A Magical Year in Review

It's rare that I write anything resembling your standard year in review. In fact, season-end race summaries aside, I can't recall ever doing so. But 2013 wasn't your typical year so it's receiving special treatment! Momentous occasions were scattered throughout the year and I can't help but reflect back and relive them one last time before the calendar flips to 2014.

At the end of 2012, having been in our new house for a year, Eileen and I decided that it was time to expand our little family. So we took to Pet Finder in search of the perfect rescue puppy. For weeks we sorted through pictures and profiles without any luck. Then, this ferocious beast caught our eye...

Nala, then Harmony, a few weeks before we adopted her

After an application, a few interviews, and a home visit we were informed by the wonderful people of Golden Huggs that our family was about to grow by one! The weeks between that notification and Nala's actual arrival were excruciatingly long. But the wait was worth it and on January 26, we were united with the cutest puppy ever born!

A shy and nervous Nala just seconds after leaving the transport truck

Nala on her first night in our house

Nala doing what she does best...

Nala's now 14 months old and she's completely changed our lives. She goes everywhere with us and makes everything more fun. She's incredibly athletic. She's fast, strong, and smart. She trail runs, snowshoes, climbs mountains, and, without exception, is up for anything we throw at her. 

Nala and her best friend, Oscar

Growing up so fast!

In April, with Nala settled into her new life, Eileen and I embarked on our first trip in five years. Eric, Eileen's brother, and his (now) wife, Amy, held their wedding in Cudjoe Key, Florida. Neither Eileen nor I had ever been to the keys before, so we were thrilled with the opportunity. The trip lasted five days and we made sure to fill every moment. We spent a good deal of our time in Key West where we did our best to sample every key lime pie available. But we didn't limit ourselves to just pie: smoothies, cookies, dog treats (for Nala, I had to draw a line somewhere), soda - you name it, we tried it. And did I mention pie? There was even some talk of ordering a few to be shipped home, but we played it cool and showed some restraint.

Photo op at the Southernmost Point

Amazing sunset views at Sunset Pier 

Pausing briefly for a picture before going to find more key lime pie

The wedding itself was incredible. The casual, outdoor ceremony and reception provided a perfect setting. We were so happy to be there and celebrate with Amy and Eric! They planned a beautiful wedding in an amazing location and both Eileen and I loved every moment of the entire experience. 

Wedding reception fun!

With one wedding and trip under our belts, Eileen and I shifted our focus to our own nuptials. As I've already provided a full play-by-play, I'll spare you a second recounting. However, I will say that everything about that day was perfect and it's a day neither of us will never, ever forget. We're so thankful to everyone that made the day possible. From our families to everyone at the Red Barn at Outlook to all of our amazing friends, we are immensely grateful for all of the support and love. And, with that said, I'll let the pictures do the talking...

Eileen arriving a few hours before the wedding/
(and my favorite picture of the entire day)

A perfect afternoon for a wedding

Another one of my favorites

Happily married!

Mr. and Mrs.

Two days after our wedding - brace yourselves for this - we took ANOTHER TRIP, this time for our honeymoon! Can you believe it? Two trips in three months after a 5 year hiatus from traveling. Again, I've shared the details of our trip to Disney World before so I'll keep this brief. A Disney honeymoon certainly isn't for everyone, but it's something we always knew we wanted to do. Having gone to WDW in 2008 following our college graduations, deciding to go back was a non-issue. We'd had such a great time on our first trip together that we knew our honeymoon there would be perfect. And it was.

We received special attention on the planes, in the parks, at the resort, and everywhere else we went. While we were on the go constantly, we were also able to relax and enjoy our time together. The entire trip was, as every Disney trip is, magical.

Honeymoon bound - first class style!

Making our way through the parks

Breakfast at Chef Mickey's

Custom artwork now hanging in our home

Post wedding and honeymoon, life settled down a bit. We got back into a regular routine which pretty much involved one of us racing every weekend. There were some highlights sprinkled throughout the summer, but for the most part things seemed uneventful given everything we'd been through earlier in the year. The biggest result of the season really happened when Kat qualified for Kona in August. I was thrilled for her as it was an amazing accomplishment. I was even happier when I was invited to make the trip to Hawaii with the Donatello family. This would be my third trip of the year and my first to Hawaii! Amazing for someone that's idea of a vacation had become a one night stay in a hotel the night before a race...

My trip to Kona was unforgettable. Not only did I receive VIP access to a ton of restricted areas during the swim portion of the race, but I also got to experience some uniquely Hawaiian events throughout the weekend. And, of course, I got to watch Kat compete on the most epic course against the best competition in the world. Again, all of this has been chronicled before so I won't walk you through the entire event. What I will do is show you pictures!

Breakfast doesn't get much better than this

I lost count of how many meals we had at Lava Java.
Each one was awesome, though!

Overlooking the swim course from the Swim Director's perch on race morning
I'm still amazed they allowed me this access!

I REALLY want to do this again! 

Back at home exciting things happened as well. Eileen, after years of waiting, got a full time classroom in third grade at Eliot Elementary School. It was a long road to get there, but she was patient and it all paid off in 2013. I also made a leap in the schools and began the process of finalizing my teaching certification for high school social studies. It's still a work in progress, but one that should be finished by the spring of 2014. There was more exciting changes too, but you'll have to wait until next year to learn the details behind those!

It's often said around this time of year that people are excited to leave the year behind and are looking forward to the changing of the calendar. For us, though, that's not the case. While we are excited for all that 2014 will offer, 2013 will be a difficult year to beat. It's a year that will hold a special place in our hearts and minds forever.