2012: embracing change and putting down roots

Change has been the theme of our new year's for the past 3 years. In 2010, we said goodbye to our beloved Leland home and moved to the country.

That was a big change.
And then in 2011, we started preparing for our next move. This time back to town and in a rental.

We thought change may come since we were renting and it indeed did again in 2012.

In May we moved into our new home. It's a new year and I feel so thrilled and so fortunate that 2013 will not be marked by a big move. For the first time since our move in 2010, our year will be marked not by upheaval, but rather by laying down roots.

A look back at our 2012: January

Celebrating Oma's Birthday

 

{Our late Christmas together}

{Patrick's birthday, 32!}

February

Valentine's Day breakfast

Matching smiles

March

Warm enough for basketball outside with friends. Henry and Charlie.

Catching toads in the Gator.

April

A special tour of the fire station in Rockford from a firefighter herself. The boys got to ride on this ladder truck with Becky!

Easter and a backyard egg hunt.

A job interview for this mama.

The start of baseball season. Henry and Oma.

 

Destin. Our very favorite white sand beaches.

May

Moving Day! Our new Home sweet Home.

Love the dollhouse scallop trim.

Summer lunch picnic under the big maple tree.

June

Lots of baseball. Patrick coached William's team this year, and he absolutely loved it.

My boys finally have proper beds! Patrick found these on Craigslist and we spray painted them gray.

Patrick hung a swing from our giant tree. It's what I imagined when I first saw the house. Laying in bed that night I whispered my dream of a tree swing to him and am so happy to have it!

Henry playing catcher for the first time. Once he had his gear on, his coach asked him if he was ready, he replied, "yes, but I can't see." He loved his baseball team too. It was comprised mostly of friends from our small group.

The circus with Oma. This was very special for the boys and a nice treat for all of us after moving the weekend before.

Lots of lazy days and fort building.

 July

Baseball game. Getting extra close to the field!

Henry's 7th Birthday! Happy Birthday Henry!

Cousins sleepover! I treasure these times together.

A special visit from Erica and Ben! I'm so thankful they were able to come. We loved every minute of Gator driving, pool going, i-phone talking, and spy playing!

10 year anniversary weekend in Chicago with Patrick. Ten years, oh my!

Free summer bowling with the boys. We will definitely sign up for this again next summer. Some days it was just too hot to be outside!

 August

Enjoying the last bits of summer vacation.

The county fair.

A neighborhood pool with a high dive. Henry was in love.

Our new puppy, Howard came to live with us. We are so thrilled to have him. For better or for worse, he's family now :)

Henry's first day of school, first grade.

Pictures with this handsome 7-year old boy.

 September

Enjoying every last bit of daylight, blowing bubbles and playing with his puppy while Henry is at flag football practice.

Lazy afternoon under the shady oak tree.

William's first day of preschool. I'm proud of this brave boy and he sure loves school this year!

Starved Rock with our cousins.

Backyard football games with the neighbor boys. We are in a neighborhood full of children. Lucky and blessed!

William and great grandpa Hogan

Henry's flag football team. The Ironmen.

October

A Cousins Weekend with Oma. They loved their time together, away and we enjoyed time for projects and painting around our house.

Backyard flag football.

Henry in his team jersey. #12

Halloween. A karate man with a thor mask and sword and a red ninja (and a photo bombing skeleton neighbor).

William turns 5. FIVE! We celebrated with a backyard camp-out party with his best friends.

Happy Birthday William!

Destin with Dad and Sandi and Erica and Ben. Ben and William as a giant merman!

 
November

 Celebrating William's birthday with family.

Family picture day!

Thanksgiving at Dan and Sara's. It was a lovely holiday, family and food and warmth and togetherness. I loved it all.

Getting our Christmas tree. Yay!

 December

The coziest of mornings by the light of the tree.

We ran into Santa at the zoo. Perfect for this mom who never has her stuff together to see mall Santa.

Christmas morning and matching pjs.

Christmas lights tour in a party bus with our small group and kids in their pajamas. To them it was magical. To me, it was blurry and a bit motion sickness inducing.

Our first big snowfall, big enough to make a giant snowball.

New Year's Eve - 2012. Welcome 2013!

 One of my resolutions for 2013 is to document. I hope to be better at writing

 here and keeping track of memories and the pictures I have to go with them. 2012 was a year of change for our family in an outward sense; another move, another house, a different neighborhood. But also for me in an inward way. I am not the same person I was when I rung in 2012 last January in many ways. God is changing my heart and I hope I will say the same next year, too.