It's the day before Thanksgiving, the day I make the desserts, deep clean the house, and put on Christmas music for the first time of the year (in theory; Abe was listening to a Christmas CD a few weeks ago). We really enjoy today, anticipating tomorrow, but I think it's safe to say I'm procrastinating right now. After all, I've loads and loads of cooking and cleaning ahead of me these next two days but I've decided it's the most opportune time to post what's apparently become a yearly blog update.
I think our biggest bit of news for 2023 is that we got a puppy. Little Daisy May was born in May and joined our family in July. She's darling! It's really great being a two dog family again. Our Doodle mostly loves her and the kids adore her. Daisy is an awesome dog.
Looking back over a year all of the day's sort of become a rhythmic routine, waking, school, work, cooking, eating, cleaning, sleeping. The majority of the year is filled with these necessities. The added spice to life this year came from two baseball season's for Abe. Last year was the first time he'd played so it was fun for him to experience two new teams with mostly all new coaches and team mates. He also started attending youth group at church now that he's officially a middle schooler. His social circle is rapidly expanding and he's been highly enjoying the newness of that.
Our Wren joined a soccer team for the first time this year. Running is her self proclaimed greatest skill so soccer was an obvious sport for her. I can't even begin to tell you how adorable it is watching eight little girls playing soccer against each other. Cuteness overload to the max!
Earlier in the year the small one took back to back to back swimming lessons at the YMCA. We now have two little swimmers in the family (I guess I'm really not able to call Abe little anymore. His foot size has officially surpassed mine and he'll most likely be taller than me within a year.) and we were able to spend more time together in various pools this year than what might be normal.
Our Doodle boy Party is in the photo,
he's just hiding behind the pup who has taken over the screen.
Ooh, I forgot to mention the other new family member this year. Abe has had pretty big birthday parties for each of his ten years. This year he opted out of a party in order to get a tortoise. We chose a red footed baby tortoise that should in theory live for 60 years. Yep! Donnie joined the family in March and has done pretty well thus far. Abe soaks the little guy each morning, mists down the enclosure all day, it took us awhile to figure out the lights and heating situation, and aside from daily care it's a very simple but adorable pet. Tortoises really do every thing in slow motion and for some reason this slow motion creature is fascinating just sit and to watch.
2023 has been a year packed full or normal, routine, thus is life, way too busy, go go go. There was bickering, fighting, annoyances. Many, many, many "I'm so bored" moments. Fights about math. Puppy house training. But we also had our tiny garden. We read so very many books. There were friends, family, fun outings, a normal very busy summer season. We traded out the tiny blue car that I usually drove for a new to us car that my husband now drives (which is fine because I preferred our other car anyhow). I had been working one day still at the grocery store and two days at the daycare. I no longer work at the store and I'm really enjoying my job at the daycare. It was a year of overall good health and all in all we've a tremendous amount to be thankful for. Life is a blessing, a beautiful messy often times uncomfortable blessing. Thanksgiving overflows from here today for we are tremendously thankful!
