of love.

I don't say that lightly or trivially. We grew in so many way this year - to a family of four, in our emotional capabilities, our very heart capacity {which grew to bursting and then went ahead and grew some more} and definitely in patience and flexibility. 

And with all that comes a little growing pain - but we grew in love most of all, and there was more than enough love to sustain us through life's little bumps. 

And thank goodness for that.

So here's to 2013!

We loved you, as you loved us.

Evelyn Rae is two, Liam is ten months old

...and that video is a full 5 minutes long, so if you made it through, kudos to you!