13 for 2013

Since last year's recap post was THE POST that got me back to blogging*, I felt it was only appropriate that I did another year-end recap this year. So here it is 13 pictures for 2013...

January

Apparently we didn't do much last January. We stayed home and played A LOT. Baby sister started eating "solid" foods with much help from big sister. Isaiah was still enjoying lazy mornings in his jammies as kindergarten was half days. Joe was getting up ridiculously early to study (before 5 in the AM!). Oh and also not noteworthy, I started drinking smoothies for breakfast...I should restart that healthy habit.

February

 This handsome guy turned 30! And to celebrate we took him to the Wisconsin Dells for a couple days. A good time was had by all. Especially me as I went down the water slides many, many times. Oh and Hannah learned to sit up unassisted. Exciting stuff.

March

 

 The kids and I drove out to South Dakota to spend Easter at my sister and brother-in-law's cattle ranch. All 9 cousins had a blast! As did the adults. This was my first year making my kids' Easter outfits. It might just become a tradition. This is also the month I started having sewing nights with friends.

 

April

 

And then because we hadn't seen enough of each other in March, my mom, sister, sister-in-law, 2 nieces and 2 nephews came to visit us!!! It was a blast. And then a couple weeks later two of my good friends and their kids came to visit. Good thing we LOVE having company and sight-seeing:) We started cloth diapering. And by we I mean me.

May

I managed to steal Joe away from his studies for 24 (glorious!) hours to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary in Chicago (while my parents watched the kids)! It was short and so so sweet. This was also the month of Charlotte's abscess. A painful and slightly scary experience that I hope we never repeat.

 

June

 THE TEST was taken. That would be Joe's first board exam. What a huge HUGE relief to have that done! Afterwards we spent a week just our family of five camping and visiting friends in Minnesota. After which, the kids and I continued on our summer roadtrip adventures. Including: Camp Lebanon, a family reunion, my cousin's wedding, and spending time with both sets of grandparents in Minnesota. Also noteworthy: Isaiah completed his kindergarten year, Charlotte turned 3, Isaiah turned 6 and I turned 30. Oh and I chopped 10 inches off my hair!

 

 

July

 Joe started his THIRD YEAR of medical school and thus he began clinicals. His first rotation was internal medicine for 8 weeks. It was an adjustment (to say the least). He enjoyed being in the hospital. We missed him:( But we managed. And carried on doing regular life stuff, like going to the beach and burying each other!

 

 

August

Our baby turned ONE! We had family pictures taken. And Isaiah started 1st grade. That's all I really remember. To be perfectly honest, it was kind of a bleak month for me. The long hours of Joe being gone were taking a toll on me (us?) and I began to wonder if we (mostly me) could survive medical training. The kids and I were in suvival mode.

 

September

 Joe started his 8 week surgery rotation. He was gone a lot, a lot, a lot. Life continued to look bleak. I cried. Just a bit. Ok. More than a bit. But we survived. Oh and Charlotte started dance. Which is the cutest! (Thus qualifying this month for 2 pictures.) We also made our annual trip back to Wisconsin for the pumpkin patch with friends. And by some miracle, Joe was able to join us. See it wasn't all bad:)

October

 We survived the longest 16 weeks and life didn't seem so horrible anymore. Daddy was BACK and life was good and right once again. Neurology was good to us. Hannah started walking! We participated in many fall activities.

 

 

November

 

 Again this was the month of visitors. First Joe's little sister came for a weekend, then my parents came for Thanksgiving and finally our good friends came for a long weekend (technically their visit was the beginning of December. Close enough). We really do LOVE having company so it made for a GREAT month. Joe completed his Emergency Medicine rotation. And well...it looks like that is where he is headed career-wise. And I am good with that. (This month's picture is completely unrelated. I just thought it was a good one of Hannah, Charlotte & Isaiah. And it shows their growth, especially when compared to January's picture!)



December

We went to Mexico for a week without the kids. It was the best. End of story.

*My original blog was about garage sales. Yep, I was an addict. Enjoying the finds myself wasn't good enough, I had to share them with the world! Then I moved to Illinois (for med school) and everything changed. Story of my life:) Oh if you are interested...here is the old blog, which someday I would like to transfer to this blog. Well most of it. Maybe not the garage saling part.

Linking up today with Medical Mondays & Dwija!