2011 in Review

Anyone else just get a mild case of deja'vu???  I sure did.

Literally feel like I JUST did this post last year...

I like to think of this yearly post as my "Christmas card update"; you know how some people send little news reviews of their year?  love getting them, so this is kinda ours :)

Again, this year was filled with the greatest of the great.  And also some really low points.

Such is life.

I guess...

BUT let's start out with the greats!!!

It goes without saying, the best thing that's ever happened to us was Lucy being born.

Nothing beats her.  Nothing.

Nothing.

Another amazing thing this year?  Auntie Peggy overcoming a wretched tumor that attacked her very soon after Robby and Sara's wedding.

Robby and Sara's Wedding!!  

Finally got to celebrate this well-put-together event and had a ton of fun with our family.

Mark's dad making it through not one but TWO hip replacements (one the day before our little angel was born!!) and a minor heart attack.  Lucy's Pop is out of this world.

Mark and I celebrated 1 full year of marriage

I became a fully certified teacher.

Finally.

Uncle Chris became a real-life firefighter :)
Finally.

Mark finished his room.
Finally.

Halle-freakin-lujah.

Now, I'm not here to brag.  We had an awesome year, but with all the amazeball things that happened, we did face our share of sadness.  This is real life, people.  It ain't always rainbows and butterflies.

I added the medical issues into the positives because these two particular people are seriously kickin' their issues in the ass.  Take that!

Mark's nana passed away in March.  She was, sadly, our last living grandma. It was very ironic, her passing on St. Patrick's Day, as her husband, Mark's pop was huge into the Irish holiday.  I didn't really get to know Nana very well, but what I do know of her, and what I've been told about her - her passing on that particular day was absolutely no coincidence!!!  And that, that is special!!

My cousin Nick lost his battle with cancer.  He was 21 and a truly amazing kid. Truly amazing.
If we could all live like he did the last few years of his life, we would all truly be happier and more fulfilled.

Lastly,

This year we lost Rocky.

You followed us through his sickness.

Not even linking up his name to one of the many.many.many past posts that were about him or included a picture of him.
There were so many.

Still can't even open the garage door from my car.

Still can't bring myself to want a dog again.

Still have tears in my eyes.
What an adjustment it is adapting to a life without a dog...

No matter the highs and the lows that life brings to us, we are so thankful to be such a resilient family and have such amazing people who support us surrounding us.  

Next year we're looking forward to a friend for Lucy come the end of January, a new uncle (officially) in May, a teacher auntie :) and maybe JUST maybe, Aunt Jill will finally get hitched...

So, from us to you and yours, 

happy new year

xoxo