Looking back at 2013, it gives the appearance of a rather peaceful year, and I suppose in comparison to 2012, it really was. I was able to spend so much time with Forrest, observing each day how grew and learned. What a blessing! He had so many firsts during 2013: crawling, walking, words, climbing, sleeping for long stretches, birthday... While I'm thinking of all these moments with Forrest, we did have some memorable events in other areas of our life.
Probably the biggest change for us during 2013 was the decision for Joshua and Mark to open The Gaming Goat in Champaign. It's kept them very busy since August, but they are seeing results. Their customers keep coming back and amid all their work, they do have fun.
Another exciting time in 2013 was preparing for and celebrating Shaun and Bill's marriage in April. What a lovely day they had! It was a beautiful way to welcome spring.
The event of the summer for me was my trip to visit Jenna in Texas. First time flying by myself and leaving Forrest for more than a day! I had a fabulous time and am so glad I went on that adventure.
Less exciting but still important to me is finally feeling settled into our house and daily life in Monticello. I think there were so many changes during 2012 that it took me a very long time to feel this contentment. Finally in 2013, I completed enough house and landscaping projects to feel like it's ours. Also, I have my daily routines into a comfortable pattern that I enjoy. It's so nice having this comfortable feeling back, and even though it may not sound very exciting, I think that's probably the best thing about 2013.
So what's in store for 2014? Well, we're not sure. Nothing outrageous is scheduled, but we'll see what happens!
