Welcome, Welcome 2013!

New Years Day, 2013.  Wow!  Here we are at the start of another year.  So much has happened during 2012, some of it good and some of it not so good.  But here we are.  A fresh slate.  A new beginning.  And I am ready.

We are ready to get back on track and back to a routine.  We are ready to get back to working out and eating right.  We are ready to get back to our daily devotionals and our journalling.  We are ready to be staying within budget and not spending every last dime we have--not that we overspent, but you know what I mean!

The biggest thing, on this day, is that we are really ready to get back to a good family routine.  We're all tired and we're feeling punchy and, I for one, am feeling a lot like a doughboy. 

So, today Aidan and I are going to begin the process of packing up our Christmas decorations and storing them neatly for next year.  We are cleaning out the refrigerator and making room for fresh vegetables and fruits.  We have some goodies left over from Christmas, but those can go in lunches--for the boys. 

I have made my lists of things I want to accomplish this year: clean my work room (there is wrapping paper, tape, ribbon, and packing materials all over the place in there!!); clean out the office closet; and begin the process of getting our tax information together (I normally do this during our break--I don't know what I did with my time this year).  I plan to update this list with three new items after the first three are completed.  That way, it won't look so overwhelming!

I have also made our list of things we want to do on the house this year: finish the Mancave; paint and put in new flooring in our bedroom; replace the deck.  A couple of future projects include redoing our bathroom and doing the granite countertops in the kitchen.  Again, a rolling list makes it not so overwhelming!!

Another item I need to do this year is to renew Aidan's Russian passport.  I have always promised myself that I would keep his passports (US and Russian) current for him and when he comes of age, I will continue to help him in any way he wants me to.  But, it will be up to him to make any future decisions about citizenship at that point in time.  And now, in light of recent events, I have renewed my resolve on this.  I have found a company that will help with the translation and submitting of the paperwork to the Embassy.  It's a shame I can't do it myself since the Embassy is so close.  But, I will go through a third party rather than go there in person now.

And speaking of the Embassy: I don't think we'll go to the Easter party this year.  I'm not sure I feel that the hospitality would be sincere.  Another family and ours have made some tentative plans to get together anyway, though.  And I think that will be a lot of fun.

A little growth update on Aidan:  He is now weighing in at 55 pounds, which is up from 52 at the start of school.  He is 50 inches tall (that's 4' 2"!!!  Less than a foot till he is as tall as me!!!).  That is up by 1 inch since school started and 2 1/4 inches since the end of 2011.  The kid has been looking bigger lately, too, so I don't think this growth spurt is over.  AND, we took him to get new shoes yesterday.  He was just over a size 1 in August so we bought him a 1 1/2.  The shoes he really liked yesterday were a 2 1/2 and that was the smallest size they had.  Disappointed, I told him he needed to find a different shoe because those would be just too big for him.  Well, the clerk suggested we measure his foot, just be be sure.  And guess what??  To my surpise, his foot is now between 2 and 2 1/2!!  Yikes!  The poor kid has been wearing shoes too small and never said a word!  He got the ones he wanted.  And they were on sale, too.  Smiles all around!

And so, here we are: off to a fresh start.  A new day is dawning, folks!  Happy New Year!!  And may you be blessed in 2013!!!