I wanted to sum up this year in a short post...just a little recap...well there's no such thing. I could write a book...on just this one year gone by! It was packed full. Full of so many things....I couldn't decide if to recap each individual or just month-by-month...there's so much! And not that anyone will be really interested, so not for you, but for me, for us, I am going to dig into this past year and pick my favorite highlights...one snapshot at a time!
This year started with a 3 month old, 2 year old, and 4 year old...
And with lots of...
So lets take a look...
Grayson, my oldest, my first love, the first to ever call me "mommy" (actually it was "boomba" for a long time ;) ). He is strong willed, insightful, intellectual, and nothing short of amazing. Everything he does, he does with great determination. He desires to KNOW everything. Every. Thing. And as exhausting as it can be at times (and did I mention he is strong willed??), it is exactly what makes him wonderful. He is a boy of great faith. And a boy of great love. He is a leader and has continued to grow into a wonderful big brother! I see deep bonds and wonderful friendships developing more everyday!
For him this year has been busy busy!...
He played his first season of basketball and set to start another season in January! :)
He played in dirt...lots of dirt!
He saw monster trucks...like the real thing! He still talks about it! :)
Tried to catch a leprechaun...no luck, maybe this year! ;)
Soccer season complete!
Lots of super heroes in 2013!
Caught bugs...and frogs...and lots of bugs... ;)
Learned to ride a bike with no training wheels!!!
Graduated 4K! :) He learned so much and really developed a love for school!
He turned 5!!!! And we celebrated "Camp Grayson" style! :)
T-Ball! Which he says is his favorite sport! (Whoo hoo! We won't mention my secret excitement about this! ;) )
Lost his first tooth!! Big day! And last of the childhood firsts for my big kid!
Learned to tie his shoes! He learned to tie them separate as well as together! ;) And he was smart enough to quickly realize this wasn't a good idea!
Lots of wonderful school experiences! Including his very first day of Kindergarten!! Officially a school kid! :)
The year was full of magic! Wonderful magic! :)
He developed a love for archery, Legos, sports, Pete The Cat and reading!
Who knows where this coming year will take him or how it will change, but I know it will be amazing and he will continue to grow and develop into a wonderful young boy! :) If asked the most important things, Grayson would probably tell you to always love God, always ask questions, and always wear camo! ;)
And Ada...2013 for Ada, the princess of them all, was a growing up one! The transition from the toddlerhood of a two year old to the kid ways of a three year old! She is all things affectionate and sweet...sassy and persistent (boy is she persistent!)...she believes in princesses and fairy tales, love and chocolate! She is so much like her mommy...I am starting to see! She has her own sense of style and did I mention loves chocolate? Her compassion towards others will melt your heart so quickly! Girls are different from boys...this I learned very quick. And this girl is sweetly wonderful and challenging in her own little girl way!
Lots of princesses for Ada...she is relatively sure that she absolutely is one! Only problem is we are no where near royal and we certainly don't live in a castle! ;) but a girl can dream right?! ;)
Ada turned 3!! And that was celebrated with none other than milk and cookies! ;)
She went to her first "daddy daughter dance"...what a sweet day that was! They both enjoyed it very much! :) Many more to come, I am sure!
We were able to take her on a date to see Rapunzel on ice! She had a blast!!!
Did I mention she has her own style?? This is what Ada named the "hokie pokie frog"! ;)
She loves learning to write and loves to color! She wrote her name for the first time right after her third birthday! :)
Mud...they loved spending time in the mud this summer! And so I said "why not?!".
She loved being old enough to finally go to VBS and other things with her big brother! :)
She inspired Mommy to sew...A LOT! And she likes to help too!
She loved Summer!
In case you didn't know, there is magic in a tutu...princess magic! ;)
She began taking gymnastics! She has a very determined way about her in this sport and absolutely loves it!! She isn't shy at all...just gets out there and does her thing! And with that she earned her very first trophy! :)
First day of 3K! And she loves it! :)
Her request on one of our zoo trips..."I want to ride a unicorn!!!"...we couldn't find the unicorns, but we did find a pony! And when the lady taking her off the pony, called her a princess, she was totally convinced she really is one!
