Sayonara 2014.

Are you there blog? It's me Jen.

I've almost forgotten how to do this, the whole blog-thing - it just hasn't been a priority in the last two years. I also haven't been taking nearly as many pictures, which used to be a driving factor here.

 The kids are bigger, and at the point where 1) it's next to impossible to get a nice shot of all of them together and 2) they are possibly at that awkward place where they don't know how to act natural in front of a camera.

 And they pick on each other. Well - Evie and William do. Sarah and Jason, as always, can be taken anywhere to do anything, and they're pretty much guaranteed to behave. mostly.

 So we've been in Texas for about a year and a half. Not going to lie, it hasn't been all sunshine and roses - more like grasshoppers, fire ants and the occasional scorpion; leaks in the sprinkler system and appliances at the end of their useful life; job stress, and not enough cash to deal with everything the way it really should be dealt with - but we're still here, alive and kicking.

On the positive side, all of us, from the tallest to smallest, have settled in and made some life-long friends. Evie's BFF's got off the bus with her the day of Christmas Break, and I can't tell you how happy it made me to hear how they LOVE coming to our house :) Every mom's dream, that. You won't find homemade cookies and lots of structure here, but everyone is happy and for the most part safe from injury. Construction debris notwithstanding.

 So 2014 and our time here hasn't been all that carefree and easygoing, but it's pretty much over  - thank you Lord - Matt and I are both ready for it to end. Life is what you make it, no? Time to take control and forge our own destiny. 2015 is the year we turn this all around.

 

 Tomorrow is a new day in a new year, and it's time to get down to business and own it. I won't find the answers to our problems in a bottle of wine (or my kindle), and said wine certainly won't help how my pants fit.

Have a freakin' awesome New Year. It's yours for the taking.