Back to Bloggin'!

Ok. I am a slacker. I have not blogged in ions and I am so flattered that people have commented that they miss my posts! So...I am back to bloggin' folks!

What better way to start the new year (well, kind of new) than to list what I am looking forward to this year...

1. Summer. Point blank, winter is the pits.

2. My cousin Andy's wedding to his girlfriend Alexa! This is exciting for multiple reasons, but especially because I have not seen the Hogan side of my family since my Grandma passed away in 2006! Way too long! Also, this will be a couples trip for me and T! Gotta love that! :)

3. Running again! I have missed training for something since I last trained for the Augusta half-ironman in 2010! After I completed that race, I took up Crossfit and although I love it, I have missed the thrill of a race. So, Rock and Roll...here I come!

4. Paleo. Todd and I have adapted a mostly Paleo way of eating. In a nutshell, we are eating mostly what the hunter-gatherers ate. Veggies and meats, fish, nuts (no legumes, so no peanuts!) and fruits...basically, if a caveman ate it, so can we! We both feel fantastic and are enjoying the adventure of learning to cook for the paleo palat!

5. Family vacation. Don't have it planned, but still looking forward to it!

6. A changing real estate market. My year is on track to be the BEST one yet from a business standpoint! YAY!

The list goes on and on, but really, I just look forward to everyday with my family that God gives me. If I have learned anything over the last few years, it is that every situation God places in our path can be an instrument of beauty and growth. It also can bring us closer to Him...if we allow it. I have a new awareness that this life is out of my control. Everyday is a surprise. Every day is a gift. Enjoy!

As for pics...here are a few from the months I was a slacker...

 

 

Ok, so not the most timely photos...halloween era...but pics nonetheless! :)
Til' next time!

Out with the OLD, In with the New!!! :)

 

This picture basically says it all!

2012 was a fun and fabulous year! It started with a great New Years Eve party at the home we were renting. Many laughs were had by all! We then proceeded to move into our home, drop our boxes and then literally turn around and leave! I won a cruise through work, so Todd and I left the munchkins at my parents and spent five wonderful and romantic days in the sun! Derby weekend rolled around quickly! We threw a huge bash at the house for friends and family Oaks night and woke up and partied some more at the Derby. (See May 2012 post) Summer was spent enjoying the peace that comes with living in the country! Riley and Bailey spent a week with Todd's parents and a week at Flipfest camp. Longest amount of time I have spent without them by far! Missed them, but knew they were in good hands! We enoyed a vacation to WaterSound in South Walton Beach as a family ending the summer bronzed and rested. As anyone with four little kids knows, school starts with a bang and then you blink your eyes and it is Christmas break! That is how fast it seems that this first half of the school year has flown by! Christmas was Norman Rockwell-ish (cheesy but true). Following the tragedy that was the devastation in Newton, CT, I found myself again reminded of God's goodness and his blessings and really trying to emrace my children more then ever. That desire to slow down and soak in the moments was hindered a bit by the fact that I was sooo behind ("I have never been this far behind!" came out of my mouth more than once reminding me that I am absolutley my mother's daughter) forcing me to show up until Christmas Eve! Ugh! Regardless...Christmas beautiful and I do believe that Christ was the center of the season. That brings us to New Years!!! 2013 is HERE!!! Which brings me to the whole point of this post...OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW. What do I mean by that? I don't do resolutions, but I do reevaluate my life and goals and try to see where I can improve. OUT goes over committing myself, IN comes saying YES to things that are top priority. OUT goes disorganization, IN comes a system (I am not talking anything rigid...let's get real folks, we are talking about ME here!). OUT goes fly by the seat of my pants dinners, IN comes planned weekly meals. You see my point :) I feel like life is so good right now. I am blessed with a husband that I am closer and more in love with than ever, four fantastic kids that are all thriving, healthy and lovely, 3 four-legged critters that bring me so many smiles, a job that is fun and motivating from which I have made many new friends this year, the best friends I could ever ask for, a wonderful family, an amazing new home...I could go on for a long time. But most of all, God has given me hope and peace in my heart this year. Without his grace, I could not have those things. Without Him I am nothing!! Can't wait to see what His plan is for 2013!!! :)