Christmas & 2011

We had a great Christmas and a very busy month...between starting back to teaching preschool the first week of December, Sam and his siblings, continual lack of sleep, Xmas programs, family Christmas parties, an anniversary getaway trip to Seattle, a couple of ski trips to Mission Ridge, and just the holidays in general, well, you now know why I didn't sit down to post anything on the blog last month!

2 wise men and a star at our church's spontaneous nativity program

Santa surprised us at preschool!

Sam turned 2 months

the big sister...she loves her baby brother but has spoken up a few times saying "what about me?" when I'm paying too much attention to the little guy

the boys on Christmas morning

Santa made Maddie this darling dress-up closet! She's loving her dress-ups and accessories

Sam is a good "combo" of all of his siblings but has started growing eyelashes like big brother Cade's :)

Jace is a great helper with Sam and is awesome about walking him around when he's fussy and I'm in the middle of dinner

As the chaos came to an end last month, I was able to reflect a bit on this past year. I'm usually more sentimental when it comes to bringing in a new year...but this year I was so glad to see 2012! Last year was a very big year for us. We were still settling into our new home and all of the projects that it brought, I was in my first year of running/teaching preschool, we had Maddie's 3rd heart surgery and with that brought several trips to Seattle between appointments, a cath and ultimately, her Fontan surgery in May. Oh, and we had a baby!!! I'm happy to say we made it through 2011...there were times when I didn't know if it would all work out but thankfully we were also shown a lot of kindness and support from our family, friends and community which I believe took so much of the load off. 2011 will be the year that I finally learned how to "let go"...

I've felt like the luckiest girl in the world lately...our daughter has overcome three major heart surgeries, six heart cath surgeries, and lives a very 'normal' life despite having a complicated heart. Four years ago, when we received her diagnosis, I never in a million years would have thought it would turn out this well. I can honestly say that our lives are not centered around her heart anymore...and what a great feeling that is. We are so grateful for her, our healthy boys and the joy they all bring to our lives. Thank you 2011, you surely blessed us, taught us, and you'll always be remembered as a monumental one.