The Best of 2011

I've been sorting through our hundreds of photos from the last year, trying to decide which to add to this post. I had this big idea that I would choose one photo from each month, my favorite, that would prefectly depict exactly where and how and what we were each month, and intersperse them between a poignant and eloquent poem of words (haha) pieced together about how wonderful and fulfilling and heart-bursting and perfect this last year as been. About how my heart grew in ways I never knew were possible and about how our family feels perfectly in synch and runs like a well oiled machine (except, of course when it isn't in synch and it runs as rough as a truck bumping along on an old dirt road). So for the last three nights after the kids were in bed (or at least quiet) I have painstakingly poured over the photos. I have deleted somewhere around a billion of them - turns out I have never done that before and there were some definite non-keepers in there. ha. I have laughed and watched every single video I have ever taken. I have awwwed over how little Maizey actually was when I thought she was so big. I wiped tears and smiled. Then I realized there is no way in hell I could narrow it down to twelve photos. Nope, not gonna happen. I came up with 90. For real. I'll do my best at picking less...



























2011 brought a soul shattering, amazing moment.







The entrance of our son into the world and our hearts. He was, by all terms of the definition, a surprise, and the moment he arrived he wiggled his tiny little way into my heart and has sat perched atop it since that day. It almost seems crazy that he hasn't been in our lives forever.

 









That same moment made Maizey a big sister, a role she has taken seriously and done amazingly well with. She loves her little brother and any worries I had were dissolved immediately. She could not be happier with him and him with her.














The arrival of Jace meant the disappearance of our spare bed. Our home is now at capacity... we are bursting at the seems. This year brought us closer to final completion of this seven year project and we will one day (soon?) be looking for a new place to call home. For now we are snuggled in here, sometimes literally.









We saw great visitors and a few road trips. We worked a lot and traveled much less. I saw some of my best friends and brothers having baby's, getting married and buying houses.

 






































I was reading back through what I wrote last year and I can say with complete certainly that I lived exactly as I had planned to live. Content, happy, loved, aware and awake. We saw many days in our p.j's and saw many days not. My little family certainly makes it easy to appreciate all this life has to offer. I will once again focus on those same things and can only hope that 20dozen will offer as equally of amazing year.
Cheers to 2012

Christmas 2011

We were lucky enough to have Brian home all of Christmas after all. So we ate, played games, and sat gathered around his parents kitchen table for the better part of the three days he was home. If I had to be anywhere other than with my own family, it would have been right there.



Maizey "got" Christmas and the whole deal this year, but she still wasn't crazy about the opening part. It would've been fine, except she had to open Jaces' as well. Then go to Nana and Papas and open those as well.





She quit half way through and just wanted to play hide and seek. Her cousins told her to get lost (they love opening gifts!). I love that my girl is still satisfied with very little and plan on working to maintain that. She certainly wasn't expecting more and more and more.



We continued on with our fun traditions and added a new one. We got the idea from a blog I read, so when we got home late on Christmas Eve, we sprinkled a mess of oats, cereal and whatever else we could randomly find, in the driveway as Reindeer Food, then in the morning Brian went out and scuffed it all up and voila, the Reindeer ate the food and Maizey was perplexed as to why she couldn't see the reindeer or Santa anywhere.
The new matching p.j's were adorable and cozy.



Santa's letter was written and a reply sat waiting in the morning. Maizey finished off the leftover cookie that we had left for him, which I thought was super thoughtful of her.
My 'to be taken very seriously' eggs benedict were delicious and well received, even by a certain two year old that has already acquired a taste for the finer foods in life.
I tried my hand at the Best of Bridge Land of Nod Cinnamon Buns and they were also well received and tasty. If you have never heard of them or had them before, go, get the stuff and make them. So easy and so yummy.



Our home was cozy and happy and christmasy and smelled of cinnamon buns. It was delightful in the coffee and baileys warm in my tummy kind of way. Which I obviously know all about.



Hoping Christmas 2011 found everyone, everywhere warm, happy and safe.