Ten on Tuesday: 2013 Highlights

Since this year is ending on a Tuesday it seems only appropriate to send it out with a Ten on Tuesday list.  Technically, this is the last Ten on Tuesday list, because next Tuesday starts my collaboration with Lisa from The Golden Spoons and out #TuesdayTen.  We'll be linking up New Year's Resolutions, so I hope you check back and join us.

2013 was an interesting year around here.  Most things stayed pretty steady for us; no new jobs or kids or houses, but I like steady, so that's a good thing.  I can actually go back and recap a lot from 2013 because this was the year that I got serious about my blogging and kept up with it really well.  This post is actually taking forever to write because I keep going back to read posts from last year and getting stuck in a rabbit hole!

So, now that I've got that mostly out of my system, here are 10 noteworthy highlights for 2013:

1. Benjamin turned 3, gave up his pacifier and started wearing underpants.  That's a pretty full year for such a little guy!!
2. Henry turned six, started reading fluently and got really good at soccer.  He hasn't stopped sucking his thumb yet, but he's doing it less and less and I try not to bug him about it too much.
3. Frances turned 10, made huge improvements in violin and ballet and has become such a young lady that it shocks me to look at her.
4. I turned 35, started Zumba and actually bit the bullet to request (and receive) a raise at work.
5. Ken and I celebrated 12 years of marriage (and 17 years of togetherness).  The cool part is that from our anniversary in June until Frances' birthday in October, we had been married for 12 years and our kids were 9, 6, and 3.  Math nerd!!
6. Our family had a big trip to Disney World with Ken's dad, brother, sister and their families.  It was my first trip as well as the kids' and we had a blast!
7. My old van bit the dust and we got my dream car: a Honda Odyssey.  It is the same make, model, year and color as my mother's van.  We're twinsies!!
8. Blogging-wise I bought my own domain, finally installed an interactive commenting system, got my first paid sponsors, did my first guest posts, and started doing product reviews and giveaways.
9. Also related to blogging, but so much more: Together with 29 other awesome bloggers, I was published in a book. An actual book that you can buy on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. And out of that have come away with some really awesome new friendships as well.
10. My friend Julie finally talked me into attended a Cursillo retreat and I am ever so thankful for her. I had always said I would attend this retreat when I felt like God was calling me to.  As it turns out, God sometimes sounds an awful lot like my best friend, Julie, and the timing ended up being just perfect for me to get back in touch with Him.

Still one of my favorite pictures ever!!