2022 is the year we thought would be about settling in to our new life in Florida. And while that’s mostly true, there were a handful of things that made “settling in” and thinking “new” was over feel like it’s still on the horizon.
January began with setting resolutions and getting off to a great start. We lost two dogs in January – Lickity Split and Slate. But the year would get better!
February brought a cold spell. We tested our furnace/heater and it worked. We lifted our golf cart. Played in a pickeball tournament. Watched the Super Bowl from the hot tub. Raised some soccer stars. And attended the county fair – a hugely fun event.
In March, the birthday month, we celebrated a 7th birthday and a 5th birthday. We also had some spring break visitors.
April meant Grandma Cathy visited for the first time…and the first major step to decorate our house when we changed all of the door hinges & knobs and cabinet pulls to black.
In May, we picked strawberries & petted goats. Had 10 days without Mommy. And finally held Emerson’s birthday party.
June meant the end of school capped off by preschool graduation. We then got to enjoy a week of rest at home before heading north for a few weeks of summer activities. Though the start of summer meant saying goodbye to Massasoit Manor and a business trip to Colorado where I saw Uncle Ken and Aunt Kay.
July is when Adelaide got to attend summer camp while we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary with a Milwaukee getaway and a feast at the first vegan brewery in the US. The remainder of July was spending time with friends and family in Illinois and Wisconsin and meeting new babies for the first time. We finished July by zooming home in 23 hours of straight driving.
August meant the start of the school year. Emerson started Kindergarten, Adelaide 2nd grade, and Karissa teaching 1st grade. Another attempt to establish a “new normal“.
In September, we relished the “normal” though time was flying. I flew to Washington DC to celebrate the passage of climate policy and scheme about the future of my work. We savored this “normal” month!
Because October brought all sorts of displacement to “normal”. We survived Hurricane Ian, a very strong category 4 hurricane whose eye passed right over us. I wrote a somewhat viral blog about it for work. The inaugural Founders Fest was held as a celebration of our town’s resiliency to the storm. We spent fall break at Disney World! And had a blast trick-or-treating again, Florida-style.
November brought the fun and joy of Grandma Cathy visiting again offset by the death of another dog, Ruby. A second (minor) hurricane hit. We had friends visit and stay for Thanksgiving week and our 3rd annual plant-based feast.
Finally, December was full-on Holiday Season mode. Tree lightings, sing-a-longs, and decorating. Adelaide and I attended Mickey’s Christmas Party. And we celebrated Christmas, of course.
Looking back at 2022, it was great. We generally had a wonderful year. The kids remain happy & healthy and continue to build friendships. We lost 3 family dogs this year and survived a major hurricane. Karissa started a new job. And we soaked in the unbelievable fact that we’ve been married for 10 years already. But the idea that 2022 was the start of “normal” is totally out the window. Hopefully we laid the groundwork for that, but it’s looking like 2023 will be when our real “normal” can start taking shape.
We’re excited for the adventures ahead and building and enjoying the little adventures along the way.
Happy new year! Cheers to a prosperous, healthy, & “normal” 2023.