13 in 13

I have loads of holiday updates, but did not want to let too much time go by before I did our 13 in 2013.  It was really hard to pick just 13 photos that represent our year, but here we go (in no particular order):

13-Kindergarten! This year was all about the transition to kindergarten.  I think I had more anxiety about it than Norah did.  She LOVES school, has made some great friends, and is excelling in all areas.  We could not be prouder of her.

12-Military School! Okay, not really military school but we moved Lou to a more, ahem, "structured" pre-school this year.  It was the best idea we've  had in a while and he is doing really well there.  Louis tends to abide by the old adage, "idle hands are the devil's playground" and this place has both challenged him and given him a healthy respect for the rules.  If only he would start following them at home as well...

11-No More Babies!  Our baby days are officially over.  No cribs live in this house.  If we could just get rid of the diapers and that one lingering pacifier we would be home free.

10-Camilla! Our family grew by one this year when Baby Camilla joined the fold.  It was amazing to get to see a real live baby be born and I have loved her since she took her first breath.  It has been so neat to see both Norah and Louis dote on her.  They have great older cousins themselves so they have big shoes to fill.

9-Friends and Family!  We have been so lucky that the people we love most have been willing and able to visit.  We had awesome visits from friends and family and even got to make a few trips of our own.  Thank goodness for things like FaceTime.

8-Skinny Jeans! In May I followed the lead of my skinny friends and started counting calories, limiting portions, and walking at least 10,000 steps a day (the fitbit zip is my best friend).  I also eliminated dairy completely, which was more for health reasons than weight, but that helped as well.  It took about six months, but I have successfully lost close to 35 lbs.  I feel better, look (much) better, and even bought a pair of skinny jeans and sexy boots.  I am not quite at my goal, but close.

7-Swimming!  With a pool in the backyard these kids HAVE to learn to swim.  Unfortunately, Norah has always been a giant chicken about it.  Something finally clicked in her brain and after a session of group lessons she is officially a swimmer.  Thank goodness.

6-Cooking Club! I started a new cooking club here in Texas and after about a year we have absolutely found our groove.  It's a great group of ladies and the cuisine is delicious every time.

5-Viva Mexico! In September BVZ and I took our first vacation sans kids.  It was a great time to reconnect and celebrate with friends.  It's a good life.

4-Halloween! I love that the annual party to celebrate my favorite holiday is back.

3-Terrible Two's! Louis is amazing, brilliant, adorable, mischievous, and so exhausting.  He is incredibly strong willed, very defiant, and smarter than us most of the time.  I hope we are past the worst of it.

2-Fabulous Five's!  They are a bit, ahem, emotional.  But for the most part, five is awesome.  Five year old's can watch real tv, have interesting conversations, get their own snacks, and wipe their own butts.  I love five.

1-Austin! We have our house, our neighborhood, our school, our park, our friends, our family.  We've got our groove back and it finally feels like home.