Hello New year.

Time goes so fast. I can clearly remember the beginning of 2011. We watched the fireworks from the car, driving through the highway, and it was quite a sight, color sparks  from all over the place. A year went by and here we are again. A New Year. New dreams, new projects, new resolutions. Quite a human thing, the need to mark ends and beginnings. To stop for a second, gather and think about what has come and what is yet to come. Early this year we moved to our own little home, that we are building little by little. We  The boy finally finished painting our last room: light sunny yellow, and though we still need curtains, and a lamp, little house is basically ready and it does feel like our place already. The move was harder for him, since this was when he moved out of the home he grew up in for the first time. For me, well I've changed apartments about 7 times in the last 12 years and I've been living away from my parents' home for as long, but still. This is going to be our home, the home for our newly founded baby family, and it is, well, ours. This year we went on on a road trip along the Pacific Coast of Mexico for our Honeymoon, then to Italy in the summer, and to Brussels and Antwerp recently. I got a new job in September, and made an adjustement of plans. I started this blogging thing, that is oh so dear to me. Thanks to you, readers, and to the friendships and community and crazy happiness that comes from meeting people all over the world with whom you can share and learn so much. Just yesterday, the chinese lamps we used at our wedding went away to a new owner, a girl I found through APW. Her, her husband-to-be, the boy and I had tea and a chat together in our living room and it was nice, and surreal, when you think about it.
As for this New Year, well we have some plans:
-The boy and I  will set a studying schedule and focus on our spanish and dutch learning for real. As in every week, more than once.
-We will try to run together. I've had the prettiest running shoes for so long, and I must have used them a grand total of 4 times. It will take a lot of effort and crying (on my part) because I am so not the sporty or the self-disciplined kind. At least not when it comes to doing stuff that I don't enjoy.
-I will try to learn photography, I am determined to get a spot at the next "L'atelier"
- And keep the focus on the little drops of happiness hidden in everyday life.
- Of course also travel, travel, travel. We want to discover so many new places together.
- Finally here is our wish for unexpected surprises (but no, this time we didn't win the lottery).
I hope you had crazy fun celebrating yesterday and that this New year will be full of hope, dreams come true, projects, love and joy.
Oh and by the way, the picture above is an Oliebollen stand in Leidseplein in Amsterdam, right by the skating rink. Oliebollen are the traditional dutch treat for New Years Eve. They are somewhat similar to a donut,  basically  fried balls of dough, with raisins and powder sugar.