I stumbled across the essay "Joy" by Zadie Smith, and oh my, is it required reading...

"It might be useful to distinguish between pleasure and joy. But maybe everybody does this very easily, all the time, and only I am confused. A lot of people seem to feel that joy is only the most intense version of pleasure, arrived at by the same road—you simply have to go a little further down the track. That has not been my experience. And if you asked me if I wanted more joyful experiences in my life, I wouldn't be at all sure I did, exactly because it proves such a difficult emotion to manage. It’s not at all obvious to me how we should make an accommodation between joy and the rest of our everyday lives."

In 2012:
We were snowed in for three days. I probably took more photographs this year than all of the previous years of my life combined. I crocheted and crocheted and crocheted some more. I attended several baby showers. We hosted many a BBQ, and stayed outside in the evening sun as much as possible. I watched more of our friends become parents. I watched a meteor shower from our backyard. I spent a weekend at a cabin in the woods with some of my favorite people, and drank and danced and explored. After leaving home over thirteen years ago my family finally traveled west. I married my best friend in the woods, in a month that was bookended by full moons, and my heart was, and is, very full. We camped near the beach twice and I laid in the warm sand and sun for long, quiet weekends. We took ferry rides that reminded me of why I love the Pacific Northwest so much. I declared summer 2012 the absolute best ever. I took Spanish lessons. In early fall we spent a weekend with friends and stayed in a cabin on the coast of WA. I witnessed two friends marry on the beach just before the sun began setting, and I danced my ass off that night. My niece was born. We traveled to Mexico for two weeks and it was a dream. My faith in humanity was restored, unfortunately this was only temporary. I explored the ruins in Tulum, laid in the white sand, and wondered how the Mayans could have left such a place. I spent a number of nights falling asleep to the static of crashing waves from different oceans. I rediscovered my love of sewing. I went to a parade at night. We had a fancy Christmas Eve dinner, and plan on making this a new tradition. We hosted friends for Christmas and ended the evening with fireworks. We went to first and second birthday parties. I took even more photos, with the determination and support to learn as much as possible.  We slept in, a lot. I didn't read enough books. We celebrated the year (and nine years together!) with friends, food, and bubbly. So much bubbly.

Immensely thankful for it all, and ready for a new year and new adventures.