2013 Review

Well, I must say, 2013 was a pretty good year. The girls continue growing, and are happy and healthy as can be. Our family is stronger and closer than we’ve ever been. We've had so many adventures, memories, vacations to look back on and cherish. We learned that our family would soon be expanding, and are over the moon about it. We started the year off by getting debt free, and have been reaping the benefits ever since. It was a very special year of freedom, growth and stability for us.

January started the year off as exciting as ever, with Olivia’s birthday! She turned 4 years old to kick the year off, and it was as hard to believe as every other year. She was spoiled with attention at school, at home, and at her Edimborough birthday party. We took the girls to Sesame Street Live, and to the Mall of America aquarium with some free passes I’d won (and, of course, made a pit stop at Nickelodeon Universe). Olivia started her first ever activity, with round of Swimming lessons…and, she’s continued them throughout the year. Amelia turned 2.5, AND started officially potty training – becoming 100% trained in February. And, I finally made the decision to start selling off the girls’ clothes – they just take up too much space, and we really wanted the extra money. So, over the next few weeks, everything went, via friends and craigslist. Bittersweet.

February started off AMAZINGLY, with us becoming officially DEBT FREE!! It was an amazing feat, and we’ve never looked back. We also made the jump get continue saving, and got rid of cable…for a complete TV junkie like myself, that was a big deal. But, I haven’t had any issues or regrets since. Christian gave me my most wonderful Valentine’s Day ever, surprising me with some roses, and an appointment with my stylist! So, I chopped a good 18” off my hair. That was immediately followed up by first haircuts for both of the girls. Yeah, I cried. We’ve since continued getting Amelia’s hair cut, but have grown Olivia’s back out. We ended the month with a trip to the bowling alley with friends.

March was a rough month, weather and health wise. Olivia and I were both hit by our first ever bouts of the stomach flu. And, I seriously thought that I was going to die! Amelia did get hit with it after us, but not nearly as bad, thankfully. After a short reprieve from that, both girls were hit with some strange mouth virus – similar to cold sores, but it was CRAZY, painful and a little scary. We did manage to get some Easter celebrations in…visiting the Easter Bunny, dying Easter eggs, and attending an Easter service. We also took the girls on their first ice skating adventure…they were not fans. We got a very temporary relief from winter…it was pretty much just a slap in the face since we were in for another good month or so of winter weather. The month ended by celebrating Christian’s 29^th birthday, with a  fun night out with friends.

April started off with our trip to Wisconsin Dells, with the Steveson’s. We rented a big “apartment” this year, so we could all stay together, and had a blast! We stayed a little longer this year, and it was just as hard as ever to say goodbye. However, the trip ended extra tragically when I realized the diamond had fallen out of my engagement ring at some point, somewhere. While it should be covered…my rings had been stuck on my fingers since I was pregnant with Olivia, so the jewelers insurance was no longer valid. I debated waiting to replace it, but Christian was insistent that we do it right away, so we splurged on a replacement. It’s beautiful, but just not the same. We took a trip to the circus, and Christian and I had an awesome date night. Winter made a return, and stayed pretty much the entire month. And, Amelia started Pre-School! Getting so big.

May was a historic day in Minnesota, with the “Freedom to Marry” bill passing – yay for equality!!! I had a mom’s night out at a Twin’s Game, took Olivia on a date to see “Epic” and Chrsitian and I got to go to “Star Party”…where I saw one of my all-time fave’s, Nelly, perform up close and personal. Awesome! I had a wonderful Mother’s Day, getting a beautiful bracelet from Christian, and spending the day with our family and some friends. We were finally able to do some gardening, even though it was still a tad cold. We did some extra flowers this year, AND started some vegetable gardens for the first time. I did battle quite a medical scare this month…with my worsening, frequent migraines, I ended up going to the doctor, and through a serious of bloodwork and tests, including an MRI and CT Scan, everything ended up being “normal” – I spent a week in fear that I may have a brain aneurysm, and while it turned out to be fine, it’s a fear I don’t ever want to face again.

June brought my 30^th birthday. 30!!! Gosh. It’s also brought Olivia’s start in Pre-Kindergarted. REALLY big! We had a wonderful Father’s Day, spent a day at Como Zoo, and another picking strawberries and spending some time at the beach. And, ended the month with Game Day, my dad’s “family reunion” of sorts.

