Life + Meeklets: Thank you 2013

I have to admit, 2013 had me a little nervous. After several years of some tough times, 2012 had been a big turn around for us. I didn't think the lucky number 13 would continue to be so kind, but it most certainly was.

Nothing dreadful happened in 2013, nothing over-the-top exceptional happened either, but each day had a little surprise inside. On New Years Eve of 2012, Emeline wasn't yet walking. Anyone that has been with her lately knows she certainly figured it out in the past 365 days. We will never have another year where Emeline goes from an immobile, non-verbal, roly poly, to a sassy, silly, head strong mover in one short year. Not another year will pass that our girls will be three and a few months, or four and one year old. I'd like to think we soaked up every possible minute, marveling at their innocence, curiosity and energy.

Surely the future holds far more fun. But I have to take a moment to reflect on such a great year:

January 2013: Annie enjoyed starting "Little Learners" and "Jumping Beans" with the park district. She continued to enjoy library programs like "Wiggles & Giggles" and keeping up with her friends. Hard to believe, we started touring preschools this month. Dad took a trip to Vegas for an inspectors conference. Mom & Annie took Annie's first train ride downtown and went to the museum. The girls and I took Grandma Fitzpatrick to the conservatory for the first time. We hosted Grandma's birthday party at our home. We started our first home brew. Emeline started walking.

A few weeks earlier we had dropped Lauren & Jared off to get on this train, Annie was so excited to finally go too!

February 2013: We celebrated Great Grandpa's birthday in Peoria. Tagged along with Dad to an inspectors event and spent a night at Pheasant Run. We had a great time wandering the trade show and hanging out in the pool. If I remember right, this was also a completely sleepless night, where we found the two girls preferred to sleep with us when visiting a hotel: one queen bed, four bodies. Cozy. We also took a family trip to the Shedd Aquarium. Little Emeline turned the big ONE on the last day of February.

We spent Emeline's first birthday at the Nature Museum. She was getting around just fine with and without help from big sis by now. 2.28.13

March 2013: We had a great visit from cousin Lauren & fiancé Jared. We held an abbreviated version of Emeline's birthday party (poor thing was sick). We celebrated at cousin Maddy's birthday party. We attended a fantastic toddler St. Patrick's day party. The girls had a tour of the local fire station. We celebrated Easter at home for the first time, we colored eggs, played outside, and enjoyed a simple day. Annie continued on with her classes, Dad's inspection business really picked up, and Emeline turned in her walking shoes for running and climbing shoes.

Easter weekend, easy livin'. Girls dined al fresco on the dock. We got out the hammock swing, and started dreaming of full on spring.

April 2013: April was a blur of continuing play dates, classes, inspections, chamber events, meetings, laundry, dishes, changing weather and, well, life. We continued to tour preschools for Annie. Mom worked the bi-annual Recycling extravaganza through the ECO Commission, with help from Annie. Mom & Dad had a date night to go see Dennis D'Young, who know that could be such fun!

April showers brought some record flooding to our area. Of course weather geek Mom and her trusty side kicks were out taking pictures all day.

May 2013: Celebrated/Participated in Grant's Wish - the annual local galactosemia fundraiser. We always enjoy our chance to see our favorite galactosemia families and spend a morning making a difference! We had a beautiful Mother's Day at our home, complete with the Grandma's to make our day the best. Mom got her chance to sneak off to Vegas, quick girl escape with Aunt Cheryl! I'm pretty sure this is the month we really started doing tons of fishing for the season as well. Summer nights at the Meek house almost always include grilling, fishing, and/or kayaking.

That's not snow, that's cottonwood! By May we were full swing into the playground most days.

Our galactosemia "family" after the Grant's Wish 5k

June 2013: We started the month off with a trip to Kansas for the annual family reunion and a great visit with family. Along the way we stopped in Missouri for some amazing hiking and sight seeing at Elephant Rocks and the Johnson-Shut-Ins. We celebrated Dad's birthday on the 10th. We hosted a little reunion with a group of coworkers from waaaay back when Mom had a "real" job. We celebrated Father's Day in Lacon with our Fathers. We spent the warm days at the pool down the street. Dad & I celebrated our 6th anniversary with a fun night in the city and Jimmy Buffett concert! (June was a blast!)

Cousin time at the playground.

Great Grandma Fitzpatrick made this blanket for Emeline, long before Emeline came along.

Catch of the season.

Elephant Rocks & Johnson-Shut-Ins

July 2013: We spent a few days at the lake in Michigan. We had our annual summer bash/Annie's birthday party with tons of family & friends. The kids had such a good time! Annie turned four. Annie started swimming lessons. Mom had a birthday. We watched Grandpa's dog for two weeks. Spent lots of days swimming, fishing, hiking, grilling out and enjoying life. And ended the month back at the lake with friends.

She'll only turn 4 once. Sigh.

Dancing on Annie's new big girl bed (Entire set was Great Grandma's, we love heirlooms!)

Anderson Gardens. Annie saying "no, Emeline, that's a hosta. HOSTA!"

Summer

Annie & Grant - such a blessing of a friendship.

