Year in Review

Dear, sweet kiddos. 2011 was our first full year of being a family of four. So many milestones. So many memories. So much fun. Let's try to do a bit of reviewing:

January 2011

Millie turned 2 months old. Mama went back to work and Asher began spending one morning a week at Miss Christy's. Asher, you loved spending time at Miss Christy's (and still do), especially with your special friend Penelope being there. You created your very first drawing one morning while there. It melted our hearts.

February

February was filled with lots of indoor activites, such as cuddling, snuggling, and cuddling some more...

March

March tends to be the month when we start to get a hope of spring, but end up with rain and snow. And some more snow. In light of that, we scored a family pass to Imagination Station though Groupon. The pictures speak for themselves.

April

We put our house up on the market. For the third time. As happy as we were to welcome you into our home Sissy, things were getting a little cramped, especially in the bedroom that housed 3 of the 4 of us. April was also the month that the two of you debuted your own line of greeting cards...

May

"Watch Papa ball". That was your quote of the summer once Papa began his softball league, Asher. What a loyal little fan you were, buddy. And Sissy, you turned 6 months in May. We introduced you to oatmeal and you appeared to like it quite well.

June

June was a big month for us kiddos. The same day as Aunt Lucy's shower, I got a call that we were going to receive an offer on our house. Praise God! This is what we had been waiting for! Sure enough, a few days later we got the offer, accepted it, and the house hunting began. A week after that, we made an offer on what is now our new house and the rest is history. We had 1 month to pack. Not to mention all the other red tape and craziness that comes with buying, selling and moving! Nevertheless, we managed to squeeze in plenty of time outside. Especially in the pool!

July

Hot. Humid. Hot and humid. We had family portraits taken on July 3rd in the thick July heat. And then we moved on another thick, sultry day at the end of the month. Thanks to a group of 20-some amazing friends, we got the job done in record time. Asher, you were a great sport spending a lot of time at friends' houses while Mama packed during Sissy's nap times. You even spent your first weekend away from us at Nana's. Of course you loved it! Never looked back. Although all you wanted to eat was cereal and milk when you came back. Ahhh... the un-doing of grandma's house...

August

Unpacking and playing around at the new house, camping and a 2nd birthday day for Mister Asher. That about sums up August.

September

Uncle Joe and Aunt Lucy got married on Labor Day weekend. It was truly a family affair as each one of us was in the wedding! Then, on Labor Day, we attended a block party in the new neighborhood. At the end of the month, Papa turned 34.

October

The newly weds (Uncle Joe and Aunt Lucy) came to visit us for some fall fun. At the end of the month Asher strutted a hand-me-down tiger costume and Millie looked precious in a baby giraffe costume while we handed out pretzels and candy to Trick-or-Treaters. Asher, you even got in on the fun yourself imploring one neighbor, after giving you one handful of goodies, to give you the other handful. "Other one" with a resolute stare sent their porch howling with laughter. However, you couldn't have cared less about actually eating the candy, which made Mama and Papa happy. We just handed most of it back out anyway :)

November

November was full of milestones. Millie turned 1, Mama turned 30, and Asher got his first haircut. Another big event was BG's holiday parade. Ever since we went to BGSU's Homecoming parade, you have talked and asked about parades quite often, quite randomly, our dear Asher. For the holiday parade, Asher rode on Papa's back while Millie snuggled in Mama's jacket. Asher, you are enamored with marching bands, so you throughly enjoyed the parade, to say the least.

December

We had a great time opening up our home for some larger gatherings this month. We started off with an International Potluck and just before Christmas about 70 friends, neighbors and co-workers came through for our Winter Solstice party. What fun and all the glory to God who has provided us with this wonderful home and the means to open its doors to others. We also did a lot of talking about Baby Jesus. With all the excitement about Christmas coming from all directions, we want you guys, Asher and Amelia, to rejoice and celebrate in Emmanuel. God with us. Our celebrations began with a trip to Cleveland for an early Christmas with Nana, Bill, Joe, Lucy, Kristen and Brian. On Christmas Eve we went to Brookside's gathering in Prout Chapel and then drove around and looked at Christmas lights. It was past your bedtimes, and I don't think you could see out the window Millie, but you both hung in there. Toward the end of our drive Asher babbled something like, "Mmmm Hmm Mmmm Nimmm Critmas lights Mmmm Hmmmm Nimm Hmmm lights...". A dual combination of excitement and exhaustion. For Christmas dinner we went to Great Grandma and Grandpa Dailey's in Van Wert, then continued south to Grandpa Tom and Grandma Debbie's in Columbus later that night. We spent a few days in Coloumbus, ending our time at COSI. And we have one more Christmas to celebrate when Grandpa Dietz and Grandma Judy come here! :)

Swords in your stockings outside your bedroom

doors on Christmas morning

Fun for everyone at COSI!

With so much water fun around, sometimes

its just best to go shirtless.

Hey, if I were a 2 year-old boy, I'd do it.

Asher and Ameila-

We look forward to each new day we get to spend with you. It is the most amazing thing to watch you transform before our eyes and we thank the Lord that He has placed each of you in our care. May you grow to know him and understand his great love for you, and love others the way he has shown us. God has crafted a beautiful plan for your lives, and we are immeasurably blessed to watch and help guide those plans with each passing year. Here's to two thousand and twelve. We love you more than you can know.

-Mama and Papa