I know it's cliche, but I truly enjoy a good ol' fashioned year-in-review post.  I like looking at other people's, and I like doing them as well, because our memories get a little foggy sometimes, and seeing the year's highlights all strung together can just jolt us back in time to those wonderful experiences, and make us grateful for them all over again. It helps remind us of all we have been blessed with, and prevents us from forgetting what a truly rich and full year 2012 was. 

Also, looking back helps us move forward.  

  So without further ado, I give you the year 2012 in review.


January

1.  Our 2nd babymoon to California. Randy planned the whole thing, and we had a wonderful time sight seeing, shopping, and just feeling like a young newlywed couple again.  I HIGHLY recommend babymoons, before each and every baby if possible!

 
 2.  The annual Sunday school retreat, which is always such a refreshing time of fellowship and connection with our church family.  It was a lovely time.


February

1. Rain, rain, and more rain.

2.That month was a little dark for me.  It was a combination of winter-weariness and some specific struggles I was (and still am) facing.  Thankfully, God doesn't leave us where we are, and as He did back then, and still continues to do, He picked me up out of the pit.


March

1. We found out Smucker baby #2 was going to be a girl! I daydreamed often about sisters and the bond that they would share.  I couldn't wait to meet her.

April
 
 1. Randy headed up a 3-on-3 basketball tournament fundraiser for Gospel Echoes that turned out to be such a success. He did a wonderful job.  

2. Randy turned 28 on Easter Sunday.

3. We celebrated our third anniversary with our first ever "Stay-cation" and it was such a great idea! We may have to try that again sometime.

May

1.  I threw a tea party for fellow preggos.


2. We prepared for baby sister's arrival with one last photo shoot of mama and Big Sis.

June

  1. I went a week overdue and planned lots of activities to keep me distracted.....strawberry picking, grocery shopping and baseball games, and other fun times with friends and family. It was a week well spent.







3. My other baby turned 1 1/2.  Time was FLYING.


July

1. Day by day we learned a little bit more about life with 2 under 2.  It was hard.  2012 contained some of the hardest months of my life.  But we made it.  And we are all the better for it.

2. Byran and Amy were out to visit and we all went to the coast one day.
August

1. We traveled to Iowa to visit family, and also for the wedding of my dear friend Janene.   I was honored and privileged to be a bridesmaid, and Jocelyn was just the cutest little flower girl that there ever was.  It was a wonderful time and I treasure those memories.


2. Randy had a Saturday off and we enjoyed a beautiful day at the coast with friends.

September

1. We enjoyed Heritage Days at church.

2. Lots and lots of canning.  Corn, applesauce, salsa, peaches, pears and tomato soup.
October

1. We tackled potty training.

2. We enjoyed having Randy's cousin Amanda and her husband Aaron out to visit.



 3. We made apple cider with friends.

November

1. We threw the football party of the year.



2.  We said yes to serving as youth sponsors and Randy is also the youth Sunday school teacher.

December

1. Little Miss turned 2 whopping years old! We celebrated by taking in the Christmas storybook land in Albany, and then meeting back at our house for dinner.












She loved all of her presents, but especially dear was this fancy dress, and a matching one for her baby doll! (seen below)
(Yes that is an outdoor Christmas tree you see in the picture above.  I couldn't help myself.  Two Christmas trees in 2012, who knows how many next year!:)
2. We were honored to have Mom and Shawn both come visit for about 10 days.  They helped us soooo much!  One of the reasons it was so nice having Mom around was to help with babysitting while I was busy with the church Christmas pageant. 


3.  I was privileged to be a part of our church's annual Christmas pageant, and it was such an enriching experience.


5. Jocelyn got a Bitty Baby for Christmas from her grandparents.  Lucky little girlie!



And their Aunt Jessi made them these DARLING jammies.  I can hardly bring myself to wash them, I just want them to last forever!

   Anyway, there is oh, so much more, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to wrap it up and leave it at that, or I will never get to bed.  Such a wonderful, packed-to-the-gills year.  Hopefully I am able to 'simplify' this year and slow down and enjoy the little things a little bit more.  My babies, for one.  They are just morphing into mini adults before my very eyes (as all children do) and it's shockingly awful how many days I am just "surviving" instead of soaking it all in.  Hopefully 2013 will be a year of a bit more soaking.

Goodnight, one and all.