Happy New Year! 2013 Photo Review

Confession: I like to talk about myself.

I mean, who doesn't?

Granted, in person, I'm much less likely to talk about myself than I am on my own blog.  In person, it will take a lot of warming up, and trust earning, to get me to spill things that I spill openly on here.

Anyway... with the year's end, I usually look back on the previous year to see how much has changed.  So, here's a photo review of my little family's year.

January 2013

We started the year in Provo. Look how little my baby is! She worked really hard to pull herself up to a standing position to play with Laya.

End of January 2013

 Then we packed up and moved from Provo to Midvale, Utah. Lily still loves teddy bears. ♥

March 2013

In March our baby turned 1 year old. We were so happy that my parents and sisters were here for Jared's wedding and Aziz's baptism, so they could also be here for Lily's party.

April 2013

In April I turned 25! I also discovered things about my true nature and personality, and I let go of loads of old baggage. I fully dedicated myself to my brother and savior, Jesus Christ, as well as God, my father in heaven by repenting of issues that have been holding me back for years. As a result, I am tons happier, more confident in myself, and more satisfied with my life.  I also feel beautiful, for the first time in my life.

I pretty much consider my 25th birthday a HUGE turning point in my life.

May 2013

Our little girl started walking in May.  Watching children grow is crazy. It also gives me a weird mix of emotions like: I'm excited to watch them grow and learn, but I also miss the younger/smaller version, but I want to enjoy the moments as they happen, but I don't want to forget the past.  I'm messed up.

Jun 2013

 In June we started making serious preparations for a big cross-country move. I also perfected taking two dogs and toddler for a walk, as pictured above.

Seriously, it's an art. Layla is retarded on a retractable leash, while Bentley prefers a retractable leash.  Layla prefers to be on my right side, and Bentley doesn't really care...  Dogs.

I recently went through Lily's clothes, and I couldn't bring myself to let go of the outfit Lily is wearing in the picture above. I don't get attached to possessions often, but it's hard for me to get rid of her old clothes. It seriously feels like a piece of me is dying.  Like I said above, I have a whole mix of emotions when it comes to raising Lily.

July 2013

In July we traveled across the country and moved in with my parents.  It was really fun and really exciting!  New adventures are always exciting. This was Lily's first (and so far, only) visit to the beach. She absolutely loved it! We need to go again before it's too hot around here.

August 2013

In August me and Lily flew to Utah to see Elise and Aziz get married. It was hard to pick just one photo from this time because Lily was so darn cute!  She danced like a wacko, which was awesome (my sisters called it "twerking").

September 2013

September was when we randomly decided to move to Florida.  The picture above was taken at the Bluegrass festival in Raleigh, NC.

This photo was when I learned that I should not ever again wear skinny jeans.

September was also Lily's first visit to Disney World. We had a great time!

October 2013

In October we made preparations to move to Florida, and made an extra trip down there to make sure everything was ready for our new apartment. The photo above was when we discovered Lily's love for vacuums. She's a really big helper and loves to help put away her toys, and clean the house.

At the end of October we moved from Raleigh to Kissimmee.

November 2013

I didn't take many pictures in November. I spent most of the month being depressed and feeling sorry for myself. Good thing Lance took pictures...  We went to Disney parks a lot, and got to know our new surroundings.

Depression and Disney World probably aren't mentioned in the same thought very often. But, I don't think depression is logical. In fact, I know it's not logical. Luckily I only get depressed in short phases.

December 2013

In December Lily perfected her photography skills. :-)

Just kidding, but she is obsessed with our phones. Sometimes I feel like a bad parent because Lance's phone can keep her entertained for at least an hour, and I allow it so I can do whatever I want.

Sometimes I am really selfish.

<Insert really cute family photo from Christmas day that's on Lance's phone>

We had a very quiet Christmas, just the three of us.  It was bittersweet. I enjoyed not having to go anywhere, but I missed being around family and friends.

Happy New Year's Eve! I had to post a pleasant picture of myself to make up for the horribly awesome one I posted from Christmas...

I feel fairly neutral about 2014. I'm pretty sure there's no chance it will be a bigger year for our family than 2013 was. But, you never know what's in store.

Hopefully I can make some friends, and find a babysitter!

I'm not making any "real" resolutions. I'm taking a break from adding extra stress to my life.

Currently, I still need to figure out why I didn't get an updated HSA card; how to update our address on all our insurance stuff; find doctors, dentists, and make appointments...  Lily hasn't been to the doctor since June so she's behind on her shots. Lance needed a cavity filled before we left Utah but it never happened and now it hurts him like crazy, I'm thinking a root canal is in his future.  Lance's contacts are expired, so he needs a new prescription as well as new contacts and glasses, but we're both thinking we want him to get laser eye surgery. So, we'll see what happens.

Happy friggen new year!  Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to eat some chocolate and drink some Coke.