And a Happy New Year! 2014

I love this photo of tiny Lily looking up at my mom... I bet she can see over that partition now...

Days like these, I'm so happy that I have a blog.... because as hard as I tried, I COULD NOT remember what life was like a year ago.  It may as well be 10 years ago. January, 2013 is a long way away in another country (well, apartment)... So, I went back and read what I wrote a year ago. I believe that one of my resolutions was to have more peace and harmony in our home. Ha! That poor woman had no idea what was coming did she? A year ago we had no thought of buying a home or moving. We certainly were not entertaining any ideas of renovating an old house in a neighborhood we'd never heard of! We were mostly concerned with Lily's night terrors and potty training. We still had baby gear.... we still had a stroller! And yesterday I was buying Lily some new clothes... in size 5T! (Daniel is wearing size Medium/10 because apparently he's starting his teen years a bit early. Just judging from the grumpiness.)

fro-luscious Lily

selfie taking post Spring haircut

Ohmygosh, it has been quite a year. The kids have certainly grown up a bunch.  There has been a whole lot LESS peace and harmony... There is a crew pounding and sawing and sanding and painting every day here. We've passed the two months without a kitchen mark. My sanity and patience, and health consciousness were abandoned by the side of the house weeks ago.  We now eat nachos for dinner twice a week. And Chinese food or pizza the other nights.

happily saying goodbye to our old apartment, and its kitchen blackboard...

The good news is, it can really only get better. So, all in all I'm looking forward to 2014.  Because sometime this year, I will have a kitchen again. And sometime this year, the kids will have a playroom. And we can do laundry at home again. And, we'll have a backyard too! Oh, what treasures await us in the coming months.

hello New House!

And I'm pretty sure we aren't moving again.

Happy New Year!

Ever.