Highlights of 2013

2013 was truly a year for the books! It was a tremendous year filled with lots of love, learning & happiness. Some of the highlights of 2013 for me were:

1. Buying a house. We were not looking for a house by any means. We were almost up on our lease at our apartment & when Realtor friend wanted to show us this house that just went on the market that he thought would be perfect for us - mainly because it's so environmentally safe & 50% off the grid. After looking at it one time, we knew that this is where we wanted to be permanently. The place we wanted to make our memories in & have forever. 

2. Seeing Germany. Ever since I was in 5th grade I've had a weird obsession with Germany (I think it started because my then best friend Alex J's step-dad was incredibly German & I loved it when he would speak German to his parents). I would research things about WW2, medieval towns in Germany, The Berlin Wall, etc. & when I was in 7th grade, I started learning the language in school. So needless to say, most of my life I've wanted to go Germany & never did; until this year, & it just so happens that I was also proposed to there, in the courtyard of the Neuschwanstein Castle. 

3. Getting engaged. This was something I've actually never thought would happen for me. Throughout my life I always wondered what it would be like to have someone love you so much that they ask you with all of their heart to spend your life with them. Which is part of the reason why Trev's proposal was such a surprise and such an incredible event that I will always hold dear.

4. Real Salt Lake made it to the MLS Cup! I know this may not be a big milestone for a lot of people reading this, but this season for RSL made me see them, & my friends in a different way. Our team worked so hard & it was such an amazing feeling to celebrate their success with them & with my friends. It's such a wonderful sight to see all everyone, including my darling fiance, faces light up with pride & hope. We didn't win the cup, but it was such a fun ride all the way to the end. I can't wait for another season & another year of celebrating their success & hard work. 

5. Overcoming personal obstacles to become a better step-mother. This one is a hard one for me to explain. Going from being a 23 year old single gal doing as I please, to instantly becoming a parent was not easy to say in the least. The challenges I faced were some of the hardest things I've ever had to overcome. Now, I want to be clear that it was NEVER hard to be Aiden's friend. There hasn't been a moment in my role in his life that I've wished I wasn't in the situation I'm in. Aiden is an absolute miracle for me &  I am so very thankful for every moment I get to spend with him. I'm mentioning this as one of my highlights for the year because I've worked REALLY hard to establish my place in Aiden's family & to be someone in his life that he can count on, can love, & to be someone who understands him & his many relatives (step families & otherwise). I am quite proud of myself for this because, sadly to say, this is one of the only times that I've ever had to set my feelings, my needs & myself aside to make someone else happy & unafraid. I still continue learning & establishing my role, & I'm sure that will never stop, but it has definitely become easier along the way.        

All in all, I'm very happy with where my life is heading & with who I am becoming. I still have so much to look forward to & I'm trying my very best to recognize & appreciate every moment.