2013 in review

I've never done one of these year-in-review things, but I checked out a few other people's and I'm inspired to do one of my own on this rainy afternoon.  It's fun to look back at all the ups and downs, where we began and where we ended up.

January - After a fun Christmas and New Year in Massachusetts, our 2013 got off to a rough start.  Tim got the flu, was sick for several days, then got better just in time to leave for Afghanistan.  Yay.  And then Annie and I both got sick, and I felt like crap for basically an entire month.  I'd never been sick like that.  Even when I was mostly better, I still felt sore and tired and just 'blah' for awhile after that.

Feverish cheeks in full bloom

February - I started to emerge from my funk, do some organizing projects and 'fun mom' stuff like crafts with the kids and handmade valentines.  My workouts helped keep me in a good state of mind.  Tim and I got back in the habit of writing one long email "letter" a day, and that was something to look forward to.  It was hard adjusting to single parenting again, but I knew that better times would be coming in the spring when it got warmer and the family visits started.

March - That was a good month.  Everybody was healthy.  Delaney started playing soccer for the first time.  I got a new haircut and new dress that did wonders for my morale.  Tim and I celebrated six years of marriage on the 17th.  My sister-in-law Karen came to stay with us for Easter.  I had nothing to complain about that month.

April - I washed the car.  That's noteworthy because it might be the only time I did it while Tim was gone.  I wrangled Annie and Timmy at soccer games and practices.  Tim Sr came to visit for a few days.  I brought Timmy to a walk-a-thon at Delaney's school, and my heart melted at the sight of them walking around hand-in-hand, and I watched their friendship developing.  

May - Tim's mom came to visit for a few days, and we had the best ever sunset ride through downtown in a 'Cinderella coach'.  It is the standard by which all future carriage rides will be measured.  We also celebrated Annie's 4th birthday with a butterfly themed pool party at the Y.  Annie graduated from three-year-old preschool.  Tim hijacked my blog in order to give me and anyone else who cared to read, a very special message.  On Memorial Day, after I foolishly killed the car battery the night before, we made it to the beach for the first time of the season.  It was around this point in time that I decided I might be happy living in North Carolina for the rest of my life. 

June - Delaney had her last day of kindergarten, and we moms waited with water guns and lollipops at the bus stop that afternoon.  (You know it wasn't my idea, I'm not that fun.)  In Topsail Island, NC we shared a beachfront house with my mom, dad, a couple of my sisters, and a LOT of uninvited guests.  But we had the best time together.  Driving home after that week was over was such a letdown for me.  Then, on the 25th, my birthday, I got the best surprise: Tim would be coming home three weeks early, in July instead of August.  Oh, happy day!  I took the kids' hands and danced around the house that day.  

July - It was the best of times.  On July 4, we picnicked and watched fireworks with friends.  My sister Grace visited and we celebrated Delaney's 6th birthday -- which was actually a fiasco, but let's not focus on that part.  It was an ocean-themed pool party at the Y, and I ran out of helium for the balloons and forgot to bring cutlery.  I said I wasn't going to focus on that, right?  After that I was blessedly done with birthday parties for at least another year.  The girls did some swim lessons.  Our jellybean jar ran out of jellybeans, and on the 18th, we welcomed Tim home.  On the 25th Timmy turned 2 and had an especially happy birthday with Daddy there to celebrate with him.

August - We went to the beach a few times.  Tim rescued a couple of drowning kids one morning before the lifeguards had posted.  I got Timmy the 'little man' haircut he still sports today.  I thought I'd be heartbroken to see that mop go, but then I could see so much more of his face and he looked so handsome.  Right before school started back up we had our own family vacation in Emerald Isle, NC.  Tim and I became even more convinced that we'd like to retire in North Carolina and live on the beach.  We searched for homes online, but in that price range it's still just a dream.  Then Delaney started first grade and that was the end of an amazing summer.

September - Annie started three-day-a-week Pre-K.  We switched gears from summer to fall, which was a little painful for me after our eventful summer.  I had to forego my favorite Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning workouts because the times did not work out with preschool drop-off.  I used that as an excuse to slack off for the next three months.  Both girls started soccer at the Y.  Tim got orders to Parris Island, SC for July 2014.  We were both relieved to know where we are headed so many months in advance, and happy to know we'd be spending the next three or four years in the south and close to the beach.

October - Tim's parents came to visit for a few days and we celebrated Tim's birthday.  The kids did a Fun Run and we did a 10K (and did pretty well if we say so ourselves).  Tim dragged the girls out of bed so they could see the Red Sox win the World Series.  I just asked them if they remember and they don't.  We went trick-or-treating on Halloween.  For some reason I don't like Halloween and I'm always glad when it's over.  One of my eccentricities, I guess.  I could care less about it and I don't understand the fuss.  Also, I don't like having so many people come to my front porch when my potted mums have already turned brown.  

November - Annie scored two goals in her last soccer game.  Karen came to visit.  Tim and I went to the Birthday Ball.  We had a quiet Thanksgiving here in North Carolina.  I weaned Timmy and it was a lot harder than I thought it would be.  The girls started gymnastics.

