I decided this year to write a synopsis of our year, each year, as a way to look back at our time together, travels, and growth.
This was a year of great travel for us! We took a leap and did something outside of our box. We saw so many great places and spent time with so many wonderful people!
For Lu, it was a year of growing older, a year of dresses and dressing herself, of putting up with her little sister being in EVERYTHING she wanted to do (prior to this year, Bean was more just a baby and not such a bother). A year of learning new skills, like how to ride a bike, whistle, blow bubbles, and roller skate. This was the year she started school, and began reading! This was the year she watched Matilda for the first time (mistake) and loved to dance and dress-up, and do crafts. And when she'd get mad she grew from throwing monster fits, to writing notes that would read, "NO MOM! NO Dad! NO BEAN! NO NANA!" and taping them to her bedroom door so we'd be sure to know just how mad she really was. This was a year of swim lessons, making new friends at school, sleep-overs at Nana's house and first sleep-overs at friend's houses. Favorite Dinner- cheese burger hamburger helper. Best Friends- Mabel, Naomie, Tobin, Maddison. Favorite Movie- Anything with fairies. Bedtime- 8pm. What she wants to be when she grows up- a Mom.....and a doctor.
For Bean, this was the year she grew from a baby to a little kid! She learned to walk and talk! ...and talk ...and TALK! This was a year of hitting/pinching her sister when she didn't get what she wanted, or sometimes just cause she was bored. It was a year of diaper changes, ridding in hiking packs, lost shoes, paci's, and belly laughs. It was a year of getting sticky dirty while trying to keep up with Loralai. It was the year she learned to give kisses and now won't let anyone leave the house without a kiss and a hug! There were ALOT of smiles this year! This was the year she started sleeping in her own bed (kind of), and loved to sing along to silly songs in the car. It was a year of crawling into laps (even during dinner time), and sleeping on Daddy's shoulder when she got tired. We played ALOT of "babies" this year and "night-night time", and did a lot of scribbles with crayons, and chalk, and paint. It was a year of Mommy and Me Gymnastics and first sleep-overs with Nana and Elmo birthday parties. Favorite Dinner- Ham. Best Friends- Gram, Leo, Quay, Effie, Maddison. Favorite Movie- Barney! Bedtime- 8pm.
For Joe and I, we are more in love then ever! It was a year of personal growth for us both. Of making ourselves uncomfortable in an effort to change and see ourselves more clearly. We laughed a lot and amazed ourselves at the risks in travel that we took. We learned to lean on eachother more and communicate better. We had birthdays in the RV and rare date nights and bought a new mattress for the first time as a couple. This was the year we sold that raggedy ass investment property, YAHOO!!!! And I got bangs for the first time since I was 9 years old. The year Joe grew his first FULL beard. A year of friend making and potlucks and dinners.
It was a good damn year!
