Twenty-Thirteen.

Well, another year has come and gone.

2012 was a year full of laughter and fresh starts. It was also full of tears and repeated mistakes.

I've learned that I am still learning. That I am bound to make tons of mistakes yet. That I can't please everyone. (Heck, I can hardly please myself half of the time.) That this life is for me to live, and me alone. That I am the only one that will have to answer for the successes and failures in my life. That I have to figure this whole thing out for myself.

So...here's to twenty-thirteen, and all the good and bad that will come with it.

Here's to my Jesus who is able to do the impossible and make good things come from terrible things.

Happy New Year from me and Mr. Reindeer. :)

You're missing out.

To the ones who always have an excuse as to why you can't be there,

God has given you such smart and talented and beautiful and funny children. It baffles me how you wouldn't want to spend every minute that you could with them. And I want never to understand how you can willingly go days and weeks and months without seeing them or even contacting them.

Yes, I get it - having a baby is hectic and probably turned your life upside down. I get it - you can hardly take care of yourself much less a defenseless and time demanding baby. And I even get it - you had dreams and goals that had to change when confronted with a baby that you didn't plan for and probably initially didn't even want.

And yet I don't get it. Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all. (Kudos if you know what movie that last sentence came from.)

When you're making excuses as to why you can't...know that they just want their dad to be there. When work and life in general gets in the way...know that they just want their dad to be there. When you don't see them for weeks or months at a time...know that they just want their dad. And even when you forget their birthday and don't spend any holidays with them...know that they still just want their dad.

Like most children do, they think their father hung the moon...the least you could do is be there. Actually, the least you could do is call, but I guess that's asking too much.

So...if no one has told you this yet, let me be the first to say, you're missing out...