December - A busy whirlwind of a month.  School Christmas stuff, Tim's unit Christmas stuff, Christmas shopping.  We baked a lot of cookies.  Delaney got pinkeye and I chopped off a lot of hair.  We watched Annie be an angel in the Christmas play.  And of course, we went to Ohio.  I took the girls to see Frozen the day after we got home (I waited so long for it to be at the movie theater on base!)  At the funny parts when everyone laughed, Annie laughed loudest of all and it was hilarious.  We loved that movie.  On New Year's Eve we celebrated with sushi for everyone, watching Man of Steel after the kids went to bed, and then bed for me at 10:30.

When I was looking back through my photos, it took me a few seconds to realize that Annie was not the one standing by herself in the front; she was the one right behind, looking at the camera and sucking on her own tongue.  And  I'd just been thinking, 'Oh, there's a photo where Annie isn't sucking on her tongue!'

I have to chuckle at this picture because this is not the way they normally play, and this is definitely not the way they usually LOOK when they play.  They were wearing their new clothes (right before we left for the movie) and showing off their new baby dolls and baby doll gear.  I was tickled because they looked like a couple of suburban moms out for a stroll.

What a year!  I don't see how we could top a year like that.  Look at all the things we did, and how much the kids grew.  I feel happy and grateful and more than a little wistful.    

Happy New Year!

6 months down, just a few days to go

For the final jellybean photo, I opted to leave the jar sitting in its normal spot on the counter between the kitchen and living room, where I have walked by it a thousand times a day since January, glancing impatiently at it every time.  Will those jellybeans ever go down? I wondered.  And look at them now!

Last month on my birthday Tim surprised me with the news that he would be home about three weeks early.  The girls and I danced around for joy, and then I re-counted how many jellybeans we'd need and ended up removing a couple big handfuls.  I then gave them to the girls to put on top of my frosted birthday cookies.

Then I resumed the impatient glances at the now drastically reduced jellybean jar.

Our waiting is almost over.  Tim is on his way.  I remember how much that first couple of weeks sucked, with all the cold and the sickness and the sadness.  Then we got better and settled into our routine, and things got predictable and sometimes fun, and I could manage it all and even be happy.  Now I feel an anxiousness creeping up on me.  I hope it goes smoothly, I hope it goes on time, I hope the kids don't get cranky, I hope it doesn't rain, I hope Tim's not too appalled at the way I've let some things go (oh, I know he doesn't care, he just wants to be with us again)..  All these different things keep crossing my mind.  As Aunt Miriam would say, I have an acute case of "expectation-induced anxiety", right, Grace?  It's too bad that's not a real psychological term because it's brilliant.

The same photographer who took our homecoming pictures last time will be doing them again for us.  I can't wait until I can share the new ones!  Maybe they will even be the last.  That would be nice.

5 months down, (a little less than) 2 to go

4 months down, 3 to go

3 months down, 4 to go

Easter and Karen's visit

We had the best Easter we could expect to have with Tim not around.  Tim's sister Karen arrived Thursday afternoon and stayed until this Tuesday afternoon.  Goodbye is always hard.  We always feel bereft for a little while when a visit with a family member comes to an end.  It takes a few hours before we kind of shake it off and go back to normal.  Tim and I always talk about how this is one of the biggest sacrifices we make in our lifestyle -- not getting to spend much time with our extended families.  We miss out on a lot in Ohio and Massachusetts.  We wish we didn't have to be SO far away, and I'm on Facebook all the time looking for everybody's news and updates.  But visits when they happen are always great with lots of quality time packed into a few days, lots of laughs, and lots of good memories.  We were so glad to have Karen to spend the first few days of spring break and Easter with.

I'm sure that Karen is also missing these three little boogers of ours.  I know how much she loved being awakened at 7 a.m. sharp every morning by little feet pounding up the stairs and little voices calling, "Auntie Karen!  Auntie Karen!"  I know how much she appreciated the voices outside the bathroom door reminding her "If it's yellow let it mellow.."  (Delaney learned about that at school.)  I know for sure she misses the hours she spent with Delaney during nap time making sparkly unicorn sticker mosaics, building "habitats" for birds consisting of at least 30 pine cones on the back deck, playing Princess Memory, putting together puzzles, and making paper airplanes in all shapes and sizes with a name on each one (and that's just a few things -- Delaney is tireless).

Now we've got a visit from Grandpa coming up, and a visit from Grandma a couple weeks after that, and I've got a birthday party to plan.  More good times ahead!

Movie night.  We saw Monsters Inc.

Delaney is asking Timmy to share his ice cream at one of our favorite places, Cow Cafe.  That ice cream was so yummy after all those weeks of being sweets-deprived!

Skype call from Tim right after church, which would have been perfect except for Timmy fussing and crying for most of the conversation

These lamb cupcakes are not nearly as easy to make as they appear, but we had fun in the attempt!

Delaney's cupcake lamb looks scared, and with good reason.

My lamb was the most pathetic of all.  It didn't even have ears.  If not for Karen, it wouldn't have had eyes either.

The bubbles they got in their baskets were a huge hit.  They didn't even last two days.

And lastly, a video of cake-covered Timmy laughing.

2 months down, 5 to go

If the next 5 months go as fast as this one did, Tim will be home before we know it!