Goodbye 2011!

2011 was a great year for our family, but more than anything, it was the year without any major changes!! It felt good. (OK, Jason was promoted to VP and I was promoted to Manager, but I am not counting those as major changes since we stayed in the same jobs, just added responsibility)

I look back at our lives since we got engaged. Basically, Jason put the ring on my finger and we took off running:

*2005 - Engaged, graduated, moved to Kansas City, started a new job (also the year Jason and I got back together after a 1 year hiatus)

*2006 - Jason moved to Kansas City / started a new job, married, bought a house

*2007 - Sold our first house, moved to Cincinnati, adopted two doggies, Jason started a new job

*2008 - Sold our second house, moved back to Wisconsin, started new jobs

*2009 - Pregnant!! Bought our third house.

*2010 - Brody! A fun, but exhausting year...

*2011 - Time to breathe....

2011 really was the year of travel. I love vacations, big or small. I don't like to sit still, so getting out of town every chance we got, was really fun. We had big vacations (NYC & Punta Cana) and we had a ton of smaller vacations (Michigan, Indiana, Kansas, couple of Wisconsin getaways).

Without the big changes, 2011 was really a great year. It had it's ups and downs, but we really had fun and grew as a family this year. Taking Brody on a plane for the first time was probably the highlight of the year as well as an entire week with my husband and friends without children. While I love Brody to death, it's refreshing to spend a little time on ourselves.

I look forward to 2012 and everything that it will bring, hoping for an equally low-stress year.

But look at how far we've come...

Dec 2010

Summer 2011

December 2011

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Day

Today Santa will have brought Brody wonderful gifts placed underneath the tree. He will likely get bored from opening gifts and end up distracted by the ones he's already opened. Jason and I will exchange gifts (I really think he'll love what I bought him!!)...and we'll enjoy the not so quiet Christmas morning with a toddler.

Then our crew will come over. Our immediate family on my Dad's side consists of 7 children, 2 parents, 1 spouse, 1 boyfriend, 1 grandchild...and that's how we became the Brady Bunch...

It will be noisy, it will be fun, and we'll love every minute of it. Again, Brody will be a spoiled little man, as he loves it when all of his aunts come over.

Brody's GG (Great-Grandma) & Great Aunt Molly will join us later in the morning before we do nap-time and head over to my step-mom's parents house. The rest of the day hasn't been decided yet, but there will definitely be a Packer Game and quiet time. With all fingers crossed that Brody is in bed by kick-off.

At the end of it all, we'll be exhausted, but I'll wonder how it came and went so fast.

I love the holidays.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Today we will head to my Nana's house to open gifts, eat food, drink wine and love. Brody will be super spoiled and I will un-successfully try to keep him on a normal food/sleep schedule.

Then we will head to church with Jason's family. Likely, Brody will not have napped, but he will love the attention he will get from his cousins at church. Afterwards we'll head back to my in-laws house for food, gifts and family. Again, Brody will be spoiled with love and attention and enjoy every minute of it.

We may or may not get him to bed on time. Such is life with a toddler at the holidays.

But all in all, it will be fun, we will be with those we love and we will enjoy every minute of our toddler's Christmas.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

It's the holiday season!

I LOVE Christmastime. I love it even more now that I have a little guy to share it with. Last year was fun as his first Christmas, and he was able to do a lot since he was almost 1 at that point. However, this year, I know he'll enjoy it a lot more and he understands a lot more.

We've been reading him the Christmas Story in his bible for awhile. But one of my proudest moments as a Mom (so far) was when my sister told me that Brody pointed out Jesus when they went to look at Christmas lights. It was one of those moments where you realize that what you teach them and tell them really sinks in! (He also calls the bible his Jesus-book...too cute)

Since we were on vacation for a week in December, it put me a bit behind on the Christmas spirit (though my shopping was basically done Thanksgiving weekend...woohoo!) So as soon as we got home, I kicked in the Christmas mode...

First up? Decorating Christmas cookies! A friend of ours bakes cookies with her 2 year old, and I've never really done that with Brody. So I though sugar cookies would be a perfect start.

He did a pretty good job putting on the icing...

Then he soon realized he could eat what he was decorating with and started licking the side of the sprinkles container (since frosting was all over it). He did a pretty good job though and loved eating his artwork!Next up? Santa Claus! Now, as I mentioned before, I was already behind on Christmas stuff...which included prepping Brody for the big Santa Claus visit. He freaked out last year...
So I probably should have been talking to him about it for at least a week ahead of time to get him excited. Instead, I really only gave him 1 days notice. He was so freaked out by Santa that I couldn't even attempt to put him on his lap. I've never seen him so scared in his life, so it wasn't worth making it worse. Get me outta here!!!

Daddy, help me!!

It went quick and then we were able to take some pictures of him in his cute outfit. Oh well, hopefully next year will be better!

Week Away

Jay & I spent last week in paradise. Also known as Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. We left the little guy at home (heart-breaking), but he obviously was in good hands. Plus there was plenty of skyping to satisfy my need to see my baby.


The trip was perfect and just what we needed. Time alone, fun with friends, a week without a clock (seriously, I didn't know what time it was most of the days) and lots of sunshine.

Picture taken by Photo Souvenir

30 Seconds with my Toddler

"Shoes" as I put on his shoes

"Moon!" pointing to the Nike symbol on his shoes

"No Brody, that is a swoosh - can you say swoosh?"

"No! Moon!"

"Swoosh"

"No!" OK - that argument was pointless.

"Shoes on....socks on"

"Airplane" points outside

"Mama gloves" points to my gloves

"Dada gloves" no gloves to be seen

"Dada working"

"Yes Brody, Dada went to work, are we going to go to school?"

"Doggies! Doggies barking!"

"Milk cold"

"Yes, your milk IS cold, let's go to school now"

Lather.Rinse.Repeat.