This post surely takes Puerto Rican Standard Time to a new level, right? Anyway, it’s never too late to wish you all a Happy New Year!

I had the greatest intentions of drafting up a great big thankful post recapping all the highlights of this year, of which there were many:  an awesome real and fake birthday, two half marathons (one solo and to the mileage of the Nike +, the other real, with people, and along the Niagara River), memorable Carnival Monday and Tuesday the good and the not-so-great), fabulous visitors of the family and adopted-family kind, a super 11 years together anniversary/seven years of marriage shammiversary ten-day visit to England (including near-death cycling in London), bike and road races with family, fun photo times, fun family times… oh yeah, and the beginning of my nine-month Future-Partner-In-Crime project (who later revealed herself to be an unmistakeable she in a very unladylike way).

All of that happened, and for all of that I am INCREDIBLY thankful.  2011 could not have been better… well, maybe I could have done with a few less mosquito bites and better sleep from August to December, but that’s small beans.

The thing is, for the days before and around New Year’s Eve, I just couldn’t look back to remember what this whirlwind of a year was like, because ALL I could think of was how excited I am for 2012, and how amazing it is that we kicked it off in family style both traditional (dancing in the kitchen, silly string, too many coconut-based desserts ) and new (my uncle and aunt coming up from Massachusetts for the holiday for the first time in forever, my mom away and us running the party, and all of Isa’s friends now old enough to bring the champagne and get down with us older folks… oh yeah, and me not having any desire to suck in my stomach because hello, what’s in there can’t really be sucked in!):

Before this holiday season, waaaaay back in August, I was a bit wistful about this being the last holiday of the current status quo–Mr. Man and I, sisters, mother, sister menfolks–before the baby storm hit in March.  Ah, change aversion–it was so silly of me.  Now, I know there’s no such thing as a baby storm coming (because it’s ALWAYS a holiday storm around here) and all I can think is how I just cannot wait to do this all over again with a bouncy, rambunctious, grabby and slobbery and ridiculous (because she is, after all, my daughter) addition to the barely-organized chaos that is my house.

She’s going to be just like the rest of us, but in miniature–and minus the rum-drinking and poker-playing-for-candy.  She’s going to cheer (or just gawp) at our bike and road races and dig things up with my mom in the garden.  And she’s definitely going to get her fair share of pork even if, initially, it’s proportional to her miniature size and amount of actual teeth.

Like I said:  2012 can BRING IT!