She wrote Cinderella and Rapunzel, and a few weeks later, she received royal mail back! It sits on display in her room! Mail from a real princess! She could hardly stand it! :)
Finally got her first hair trim! And she did great! And she has decided that she will let it grow long like Rapunzel's hair! :)
Several months before Halloween, she decided she wanted to be Cinderella...so that's just what she was! :)
She loves baby dolls! And Doc McStuffins has inspired her to take really good care of them! :) And dress up! Dress up is fun! :)
And magic...lots of magic! :)
I think for Ada, this year she would say, life is "a ball"...a royal one that is! And never go without chocolate...and Band-Aids! She loves Band-Aids! And music...there's always music, just listen! And dance! :) Oh, and persistence pays off...just ask her! ;) This year coming she will continue her transition into a big girl! She is so amazing and I can't wait to see!
Grady, our sweet baby boy! He is so lovable! Oh, how he melts us! He is content...doing whatever the other kids are doing. He is getting to the age where he looks up to them and wants to be like them. Take baths with them, eat at THEIR table (not a high chair), play their games and their toys! He is quickly leaving behind the baby and turning into a toddler boy! A toddler boy with a voice! He doesn't talk much...just a few words, but he watches...everything! And is eagerly trying to chase them down! His laughter is the best! The absolute best. laugh. ever! He is serious yet charming! ;) I can't wait to see how he blossoms this year!
If you "mustache"...he is the cutest little man around! ;) Hunk of love!!! So kissable! :)
First Easter! :) Peep!!
Special day...Grady was baptized at our home church by his one and only, most wonderful, Papa!
He celebrated his half birthday! How fast it went by!!!!
First opening day...he loved it, just ask! :)
First summer!! Southern style! ;)
We believe he is probably one of the two handsomest boys around! ;) To us, anyway! :)
Pancakes....LOTS of pancakes! :)
Walking happened this year!
Grady turned one!! And what better way to celebrate than a "Rookie of The Year" party?! :)
Enjoyed his first real Thanksgiving meal! :)
Magic...lots of magic! whether he knew it or not! ;)
It was a year of firsts for Grady. He grew and changed sooo rapidly, that it was hard to catch up or keep up! I look forward to seeing him continue on into toddlerhood and hearing his little voice as he finds it! I think if Grady had to sum up the year...he would probably say, just go with it! And eat...eat cookies and pancakes. Lots of them. And if the cookie doesn't have cream in the middle, don't bother. A cookie MUST have cream! ;) Oh, and laugh. Laugh from your belly...it's refreshing and good for you!
And for Mommy and Daddy...where do I start? We had to change a lot this year...adjust our sails a little, but we did...and we do, and we made it! Another year has come and gone and we are better for it! Some changes happen before we know it, before we are prepared for them. They catch us off guard, but they teach us. They always teach us something. We took family trips to the zoo, beach, family reunion in North Georgia, the children's museum, apple picking and finished the year off with a ride on the Polar Express! What fun!This coming year, will make half our life we have spent together! Half our life! We are quickly realizing age happens. Boy does it happen! And more than that, we are quickly realizing these are the best days of our life. Our little children will grow up, we will get old, and before we know it, these days of busyness, family trips, laundry, exceptionally messy house, and cleaning up after little people will be gone. So we soak it up! Between the occasional growl and furry of exhaustion, we soak it up! Tomorrow begins a new year...a story yet to write, but we are oh so thankful for the love, life, and fairy tale that has already been written! We may not always see the wonder, notice the love, or feel the happiness...not every. single. day, but the overall picture...the overall picture is what we remember! And I am so very thankful for these wonderful memories! For this wonderful life. For these beautiful children and this amazing man. It's true, "You never see the hard days in a photo album, but those are the ones that get you from one happy snap shot to the next"...I am thankful for the happy snapshots and the hard days that get us there! Couldn't ask for more! <3
And that's a wrap! ;) Until next year! Wishing you a very happy, love filled, faith filled year ahead! May 2014 be one to remember!
Maybe I will get brave and do the whole New Years Resolution thing in the next post...I am not usually big on those, but I did it last year...have it typed. Would be interesting to examine the successes and failures...maybe next time!....
Maybe I will get brave and do the whole New Years Resolution thing in the next post...I am not usually big on those, but I did it last year...have it typed. Would be interesting to examine the successes and failures...maybe next time!....
