*finding*fifty*two*: Week Fifty-Two: Reflecting and Ringing in the New Year

WOWZA.

I can't even believe that we are on week fifty-two of this *finding*fifty*two* adventure!

I was trying to think of what really stands out this year. What really made a huge difference in my life in 2014?

Obviously Mike is awesome and is the best husband ever. Obviously this little baby {toddler??} is amazing and continues to grow and learn and be so awesome. But those things aren't new. Mike and my sweet little Owen were awesome in 2013 too.

I think that the thing that had the biggest impact on my life this year is something I haven't really blogged about yet. It has been finding my village. My village of women with babies of similar age to O. If you are raising a child and don't have a village, make that your resolution this year. For real.

These women are so wonderful and inspiring. They get it in a way only another mom can, and that fills up a void I've had since O came along.

My village has kept me sane when I was at my wit's end. They have made me laugh. Hard. And they've turned from "mom friends" to actual friends in a few short months.

It makes my heart so happy that Owen asks about his baby friends and gets excited to see them. He wants to play with them all the time! And on top of me finding friends in these wonderful women and O finding friends in their babies, Mike and I found couples we enjoy spending time with, too!

{Hopefully in 2015 our core group of besties of the past 7+ years will be able to get together more than in 2014. Becoming adults with busy schedules is overrated, and I've missed them a lot this year.}

Although the impact the baby village had on my life in 2014 wins, this blog is definitely second place.

My *finding*fifty*two* adventure really pushed me to do things I wouldn't have otherwise done. Crafts, meals, parties, and all the random adventures. On more than one occasion I've weighed the pros and cons of just skipping it for a week. But then what would I blog about? How I failed at my goal? No thanks! Obviously some weeks held more excitement than others, but that is fine by me. It makes the exciting weeks even more exciting. :)

Some of my favorite posts to write {like my posts about breastfeeding, baby led weaning, and cloth diapers} were not even part of my *finding*fifty*two* series! Partially because of that, I think I want to keep blogging. I'm not so sure I have the stamina to do another year of documented excitement each week, but writing is fun and I've definitely enjoyed having a place to ramble on about my life. Hopefully you'll keep reading into the new year, because it's a blast having you all along for this ride!