Year in Review: October, November, December

In the movie world, the fourth installment of a franchise might be thought of as a bit much.

But for the purposes of the 2013 Review Extravaganza, it can only be seen as being thorough!

This week's year-in-review post encompasses the most recent three months. One would hope one can remember these easily. Let's see....

October

Oh this was a big bloggy month because I decided to change the name of my online home from just JENNIFER to Dancing in the Rain! I also launched The View From Here series (which, incidentally, I am looking for contributors for, so please click that there link and let me know you wanna)! I love this series so much, and I hope you guys are enjoying it too.

Besides that, I admitted that therapy has been such an amazing thing for me, I claimed to be fierce, asked told everyone to stop being judgy, listed 10 reason I liked being a soccer mom and shared how we helped prepare our kids for medical emergencies.

November

I wanted people to stop being judgy in October, and said we shouldn't be assholes in November. Someone who isn't an asshole is my daughter's role model.

I shared a list of comfy things and why I'm not into holiday gift guides. Then, with help from a reliable source, I put together a post chock full of health care reform info.

Also, my husband had another minor heart attack (yes, really) and I contributed a guest post about the mysteries of blogging to Yeah Write.

December

On the 2nd I shared a fun little exchange between me and my husband, then got super serious about a tough question our daughter asked.

I wrote about good blogger etiquette and blasted my daughter's middle school for being apathetic.

Finally, I shared the adorable keepsakes both of my children gave me in kindergarten and sent you all Merry Christmas wishes!

(Less blogging in December happens. What'r'ya gonna do?)

Joining in on the Review Extravaganza has been so fun!

The first three weeks are here, here and here.

Goals and Hopes for 2014

Well, "hope" was my word for 2013, and I think it was appropriate. I definitely felt it, and tried to live it. I sometimes have private goals for myself. I tend to keep them private because I used to be chicken when it comes to accountability. But I don't feel that way anymore, so here goes:

• I'm pretty sure my word for 2014 will be Brave.
• I want to find the key to unlock my daughter's potential in school.
• To keep up, and step up, the healthier choices I've been making for my body.
• Celebrate my 40th birthday with pride.
• Continue seeking opportunities to spread my wings as a blogger.
• Use up my scrapbooking supplies and fill the pages I have left to fill with the photos I have printed that have been sitting in a box for several years now.
• Finish knitting the pillow cover I started 2 years ago.
• Figure out how to take down all the blinds and wash them in the bathtub.
• Do more gardening.
• Volunteer at the food bank.
• Spend another year with my husband.

What about you? Have you started thinking about the upcoming year?

Year in Review: July, August, September

Blogger Decree

The third quarter of the year -- summer -- shall now be recapped

for the

2013 Review Extravaganza!

July

Besides December, July is the busiest month of the year for our family.

At the beginning of the month I got to contribute a guest post to the Our Land of Empathy and Wonder series on Finding Ninee. I'm Humbled by it.

Back here, I told you about how we don't travel much....as we were leaving on a road trip. If you read it, you'll understand. Upon our return, I went off about doing all the things, posted a special photo of three generations of Hall men and shared something kind of personal that happened while camping when I was 13.

Not a lot of posts to share due to the busy-ness!

August

My BFF suggested we do a 30 day crunch challenge, and being highly susceptible to peer pressure, I consented. This actually began a series of fitness challenges I kept doing through the end of the year!

We were given a little boon of hope that I'm now not sure still exists, but it was a good feeling at the time. I gushed about Jon Bon Jovi, flipped the bird to needing approval and was pleasantly surprised that my kids didn't make me crazy over the summer. I made it to 700 posts here and explained why I feel like I'm Mark's everything.

September

There was my son's second day of 2nd grade and my daughter's eighth day of 8th grade.

I came up with a few social media truths and schooled you on how to properly celebrate the kids going back to school. I asserted that my blog is no one's bitch and announced The View From Here series.

I wondered if I could let my guard down, wrote about how walking is good for me in so many ways, and realized that at the end of the day, no matter what, I am happy.

I have already recapped the first and second quarters of the year. Next week will be the final three months!

Do you remember any of these posts? Are you hearing about any for the first time?

Year in Review: April, May, June

Second week of the 2013 Review Extravaganza means the second quarter of the year....

And, GO!

April

Both my birthday and blogiversary happen in April so I invited you all to my Birthaversary Extravaganza. I asked you guys to link up favorite April posts and you did!

I wanted my son to slow down a little bit (a la Ferris Beuller), and I had high tea with my daughter. I expressed some feelings and drew a line at 39. (Ack! I'm gonna be 40 next year!)

I admitted that sometimes being different sucks, then celebrated three years of blogging.

May

I had a revelation regarding menstrual cycles, looked a gift horse in the mouth, got a little ranty and gushed over all things pop culture.

I noticed an irony as I was trying to learn to let go, wrote about the issue of perceived expectations and felt at a loss in regards to my daughter and school. Huh, I still do, only now, I'm angry.

June

I told a funny story about something one of my kids did and anticipated my girl becoming a teenager as only a mushy mom can.

I was filled with gratitude for my husband, threw out a few simple thoughts at the beginning of summer break and made a list of 10 things summer.

I recapped January, February and March last week, and will continue on into the summer next week. Oh, and it was a good summer!

Year in Review: January, February, March

I am ALWAYS late to the party!

Apparently there's been this Review Extravaganza thing going on for THREE years but I'm just finding out about it now. In the fourth year.

Lots of us bloggers like to take a look back over the year. It's one of the best things about blogging, having a record RIGHT HERE of your life.

So! The way the Review Extravaganza works is by focusing on three months of the year at a time over the four weeks of December.

January

The very first thing I got to do in 2013 was write a guest post for Shell's "Things They Can't Say" series. It was about judging poverty and the the assumptions people make. I was pretty proud of it.

Our year started off right with a visit from Mark's mom and niece. It was so nice to spend time with family that had nothing to do with a hospital stay. The kids loved hanging with their big cousin!

I decided to share how I finally kicked my own butt into getting back into shape and be healthier. I really think it's something you can only do for yourself.

So I was all GO ME with the exercise stuff, but also struggling with some confusing feelings because I felt like people were handling me with kid gloves.

My little boy turned SEVEN and I told you about his birth story, which I had never done before.

And then after much himming and hawing, I chose a word for 2013: Hope. Did you choose a word for the year?

February

I dealt with some lingering anger over my husband's hospital stay in 2012, didn't make much sense and had to write a post script because I had a light bulb moment.

I hosted a little Valentine's Day link-up, told you what it's like to be visually impaired, suggested maybe I'm not really all that worthy of admiration and made a list of things I have buyer's remorse over.

March

Oh boy, March was a big revelations month when a lot of the things I had been talking about with my therapist started to really click.

On the first, I put my foot down, insisting that the day meant nothing. The day being the anniversary of Mark's arrhythmia.

I went on to list 10 reasons I have to be proud of myself, while also ruminating on feeling both strong and fragile at the same time.

I then asserted that this is MY path, wrote a letter to my annoying inner child and outlined all the reasons I am MORE than any one thing.

It was all kind of heavy!

On the lighter side of life, I listed 10 reasons why procrastination isn't the worst thing in the world and 11 awesome things about my husband.

AND, I wrote a guest post for The Robot Mommy that I like SO MUCH and sorta wish I had written for myself!