A look back at 2013...

I honestly can't believe it's already 2014! I'm sure a lot of people have said this, but there has the time gone!? It seems like only yesterday it was the middle of the summer, then all of a sudden it's Thanksgiving, then Christmas morning! I honestly don't think I'm alone on this.

Okay, now it's time for a 2013 re-cap! Come on, you know you're just as excited as me to take a stroll down memory lane...

• Lets see... the first thing that comes to mind is Castiel. Not only is he our very first TPM glider, but he's the first glider we've ever had shipped to us! We also shipped gliders for the first time last year. Not a fun thing, I might add. It's very stressful. The second time around was a lot easier than the first, though.

• Cas wasn't the only newbie we added to the brood at the beginning of the year, we also welcomed Chelsea and Melissa to the family. In that same month, we added 3 beautiful Welsh Harlequin ducklings to the family.

• Next -- and probably one of the most exciting -- would be my new job! Yes, it's a shitty fast food job, but you know what, it's a job! I don't have to work in the medical industry to say I make money. Money is money, no matter how you make it. Getting a new job was probably the best thing that happened to me last year.

• Oh, how can we forget our trip to Kentucky! Not only did we add TWO more new additions to the family (Boone and Tyler), but we also got to meet Bourbon for the first time. She's famous in the glider community, so it was exciting to meet up with her. The drive there took the cake, though. Again, just like in Saint Louis, we followed written directions all the way there and back. It was a blast.

• Then with good times come bad times. On a warm summer night, a damn raccoon made its way into the chicken house and murdered our 3 welshies and our sweetest chick in the world, Audrey. Probably one of the worst days of 2013. I can remember trembling and crying as I made my way to the chicken house. Luckily, my aunt took care of all the decapitated bodies. That still didn't prepare me for what I was about to see in the stall next to the chicken house. Our duck, Harley, barely alive... covered in blood, shaking, weak.

• Which brings me to my next memory of 2013... Harley! He lived inside for the better part of 3 weeks. I've never, in all of my life, experienced anything as messy as a duck! LaVaughn and I loved nothing more than to care for him, but I was more than happy to let him return to his flock.

• Seeing my mom for the first time in nearly 5 years most definitely makes its way to 2013 top moments. I believe the last time I saw her was in spring of 2008, because -- her then new -- husband helped us install an air conditioner in the house. It's so much better having her live just over 2 hours away now. 

• Then, like I said above, with good times comes bad. We lost a very dear family member, our Aunt Eva. She was our eldest aunt -- I believe she was in her very late 70s -- so it was hard, considering she's always been around. She will be forever missed. RIP Auntie!

It may not have been the type of year you or your friends had, but it was mine and it was fun. No, there weren't any daredevil movies, no spring break road trips, but you know what, it's a year I'll always remember and a year I wouldn't trade for the world.

Now... wanna know what I'm looking forward to in 2014? Well, I guess this would be my 2014 "to do" list, or Bucket List? Honestly, I have no idea. These are just things I hope to accomplish in the new year.

• At the top of my list... music! I want to broaden my musical skills. I want to play the piano more, finally finish all of Moonlight Sonata, and maybe even pick up a new instrument along the way. What I have in my horizon at the moment, the violin and acoustic flute! 

• Next would have to be travel. I've thought of nothing more for the past week! I know Ukraine is out of the picture for this year, considering we have too much to plan and too much to save up for. You know what's in my sights after that? Louisiana! LaVaughn and I both have wanted to travel there for some time, so you know what? We're doing it! We just have to pick a month later in the year and go. New Orleans... watch out! And, of course, we might have to make a stop by Pierre Part. ;)

• I would also like to purchase my first DSLR camera. It doesn't have to be anything fancy or top of the line, but it is something that I want, it's something I've always wanted!

• Which leads me to my next to do... take more photos! I've slacked so much this past year on photo taking. I want to get out more, see more, and capture more! I want to go places I've never gone before and take beautiful pictures.

• Which leads me to, wait for it... Project 365! Yes, I'm doing it! I will not miss a day this year, I will not slack and give up as easily as I did in 2012. This is the year I will go through with it and prosper! Now I just have to break it to LaVaughn so she can dis and make fun of me, lol. 

• I also want to keep my blog updated more. I want to try and post the days blog THAT day and not a day or tree later. I want to set aside time in the day to blog and get things done. 

• While we're on the subject of websites, I also want to keep Sugar Exotics updated more! I want to keep the joeys page updated, post new pictures of the gliders, post our cage sets there, and so on. I've really slacked on our site the past few months.

Okay, so we have: Music, Photos, Travel, Websites... that should be easy enough, shouldn't it? I guess we'll see when the end of the year rolls around. Until then...

Love & Peace
... and Happy New Year!

-Megan

Just because they're cute, here are some pictures of the joeys from a little while ago:

Paxton

Xander