What a year.

Is today really the last Sunday of the year? Are there seriously only TWO days left in 2013? Where in the world has this year gone?!

As I look back on the year that was, I can't believe how fast it went. I can't believe how far I've come. I can't believe what is coming in 2014. After a very, VERY hard 2012, I wasn't quite sure what 2013 would bring. I figured it HAD to be better than 2012, but I wasn't quite sure if that would be the case. You never know just what life will throw at you after you get the hardest moment of your life thrown at you unexpectedly.

I can honestly say, though, that 2013 has been a pretty awesome year. I've come so far mentally and physically, overcome so much, found strength I didn't know that I had. It's been quite the year.


Highlight of the year: Finding out we were expecting our rainbow. I wasn't even sure I wanted to try again after losing Devon, but I'm glad that we did decide to give parenthood another shot. This pregnancy has been challenging in several ways, but the end is near - I'm being induced on January 9. We're just days away from meeting our sweet Mia.

My latest belly shot on Christmas morning at almost 37 weeks. We're ready for you, sweet girl!

Lowlight of the year: Probably struggling with Devon's loss. The first four months were really hard for me because I still was struggling with losing him. Counseling really helped me move forward, and I'm in a much better place now.

My "WTF, I did that?!" moment of the year: I ran my first 5K! When I started training in January, I wasn't quite sure I would be able to pull it off...and training started to fade the last couple of weeks as I battled through shin splints and a busy schedule. But I finished the training and ran my first 5K at the end of April. I quit running as soon as I found out I was pregnant, but I'm looking forward to running again. I actually kinda miss it.

I posted this pic in a previous post, but I'm posting it again. Me after the OKC Memorial 5K in April. :)

Proud mama moment of the year: Sending JJ off to his first day of pre-k. Walking him in to his school and leaving him was so hard, but he loves school and has done so well this semester. I can't believe he's old enough to be in school!

Teary hugs good bye on JJ's first day of school.

Strongest moment of the year: Getting through Devon's angelversary. That big milestone was really, really hard - I hadn't cried that much since he died - but I was also relieved to have made it through my first year without him. I still think about him often and miss him so much, even with Mia on the way...there will always be a hole in my heart from his loss, but I am not struggling with it anymore. I've been able to move forward but still keep him a part of my life.

Other highlight moments: JJ turning 5 [more on that in a different post], turning 27, finding out I'm going to be an aunt(!), getting my dad back from Afghanistan for good.


Overall, 2013 was a great year...one that will be remembered for more ups than downs, which I'm so grateful for. When the year began, I wasn't quite sure how it would go - but I tried to make the most of it, and I think that I did. There's so much to look forward to in 2014:

-- Sweet Pea's arrival [11 days!]
-- My five-year wedding anniversary [seriously? five years?]
-- My golden birthday [28 on March 28th]
-- My first niece/nephew's arrival at the end of May
-- JJ starts kindergarten/Devon's second angelversary in August
-- My 10-year high school reunion in September/October [yikes]
-- All of Mia's firsts, and watching JJ grow into a big 6-year-old

So thanks for the memories, 2013. I cannot wait to see what 2014 has in store for me.