Well, friends, despite its best attempts, 2013 didn’t kill me. I am a fighter.

{Cue Rocky theme music…}

Needless to say, I am so happy to see it go.

I made a major move this year – from Georgia to Pennsylvania. With major life change, you should always expect the unexpected.

I certainly didn’t expect to have two bad falls (one that took 6 months to fully recover from), a car wreck, and bizarre illness, including shingles (at age 35! And, whoa mama! You do not want shingles!).

I think there were office bets circulating about how long it would take for me to run back to Georgia…

I also didn’t expect to fall in love with a part of the country so far from my home. Despite the extraordinary challenges of settling in, my whole family feels like this is home.

We love the climate.

We love the culture(s).

We love the people. You know who you are.

Here’s to a safe, happy, and uneventful 2014! May the Lord bless you with peace and joy in the new year!

P.S. I now own a four-wheel drive and a serious pair of snow boots. Bring. It. On.