::year in review::

January

Max got super sick with RSV pneumonia and found himself in PICU for several days. 

Then he got better and turned two at the end of the month

I was too broke to buy a photo shoot so I took his pictures myself - my first official shoot 

February

My dearest Megan left for Japan for three years- I miss her daily

About mid month was when I decided that I really wanted to start blogging.

March

We built leprechaun traps that did not catch a leprechaun but did catch some candy.

  

We made march “craft month” and did tons of crafts. 

We got 12 total chicks and four ducks.

  

I decided that I had to build a garden that next summer and began planning. 

I gave up my long struggle of talking myself out of having another baby.

April 

We started building the garden.  I LOVE THE PROCESS. 

I got to shoot my first images for someone other than myself.

We went in for a vasectomy reversal consultation and we got started on the financing process.

May 

I planted my first garden.

And I was SHOCKED when it actually started to grow.

Lily was in the play Annie

We had kindergarten graduation with an ice cream party followed by a HUGE sixth grade graduation party.  Our biggest party ever.

June

We got our first cow-for-food, that has not become my pet and we are not keeping.  

We made strawberry jam for the first time and ate it by the spoonful.  

A new berry farm tradition was born, followed by the desire to grow my own. 

We helped bottle feed a litter of puppies, and the kids learned a lot about babies.  “Isn’t it such a huge responsibility to have a baby?  Not something you would want to do young right.”  

I took the kids to our first farmers market, which we loved.  

And I started and stopped potty training Max.  He wasn’t ready.

July 
I got to shoot my first wedding.  I was not the main photographer, but the candid photographer.  

Josh finished the flower beds on my garden and I adore them.  

We got back our killer cool mid-century modern chair from being redone, and it became the first in a hope to be huge collection of mid century modern coolness.     

We started getting eggs and we butchered four hens that turned out to actually be roosters.  

I helped my dear little friend decorate her cake for 4-H. She won and got sent to State Fair.  

We started cleaning my mothers house out and controlled our selves from taking the hoard to our house.  I did end up with TWO more mid-century modern chairs to make me smile.  

The biggest event was Josh got his vasectomy reversal at the very end of the month.

August
I started the mad planning for Lily’s birthday in September.  I like to be ahead.  

I learned how to take gum out of hair.

The garden produced lots of great food and the kids enjoyed helping harvest.  

I was heart broken to send the girls back to school, I really miss them when they go back.  Lily started first grade and Emma started 7th.  That moved Emma up to the middle school/high school.

September 
The frantic birthday party planning continued right down to the wire and went off with out a hitch.  Lily had a blast and the kids made some amazing art.  

I washed Josh’s iphone.  

We went to Holiday World and had a total blast.  

Josh and I went on a cruise and brought back a little friend who would be due in June.

October 
I found out that I was pregnant.  No one was more excited than Josh’s urologist.  

We had a great camping trip with all the family.  

Then a super fun NICU nurses farm party.  

Halloween was a mess of last minute planning.  This is not how it will go down next year IN DISNEY WORLD.

November 
I got a holiday card from a friend that had a picture of her family that I took.  It amazed me.  I was so flattered.  

Josh and I snuck off to Chicago with some friends and had a blast.  

Lily started and fell in love with Daisy’s. (Little girl scouts) 

Josh took his mandatory month off work and I adored him being home.

December 
We learned how to use the new heat options in our house.  No more $900 heating bills.  

I actually started to feel a little more human and am ready to get back to crazy planning/crafting/nuttiness.  Well, mostly.  

We started potty training Max again and it is actually working this time.  

Christmas was a strict budget and it went wonderful.  So nice to pay for everything in cash.