Let's review this 2013, shall we?

JANUARY

Highlights:  Met my blogging idol, C.Jane, analyzed the fierce complexity of grocery shopping, started Bon's Book Club, wrote mine and Greg's love story (here and here), and took 214 seventeen year olds to the movies.   

Lowlights:  Had the coldest January in Utah since 1938, never wanted to leave the house, Greg got deathly ill and puked his guts out until we finally took him to the emergency room.

FEBRUARY

Highlights:  Wrote one of my favorite posts about grief, celebrated Valentines Day, blogged about blogging, and quit my job.

Lowlights:  Decided I am the worst blogger ever, Watched the Jazz lose a bunch of games, and quit my job.  Still don't know if I should put the quit my job on a highlight or a lowlight as it allowed for change and growth, but was incredibly difficult to leave Copper Hills.

MARCH

Highlights: Went to Sunny Arizona to watch one of my mission besties get married, celebrated two years of marital bliss with Greg, welcomed my lil sis home from 18 months in Argentina, reviewed one of my favorite books of the year, The Fault in our Stars,  wrote one of my favorite essays on love and snow, and got some people riled up with my "truths."

Lowlights:  Decided that the problems in public education are too many and too complex for my little mind.

APRIL

Highlights:  Had the best weekend of my life when I went on a girls' vacation with my college besties and roommates, welcomed spring with open arms, wrote an open question post about the beliefs of Mormons and loved the discussion that ensued, answered some f.a.q. about the blog, and decided I don't believe in missing out.

Lowlights:  Went through a bunch of ugly wedding pictures and decided Greg and I are not nearly as photogenic as we think. 

MAY

Highlights:  Hung out with my best friend, Akasha who lives in California,  Read The Happiness Project,  and after incredible stress and indecision decided with Greg not to move to California but to stay in Utah for the time being.  I found a job at another high school in Utah.

Lowlights:  May 2013 will go down in the books as the month of stress.  Greg and I were so confused what to do about our work situation- Greg had graduated and for two years we had planned to move to California when he did.  But all of a sudden nothing felt right.  I searched for jobs for countless hours with no luck, and hit wall after wall trying to get my California certification.  Making the decision to go was stressful and making the decision to stay was stressful, but seven months later I couldn't be happier with the place we are at in our lives.  Posts full of angst and worry written during this time here and here and here.

JUNE

Highlights:  Celebrated my 27th birthday, reveled in the absolute beauty of summer, came up with 14 cures for writer's block, and told you all about my elementary school crush.

Lowlights:  Bawled my eyes our when I said goodbye to my students at Copper Hills, got scammed out of $1200 and did a lot of crying then too.

JULY

Highlights:  Spent a week in Hawaii with Greg and his family, revisited all my favorite beaches from when I went to school there, read a lot of books and celebrated my favorite man's birthday.

Lowlights:  Lowlights don't exist in July.

AUGUST

Highlights:  Spent my days at the pool like the true child I am, said goodbye to summer, started a new job at a new school, moved into a new apartment, and wrote my most popular post ever on the lies that MTV teaches teenagers.

Lowlights:  Ranted and raved about bloggers who don't treat their sponsors right,  tried to become a fashion blogger and failed miserably, and on a more serious note, mourned the untimely loss of a former student.

SEPTEMBER

Highlights:  Went with my sisters and mom on a girls' weekend in Cedar City, enjoyed some good old fashioned baseball with Greg, settled into a new job and a new home.

Lowlights: Struggled with feelings of inadequacy and jealousy, ranted against people who complain about sponsors, and got myself in a bit of trouble for writing this post on why blogs suck.

OCTOBER

Highlights:  Celebrated Halloween with friends and family, figured out my teaching philosophy,  analyzed what it means to be married,  GOT A PUPPY (posts here and here), and enjoyed every single day of beautiful weather that October has to offer.

Lowlights: Struggled to find balance in life,  Does such a thing exist?

NOVEMBER

Highlights:  Marked four years since my dad's passing and the day was one filled with remarkable peace and beauty, analyzed why I blog and the difficulties that sometimes come with living so public a life, put up a bunch of pictures that have no business being on a blog, and celebrated my mama's birthday in style.

Lowlights:  Got fed up with people for being frustrated with "kids these days."  It's the parents, I say!

DECEMBER

Highlights:  Decided I'm the worst student ever, took a bit of a blogging break and tried to simplify my life, celebrated Christmas, watched my lil sis get married.

Lowlights:  The weather turned absolutely nasty for a couple of weeks warning us of  exactly what winter can do to us if she wants, and my mom sold our family cabin.

That's it folks, the year in one post.  Here's to 2014!