gratitude for the past, optimism for the future: goodbye 2013

it’s been a big, busy year for these Sobotkas and for that we are grateful.  before i started this blog post i made a list of all the things we did this year and was sincerely surprised by just how much we squeezed into the past 12 months.  we are constantly on the move but, i suppose it takes a moment of reflection to appreciate it all.

side note: i’m on the move is a phrase that Cody jokingly uses when he’s trying to climb the stairs at night or crawl out of bed on the weekend.  yet when he says it he’s usually not moving at all.  it’s one of those phrases that gets us laughing out loud (and has me laughing now) but, for the purpose of this post it’s hardly a joke.  we were literally on the move in 2013.

in January, after about a month of ‘homelessness’ we settled into our new home.  we love the location and have been fortunate that our neighbors are so friendly and welcoming.  the help shovel our driveway and sidewalks, volunteer to dog sit, and have invited us to the annual block party.  (the block party is kind of a big deal; dj, fire truck, blocked streets, food, tents – the whole bit! we couldn’t attend this year, maybe in 2014.)

about mid-March i suffered a severe case of cabin fever and found myself furiously spending moola on tickets, trips, and clothes all in an effort to make our summer ‘epic.’  several hundred dollars later we were well on our way to bankruptcy.  miraculously my symptoms subsided a couple of weeks later when i realized i was poor.  in all seriousness though i had planned some pretty awesome experiences and we were still financially solvent.  nearly every week of our summer was booked but we didn’t seem to mind.

summer 2013 consisted of a Florida Georgia Line and Luke Bryan concert in St. Louis, MO (maybe the best concert i’ve been to yet!), celebrating the Fourth of July camping along the Mississippi, taking an unforgettable trip to Vegas with some pretty amazing friends, re-landscaping our yard, cashing in on a hot air balloon ride, and getting a puppy!

fall 2013 proved to be just as busy and we settled into a much slower rhythm by November.  we spent our first anniversary in Chicago watching the sunset over lake Michigan and a Braves games during a long weekend getaway.  in September i started a new job with the City of Ames as a Human Resources Analyst and Cody was promoted. (that was a good week!)  i planned and hosted a baby shower for Rachel in October and my little sister, Brandea, married her best friend.

the holiday season kept us busy again traveling to see all of our family but the highlights were definitely the newest additions to our families.  Our nephew Nathan Michael was born on December 19th and we made a trip to Kansas City to meet him.  we are beyond thrilled to be an aunt and uncle!  Joe popped the questions on December 23rd to his girlfriend of 8+ years.  Heather will officially be my sister-in-law  come October 2014!!!!

so what will 2014 hold? only time can truly tell although we do have a couple of exciting things in the works 😉 for more you’ll have to stay tuned.

One thought on “gratitude for the past, optimism for the future: goodbye 2013

  1. Love it ! I used to write a lot and loved it and now you make me want to do that again..Way to go! Also excited for all your news 🙂 T

    Like

Leave a comment