July was a busy month! Olivia turned 4.5, and didn’t let anybody forget it. We celebrated the 4^th of July, with a couple of festivals, the parade and a BBQ at our house with family and friends. I celebrated 12 years at my job, AND 12 years with Christian – getting old folks! We had another beach day, and took our weekend trip to Duluth. We got to work on another outside project, stripping and repainting the deck. Amelia turned 3 with celebrations aplenty, including a trip to Pump it Up, getting lots of attention at school, and a party at home with friends and family – too bad the weather didn’t seem to realize it was July! I also went with some girlfriends to the Lakefront Musical Festival...where I got to see yet another all-time fave, Bret Micheals, perform up close and personal. Seriously, what an awesome year!

August was also a VERY busy month. It started off with our summer visit from the Steveson family. They again stayed with us, and we had such an amazing time. Hanging out around the house, a day trip to Stillwater, a day at the Mall of America, and another at IKEA, a mom’s night out to do a “Wine and Canvas” event. And, of course, our family photo session with Dawn. The visit always goes WAY too fast, and it’s so hard to say goodbye to them, but we made the most of our visit. Unfortunately, we also had to battle a family loss, with the passing of my Grandma, while they were here. I think I was very fortunate that they were here when it happened…it helped take some of the pressure off, and provided some much needed distraction. But, nothing could help keep from feeling the pain of saying goodbye when that time came. Our family will definitely forever have a hole in it. Throughout the month, we took another trip to Como Zoo, took the girls rollerskating for the first time (again, they were not big fans), spent a day at the Waterpark, and another at the beach and visited the State Fair. The month ended with a family reunion on my mom’s side. Olivia also started her first season of soccer, and loved it!

September was a pretty big month. I started the month off finding out that we were expecting Baby #3! We were over the moon, and just beyond excited for our growing family. So, May 2014, our family of 5 will finally be complete! I surprised Christian with an anniversary trip to Chicago, to celebrate our 6^th wedding anniversary, and we had a blast exploring the city together (even though I was beyond exhausted with early pregnancy fatigue). We spent a day at the apple orchard with friends, and Amelia finally got to start swimming lessons of her own! She was so excited to finally be “bigger”.

October, the chaos of life just picked up steam, and kept on rolling right through the end of the year. Olivia had her final soccer game of the year, and it was amazing to watch her grow through the season….learning, getting more brave and participating more and more. She got a little participation trophy, and seemed pretty bummed to see the season end. We spent a day at Sever’s Corn Maze with friends, and had a blast as always. I was able to go with some girlfriends to see “Wicked”, which was an amazing treat. Almost a year to the date from Rico’s medical chaos, Chuy had a little scare of his own! I finally got him in for a complete check-up, physical and updated shots, and he ended up having an allergic reaction to something. We were able to treat it at home, and it passed quickly, but what a scare! And, of course, Halloween festivities throughout the day…parties at school, a trip to Como Zoo Boo, the local neighborhood party and trick-or-treating with friends. Strawberry Shortcake and Lemon Meringue were a hit!

In November, the weather took a fast dive. I’m pretty sure we skipped most of fall – it was just a complete crappy year weather-wise. I was able to go to a Wild Game with a friend, so it was a pretty successful year for me and outings! That doesn’t usually happen too often! Christian and I started the great car debate…knowing we needed a new vehicle before baby comes, and not sure which vehicle we should get rid of. Currently, the debate is on hold until after winter – so we’ll see how all of that pans out. The rest of November was spent planning my BFF’s baby shower, planning/getting ready for Christmas and Olivia’s birthday, and, of course, Thanksgiving!!! Which, we hosted again this year. YUM!

December was a busy month of Christmas festivities. Buddy the Elf spent the month entertaining us, we visited Santa, the Holidazzle and the Macy’s Display. We decorated, watched tons of Christmas movies, baked and did some crafts. We shopped and wrapped and had a ton of family time throughout the month. And, I was able to co-host a baby shower for my BFF, who is due in mid-January with her 2^nd (9 years after from her 1^st). The month, well, the year, just flew by in the blink of an eye!

With that, we welcomed 2014. We’re ready for another amazing year…watching the girls grow, welcoming another baby into our family (along with 4 of our close friends that are also expecting) and seeing where life takes us.