August 2013: Annie had her annual genetics visit in early August. Great check up, healthy report! Gal-1-p was 3.2. We went to the first annual Oswego Beats & Eats with our neighbors. Had a great birthday lunch with family where Annie and I shared an amazing steak. :) Annie had an echocardiogram mid-month to check on a slim chance of a heart issue, all results good, no issues! Ever thankful for our health. Dad took a man trip to Wisconsin, while Mom & the girls went up the Michigan coast for a little girly beach time. The girls were unbelievably well behaved and post card sweet - which I was so thankful for while attempting our first major road trip with a 1:2 adult/kid ratio.

Fishing, again.

August corn. 2013 was the best crop I've tasted in a long time! Fitting, considering the awesome year. We had a fun day getting dirty, shucking corn with family and friends. We were also able to recreate the 1980 photo of Grandpa & Mom, with Grandpa & Granddaughter.

Lake Michigan - just the girls.

September 2013: Annie started karate & preschool in the same day. Unbelievably crazy, emotional time for mom. Annie did great - and school has gone smoothly since day one. Mom worked another ECO recycling extravaganza. Dad took us to his leads group party at the golf course, so sweet to let the family tag along. We went to Brew at the Bridge with Aunt Shannon & Uncle Scott and our super fun neighbors. We visited the farmers market for the last time of the season. Dad seemed to be swamped with inspections. We were outside grilling and fishing every chance we had.

First day of preschool.

Sandwich Fair

Bedtime stories by big sis.

Cantigny

Dad's goodbye and welcome home from the window every time he leaves for work.

October 2013: Dad attended the IAR conference, Annie kept up with karate and school, Mom tried to keep up with Emeline. We hiked Starved Rock every chance we had, enjoyed the emerging fall colors and weather. We helped out with Annie's pancake breakfast at school (mom snuck in some home pancake batter so our little preschooler could partake in pancakes with everyone else). Annie started singing with the church preschool choir. We had a nice visit with family at Great Aunt Bonnie's, including all seven of the Aunt Hill. Dad attended the ASHI Leadership Conference. All the pumpkins we carved this year were from our garden! What a treat for the girls to plant the seeds, watch them grow, pick them, carve them and make pumpkin bread and pie from their efforts. The girls had a great time with both Grandma's and Aunt Colleen here helping them celebrate Halloween. Halloween night we trick-or-treated in our neighborhood, enjoying the amazing neighbors we have (some of whom purposely make special safe treats just for our Annie) (ok, I just wiped a tear typing that, we love our neighborhood). Annie was tigger, Emeline was super girl...Dad and I carried giant umbrellas as we braved the wind and rain for some fabulous loot.

Fall Hike

Fall Harvest

Regulars at the Library, returning some goods, and enjoying the landscape Dad planned years before.

Fall fun, pumpkins and Halloween

November 2013: November started to get a bit chillier. Fishing season pretty much came to an instant halt. We adjusted to the season, put up the Christmas tree early and enjoyed our first Thanksgiving early at Grandpa Fitzpatrick's. We celebrated Aunt Cheryl's birthday with a big family luncheon. We took a little week night road trip with the girls to see their favorite musician, Farmer Jason. Mom was room mother for Annie's Thanksgiving party at school, the kids had a fun time. Then we promptly packed up the ol' station wagon for a two week road trip taking us to Kansas for Thanksgiving and family...and then on to....

Emeline letting me know the leaf truck already went that way.
Keep raking, Emeline.

It could just be a trip to Walmart. But any trip, with Emeline, is an adventure.

Momma working on her family defending skills.

Decorating the 2013 Christmas Tree

December 2013: ...Texas. We visited Grandpa & Grandma at their new Texas home for the first time. Enjoying warm weather and new sights. Our trip home was an exciting ride through one of Texas' biggest ice storms - three full days on the road with two little ones, and we survived to tell about it! After spending the first half of the month on the road, we came home to a busy week. Dad received the Presidents Award at the NICASHI Christmas party! We kept up with our yearly tradition of driving through the Aurora lights on a nice snowy night. The weather seemed to get the memo that this was the best year ever, and graced us with little snows every few days keeping things pretty and festive. We enjoyed the neighbor's annual holiday party. Dad & Annie had a father/daughter sledding date. We finished out the holiday with a beautiful Christmas Eve. Annie sang with her choir at our local church. We had tons of family to share the night with us, and awoke at home Christmas morning to find Santa had blessed us with things that could be wrapped - and life had gifted us with all that we could ever ask for. A healthy, happy family. A year full of great memories, lots of hugs, milestones and love.

Tin Star Ranch in Texas

Hiking in Texas

Little side show in Luckenbach, TX

Icy Texas

Snowy Home

Love

Our little choir angel

Christmas Cinnamon Rolls

Christmas Snow

Our stars of Christmas

As with the wrap up of each year, we seem end with excess, the holidays have too much food, too much stuff, even a fantastic year such as this needs to be put in the books. Even though I would relive this year in a heartbeat, it's time to tuck it away in our hearts, simplify a bit and look forward to 2014.

Our best days are always the ones we spend simply, together, hopefully lost in nature somewhere. They're not always remarkable or exotic, they're just perfect without effort: