2011 Recap

I can't believe another year has come and gone! I always heard "the older you get the faster time goes by" and I have found that to be true.

We had a wonderful Christmas and just enjoyed being with family. Christmas Eve was spent with Eric's family. This year we were blessed with a precious addition, Audrey Ruth! She is definitely the center of attention when we get together because she is just so sweet! After presents were opened the whole family started playing "Just Dance 3". It was sooooo much fun and we laughed so hard!

Christmas morning the kids woke us up at 3:45 but went back to bed until 4:45, UGH!!! They were so excited to see what Santa had brought them. This year Santa tried to scale back!! Caleb's big gift was an XBOX Kinect and Emily's big gift was a REAL baby stroller with carseat. ;)  They were both very excited and happy with all of their gifts.

After all the presents under the tree were opened we brought out our "family gift".  Wrapped in a box was a Mickey Mouse balloon and a note that read.....
SURPRISE we are going to DISNEY WORLD AND WE ARE FLYING ON AN AIRPLANE!!! Caleb almost passed out and Emily didn't really get it at first. Emily was hoping for a dog even though we had been telling her we were NOT getting one. To say they are excited is a HUGE understatement!! We leave in 7 days. My parents are going with us too! We are staying at Port Orleans French Quarter inside Disney so we are looking forward to that as well! We will be there for 6 nights.....

Unfortunately Eric had to work over Christmas for the first time in quite a few years. The kids and I went to church at 1pm and it was the sweetest service. The pastor ended the service by asking for testimonies(tears) and then his four precious kids(ages 7,5,3, and 1) sang "Happy Birthday Jesus"(tears again).

Eric was off the week before Christmas with the kids. I was off the week after Christmas so the kids and I just hung out and had fun while poor Daddy worked.

We finally headed to NC on Dec 29th for our NC Christmas. The kids had a blast with all of their gifts and spending time with their cousins. On Saturday it was so nice and warm that the whole family was outside all day!! It was wonderful! We also got to spend some time with my 87 year old grandparents who are not in the best of health. It was really bittersweet because I kept thinking that they may not be around next year. None of us are guaranteed another day but when people get older and are in bad health it makes you think about things you don't like to think about! I couldn't ask for better grandparents, they are precious and love unconditionally!

Our New Year's Day was spent going to church with my parents, eating at Porkies (one of our favorite places in China Grove) and then heading back to VA.

Looking forward to 2012 and the blessings I know it will bring.