Ending 2012

After a week with family and Ashram friends, today was a bit of a letdown.  We were home alone, just the three of us with piles of laundry, presents, and snow gear.  But we survived.  Selim and I did a big grocery shop run while Nedim cooked dinner.  While the sun was out and the wind not as fierce, Selim started a new snow cave.

There was so much snow, that our garden statuary were partially hidden.

And we have icicles.

So, this is it for 2012.  I'm not exactly sure what 2013 will bring.  I start a new chapter at work by having my own team to supervise.  I'll still be on second shift -- seeing my family for 45 minutes a day and sleeping no more that 5 1/2 hours a night.  Selim will march on through second grade and into third.  Nedim continues with his projects, the Turkish American Cultural Center, and in good weather, the boat.  I hope this is a year that we can follow through on our desire to have sit down dinners together as a family on the weekends.  I would love to have better house management.  I hope I can resurrect  my exercise routine in January, after going on hiatus during the month of December.  I wish for more patience in every aspect of life -- including myself.  I need to get on the stick and work on learning Turkish as my sister-in-law said the other day in perfect English, "Good afternoon, how are you?"  And of course, eat more vegetables.