I have been thinking about this post for days now, and couldn’t decide how to describe this year with one word. For my family and I, 2013 was a pretty epic year. Therefore, I would go for EPIC as description of 2013. This year was the beginning and the end of so many long awaited events/things that it is impossible to describe it in any other way.

Where to begin? I think I want to begin with the most recent development that is (not) coincidentally the surprise I had announced on Facebook. It is official ( and now also Facebook official) that my SECOND BOOK is done! Now all it needs are the illustrations! This time, it is a picture book and it is intended for the littlest readers out there.

Surprise posted? Check! With that out of the way, what else did happen in 2013?
Well, I graduated with GPA 3.97( tune in for graduation pictures in May), I published and launched successfully my very first book ( and calendar), I found an amazing job as a Social Media Coordinator for a local company, which on top of everything else tickled my creative muse to no end, because I had a whole office to decorate. Also for the very first time since I opened it,  I had to stop taking custom orders for my Etsy store, because the demand was much more than I could handle, which is a pretty good thing I think. I helped so many women and men to propose with my message in a bottle this year, that it warms my heart immensely. I also had the opportunity to work with one of the most amazing photographers I’ve encountered, Jim Miller. Oh, and I cut my hair short again. 😉 Rock on!

But this year was not about me( at least not entirely).

My son picked up the flute, took his first steps in computer programming, and got his black belt in Tae Kwon Do, which was an event that made me so incredibly proud. The perseverance, persistence and good old hard work that he put into this for years was exceptional for a child his age and I am tearing up just thinking about it.

The love of my life got his blue belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, also an accomplishment that was an excellent example of how much will power and sweat it takes to turn a passion into something much more.

My baby girl lost her first tooth, became a Brownie and also played beautifully at her recital ( tears and roses were present of course).

In a way, 2013 closed a bunch of doors and opened others, and although it ends on 13 ( not a very lucky number in general), it was one of the luckiest years for us. Unlike 2012, when we could not wait for it to be over, 2013 leaves my family and I with the feeling of accomplishment. There was a lot of hard work, tears of joy and sorrow, but we came on top! We stuck together like glue when it was tough, supported each other when one of us fell and we enjoyed much more family time than we ever had. The kids had the great opportunity to appreciate what it means to have a working mom, spend more time with their dad and I think we are all the wiser for it.

So, 2013…we are relieved you are going, but we want to thank you for teaching us so much and for setting the path that we’ve always wanted to take. We can’t wait for 2014!