Helloooooo out there! I’m that lady who used to blog. I do miss it terribly; I’ve just been terrible about finding time to fit it into my daily life lately. In the spirit of resolutions, I’ll try to work on that in 2014.

I wasn’t going to do a 2013 recap, but as I started thinking about what I wanted to say about these holidays, I found myself thinking back over the entire year instead. And well, it’s been a pretty kickass year. I promise this won’t be a month-by-month breakdown, but before I move forward, I hope you’ll indulge my desire to first look back.

Perhaps the biggest milestone of the year was the beginning of an exciting, terrifying and I’m sure sometimes difficult journey ahead — E’s schooling career.

I have to constantly remind myself that yes, she really is in kindergarten. How is this possible? This new beginning also brought us to the end of our incredible few years at her preschool. I’m not going to lie — I ugly cried on her last day there.

In the blink of an eye, we went from this day, her first day at the school as a new 2-year-old …

… to this, her last day there, as a fearless, ready-to-take-on-the-world 5-year-old.

Over those 3+ years there, everyone from the teachers to the other kids and their parents truly became our second family. I’m happy to report that even six months after leaving, we still see everyone regularly and E is even spending some of her Winter Break there. We were really blessed with a wonderful place to help our girl grow into the smart, funny, outgoing and confident kid she is today.

As for that whole kindergarten thing? Well, even though E is thriving and totally rocking her first year of school, it’s been a lot harder of a transition than I expected. There’s just a lot more stuff to do — nightly homework, regular school meetings and activities, earlier start times, volunteering as much as I can, etc.

Her first week of kindergarten also coincided with my return to working full-time for the first time in over 5 years. For the last year or so, I worked Mondays through Thursdays, but it really surprised me how big of a difference adding that Friday to mix made. The first few weeks, I was wiped out by Friday nights. It was also an incredibly busy and exciting year for our small company, so I think that added to my constant exhaustion.

But E LOVES kindergarten. And well, since this is a showy and narcissistic post anyway, allow me to brag for one moment.

Just before Winter Break, she competed in her first-ever STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) competition. She was in the K-2 grouping, and guess what? She brought home a second-place ribbon and a first-place ribbon! Take that second graders (OK, now I’m officially going to hell). But hot dang, we were so proud of her.

For E, though, I think she’ll always remember 2013 for one thing — it’s the year she FINALLY lost her first tooth.

And here I thought nothing would ever top her catching the home-run ball this summer at the Washington Nationals game.

I was wrong. The Tooth Fairy visit may have been the best thing to ever happen to her. If I’d have known 5 shiny dollar coins and some glitter on her pillow could have made her that happy, I would have knocked her tooth out long ago (kidding, kidding).

Speaking of the trip to DC, it was a great year of fun trips for us. The three of us spent several days in DC and Pennsylvania in June, seeing old haunts, old friends and making new memories.

It was also the year of Syracuse-related trips.

In April, DadJovi and I went on the trip of a lifetime — to the Final Four in Atlanta to watch Syracuse play!

And if E’s greatest moment of the year was her visit from the Tooth Fairy, DadJovi’s greatest moment of the year was meeting Christian Laettner.

In February, I finally returned to my old stomping grounds in Syracuse with my college roommate and BFF Missy for a fun back-t0-school weekend.

Fourteen years after our college graduation, we proved we could still hang at Faegan’s … sort of. It was a much earlier night than our college years. But that’s just because we drink smarter now (even if there was a booting and rallying situation on my part that weekend. I can’t be 100 percent grown-up now, can I?).

It was actually the year of Missy. In the spring, she and her daughter came down from Boston for their first trip to Disney.

Then in the fall, all of us ex-Cuse girls got together in Texas for a very long overdue girls weekend.

I wrapped up my Syracuse trips with a trip to Tallahassee to watch my poor Orange get beat up by the National Championship game bound FSU Seminoles.

2013 was also a year of firsts, fitness-wise, for me. I did my first obstacle course race.

Thankfully I had Katy by my side to drag me along encourage me to keep going.

This year, I also did my first race in the rain, even shaving 5 minutes off my previous 10K time. And rocking my Syracuse-themed running outfit in the process since it was during March Madness.

Thanks to a lot of good old-fashioned peer pressure from crazy fitness friends, I also did my first triathlon.

I even started training for my first half marathon, which I’ll God-willing run in February (if I can fix these damn shin splits).

When I wasn’t training for a race, I found a new fitness obsession: Jazzercise. My membership is on hold until after the Disney Princess Half in February and I really can’t wait to get back to it, 5:30 a.m. classes and all.

E. may have had the greatest fitness year though. She ran an 11-minute mile at the Mickey Mile kids race (when she was still 4!), and ran her first TWO 5Ks.

Those three events had such a big impact on her, that when she was asked for her Pre-K graduation what she wants to be when she grows up, she had one and only response.

And she’s still sticking with that career goal. Are we sure she’s my daughter?

This year, we also added two new family members. Blue, the crazy, flea-bag cat.

Yeah, she’s OK, but she’s nothing compared to my new baby …

Isn’t she gorgeous?? After 10 years of living with an old-school fridge with no ice maker and no water dispenser (and broken bottom drawers and a door shelf that fell off every time you opened the door with any force — you get the point), we got this as our Christmas present to ourselves. And it seriously is the best gift ever. It makes me way happier than an appliance should but I don’t care. We even had a ceremonial tossing of the Brita pitcher.

 Well, that about does it. You didn’t think I’d return with a short blog post did you? I hope you had just as great or an even better 2013. I’m not really a goal-making gal so I don’t have any specific set of plans for 2014 other than to keep enjoying every single second with our little family (it’s all going too fast!).

Why, yes, of course we did a Duke-Syracuse themed Christmas card this year. Are you surprised?

From our family to yours, Happy New Year!

What’s one thing you’ll always remember about 2013?