2013 recap

This year went by lightening-fast, didn't it? Except when it didn't (read: the eleventy billion hour plane rides that shaved no less than three years off my life).

What were your highlights of 2013?

• Steve and I decided to volunteer for Korea
• I was told my baby needed goat milk 
• I flew to California to meet internet friends (who are now firmly planted in the Real Life Friends category)
• I ran my first 5k in the snow
• my own personal hell ended and Steve came home from Afghanistan 
• we went kayaking with our neighbors (and I still have the tan lines to prove it)
• we accidentally ran a 10k 
• we flew to Philly to visit Steve's family
• my family came to visit one last time before we moved (just looking at photos of our old backyard makes me want to bawl)
• we drove to Atlanta, and then flew to Seattle, and then to Japan, and then to Korea, and then I wanted to commit no fewer than ten violent felonies
• we lived in a hotel for what felt like months
• and then we lived in an empty apartment for actual months
• Steve paid to have me physically assaulted 
• we celebrated four years of marriage 
• Molly continued to be really sick 
• Steve and I ate our most delicious meal to date
• Sam turned 3 on the same weekend that we saw North Korea
• we celebrated Halloween twice
• we celebrated Thanksgiving twice
• I bitched and moaned a lot about my failed Christmas cards
• then I bitched about them some more 
• and we finally celebrated Christmas

Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

As much as I love a good list, I did not make any resolutions last year. Except to survive, and I have. So check that one off! My resolutions for this year aren't terribly tangible.

• Be present.
• Be patient.
• Be kind.

Probably starting a swear jar though, just in case.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
Kate had the sweet-cheeked and chinned Wells. 

Did anyone close to you die?
My sweet granddaddy passed away soon after we moved to Korea.

What countries did you visit?
California (smile), Japan, Korea

What would you like to have in 2014 that you didn't have in 2013?
time to myself

What dates from 2013 will be etched upon your memory, and why?
Steve's homecoming (for obvious reasons) and our big move overseas (the day I said "so long!" to my sanity)

What was your biggest achievement of this year?
Starting my own photography business in October. I love it. Love love love LOVE IT.

What was your biggest failure?
Not learning any Korean before moving to Korea

What's the best thing you ate?
this meal at Mad For Garlic

What's the best thing you bought?
a 50mm lens

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Steve coming home from deployment and the thought of not parenting two kids by myself anymore

What do you wish you'd done more of?
I wish I had exercised more, gone to church every Sunday, displayed more patience towards my children, watched House Hunters while I still had the chance

Compared to this time last year, are you: a) richer or poorer? b) happier or sadder? c) thinner or fatter?
a) richer in the best way possible
b) happier- my husband is home with me!
c) thinner, but probably not by much

Did you fall in love in 2013?
Yes. As much as I hated that deployment, it really is an incredible experience to be reunited with your other half and have the chance for butterflies of that magnitude again.

What was your favorite TV program?
The Office (although I never watched it on actual cable)

How did you spend Christmas?
with my family of four and our friends

What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
Steve took me to out for dinner and I turned 27. I think. (Update: That is accurate. I literally just did the math on a calculator because I honestly couldn't remember.)

How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2013?
Is that waistband stretchy? Does that shirt look like it will show snot? Let me wear that.

What kept you sane?
wine, my God-sent friends, coffee, Steve (not necessarily in that order, but maybe sometimes in that order)

Tell me a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013.
Enjoy YOUR life. I was reading blogs one day and found myself becoming very envious. I wish I lived closer to my family. I wish I looked as great as she does. I wish my kids behaved as well as hers. I wish I lived there. I don't think she appreciates how great her life is.

Then God said (who else could it be, talking to me during the complete silence of a simultaneous nap?!), Maybe you don't appreciate YOUR life enough.

Gulp. And it's true. I don't. I compare. All too often, I look at others' blessings and forget the ones that are staring right at me.

• my loving husband
• my healthy kids
• a roof over my head
• food in the pantry
• the opportunity to live overseas
• supporting family back home

I'm trying my hardest to be more mindful of what I have, and to remember that no one's life is perfect, despite what their highlight reel (facebook/blog/instagram) shows. I love my life and I want to appreciate every single beautiful, hard, amazing, painful, surprising, messy facet of it.

This photo resulted from a failed potty attempt and some good early morning light in Sam's room. Messy and beautiful collide.

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Now I'm tagging you to answer! Feel free to steal the top picture and tag your friends as well. Answer some/all/make up more/whatever you'd like. 

Rachel at The Ross Family

Erin at A Military Mama

Sarah at Dandelions and Daffodils

Kate at Daffodils

Allison at Keep Calm and Soldier On

Lauren at Above the 45th

Erika at Chambanachik

Molly at Carry Your Heart With Me

Trish at Everyday Trish

Sam at Moody Mama

Erin at The Fierce Beagle

and anyone else who wants to participate! I'd love to tag every blog I read, but this is a one-woman show, and someone just pooped their pants. 

Happy New Year! Hope it's the happiest and healthiest year yet!

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?  - See more at: http://www.shelikespurple.com/shelikespurple/2013/12/200720082009-2010-2011-and-2012-inspired-all-these-years-by-linda-1-what-did-you-do-in-2013-that-youd-never-done-be.html#sthash.AU4am36G.dpuf

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?  - See more at: http://www.shelikespurple.com/shelikespurple/2013/12/200720082009-2010-2011-and-2012-inspired-all-these-years-by-linda-1-what-did-you-do-in-2013-that-youd-never-done-be.html#sthash.AU4am36G.dpuf