One Last Look

January:  We celebrate Sarah's first birthday with a Princess Belle party.  There were costume changes, photo montage, and lots of performance by Sarah.  She reaches out and hugs a new baby doll to the delight of her devoted subjects.

February:  We have the kids' pictures made and enjoy a pancake Valentine's Day.

March:  As a devotee of The Pioneer Woman, we make the trip to Atlanta for me to attend her book signing.  It is great fun.  I am slowly becoming an author-groupie.  I really, really want to attend signings for Mary Kay Andrews (Southern chick-lit) and Jon Acuff (Christian author/blogger).

April: Lots of Easter fun with egg hunts, coloring eggs, and pretty Spring clothes.

May: Jeremiah has his preschool program and turns 3.  We take his to the Go Fish! attraction in town and he talks about fish for the rest of the summer.

June:  We play in the sandbox and inflatable pool a lot.  We also go to the "Fried Green Tomato" movie festival and check out the small town of Juliette, where it was filmed.  We swim at Lake Tobesofkee a few times.

July:  Our summer bible study is in full swing.  We attend our town's Fourth of July concert.  Hardcore potty training ramps up.

August:  The kids start back at Sonshine Preschool.  Sarah starts Parent's Morning Out and Jay attends 3 mornings in his class.  I have Tuesday mornings to myself.  Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!

September:  Activities!!!  MOPS resumes, as does Ladies' Bible Study.  We are on-the-go this fall. I begin practicing with our Christmas choir.  We join my parents on a vacation to Hilton Head-- it is perfect in the off season.

October:  We hit the fair and ride the Agri-Lift!  Sarah and Jay meet their little cousin, Eli and we have a successful outing Trick-or-Treating.

November:  I host the Thanksgiving meal and live to tell of it.  We have a mini-Christmas with Aunt Natalie and Uncle James and buy our first live tree.

December:  I sing in the Christmas program.  It is a big commitment of time, but such a personal blessing.  Singing just fills my heart and makes me plain, ol' happy.  We enjoy Alex's swanky (for us) company party (and grandparent-provided childcare!) and then the no-holds-barred, Oprah-would-be-proud, family Christmas in North Georgia.  I don't even take pictures, because a new-to-the-fold photographer captures it perfectly.  I manage to pull off a clean and decorated house for our MOPS party. Alex and I are able to attend a Christmas Eve service in my parents' town. We spend Christmas Day with my parents and the spoiling continues.  Sarah chews on her new baby carriage.  Jeremiah holds onto his Dinosaur Train car for dear life.  It is a good Christmas.

It was a good year.  God demonstrated his faithfulness in the seen and unseen.  I am trusting Him for big things in 2012, things that only He can do! 

Happy New Year!