2012 is almost over and it has been one exciting year for us and for everyone in our life. So many new and exciting things have come our way this year - hopefully I can remember them all! There is so much to be thankful for, yet still room for improvement, and this post will encompass both - so we can remember the old times...and remember what Seth and I have said that we will do to make our life together even better than it is now.
We plan on celebrating New Year's Eve the same way we have for the last few years - with our closest friends. This year will be interesting as there are a few new additions to the group (but more on those cuties in a bit). Although life has been hectic lately (with those cuties I just mentioned), we always make time to celebrate the end of the last year and the beginning of a new year with our friends (more like family) and we cherish those moments. I hope that this is a tradition that can continue in years to come!
So here's my recap of our wonderful, exciting, surprise-filled year:
On this day last year, we found out that our good friends, Ashley and Trevor, were expecting their first baby! It was a moment I will never forget as we were at mine and Seth's house celebrating the new year - Ashley and Trevor were the first close friends that had become pregnant, and it started a whirlwind of hoping, wishing, and dreaming for us (and I think our other close friends too) that likely led to where we are now (expecting a little one of our own!).
(of course I don't have any photos from that night, so just imagine - Ashley pulls out a bottle of sparkling juice, girly screaming ensues, and man-shoulder-punching commences)
Even though Seth and I got married in October of 2011, we took our honeymoon in February of 2012 to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - with our good friends, Erich and Michelle. It was a blast! Seth and I are not the type of couple to spend the entire vacation in our room, we like to DO stuff, and we are VERY different people, so most of time doing stuff includes a struggle, as we don't want to do the same things (I know, I know - how do you guys even make it work blah blah blah - but it does work, better than anything, and our differences are what make us better for one another). So to solve this little problem, we took our friends with us and had the best vacation ever! While I love laying by the pool, sun-bathing and Seth would rather play in the pool or try his hand at beach volleyball, we now had a solution - personalized friends that could do our chosen activities with us (Michelle and I vegging out and drinking and the boys frolicking around the grounds, meeting new people, playing games and well, drinking).
One of the best days was when Michelle and I got a couples' massage (on the beach - it was glorious) while the boys drove a dune buggy through the mountain villages. Although we spent a bit of time apart on our honeymoon, we also spent a lot of time together - Seth's first vacation (yes, I know!) was hopefully a memorable one.
Our vacation not only brought us a bit of sunshine during the cold month of February, it also brought us another little ray of sunshine - Michelle and Erich's exciting news - they were expecting a baby too (conceived on OUR honeymoon, funnily enough)! So many exciting things happening - and only in the first 3 months of the year! I remember when Michelle found out they were expecting too - it was St. Patrick's day and again, we were out with our closest friends - Ashley and Trevor and Erich and Michelle - and Michelle had mentioned that she wasn't really sure, but that her period might be late. Of course Ashley (the ever-prepared) had a lifetime supply of pregnancy tests left over and handed a bunch to Michelle...who called us in the morning with her exciting news! From what I hear, Ashley was screaming and excited at 7 in the morning. I, on the otherhand, was not expecting a 7 am phone call (and I wasn't really expecting Michelle to be pregnant) so my reaction was probably a little less than excited - if you call me at 7 am, I automatically assume there is a problem. But I WAS excited, even though my 7 am self did not seem so.
Earlier that same month, our friend Jackie and her fiance, Matt welcomed their first child into the world - Cameron! I was lucky enough to meet him when he was just 5 days old - and oh my is he a cutie! He will surely be a heartbreaker in a few years!
(Practicing being a mommy with my best girls - oddly enough, I don't have a photo of Jackie holding her own child...awkward)
Seth graduated with his Bachelor's degree in elementary education in the Spring - I am so proud of him! I don't have any photos of him walking because he would rather work (yes, I married a work-a-holic) - but believe me you - when he gets his Master's degree, he WILL be walking across that stage proudly. He is now (and has been) a substitute teacher at an elementary school that he loves - and is building connections daily, so we are hoping for a job opportunity to show up within the next year (fingers crossed).
At the end of July, Seth and I went on a family camping trip with the Ash side, up to my uncle's cabin on Lake Huron - it's a lovely little town with a beautiful view of the lake. We spent a long weekend there just hanging out with my family, riding the motorcycle around town, and playing drinking games with my sister and her boyfriend.
And, of course, the week after drinking that entire bottle of delicious red moscato you see above, Seth and I got our own good news: WE ARE EXPECTING A BABY TOO!
We were both overwhelmed and ecstatic to find out that we would be holding our own little baby in April 2013! Right away, we started saving more money and preparing our small home to make room for baby. We couldn't be more excited to be parents - and to share the experience with our closest friends!
On September 11, Jack - Ashley and Trevor's son - was born! We went to visit them in the hospital and couldn't be more happy for their little family! Unfortunately, I haven't been able to visit with them as much as I would like - busy schedules just don't seem to sync up too well - but that is one of my resolutions - to see my friends more often!
Quickly following Jack's birth came Dylan - Rob and Kelly's son. Then Grace was born - Erich and Michelle's little girl - on November 21. We saw them in the hospital too and we were thrilled to welcome her into the world - the little Mexican vacation souvenir haha.
The week after Grace was born, Seth and I were in store for some more good news - my anatomy scan was coming up and we got to find out if our little baby was a boy or a girl!
And...
Much to my excitement (and Seth's guarded-excitement) we are expecting a little girl of our own! We couldn't be more excited, and since the hospital that my scan was at is directly across the street from Erich and Michelle's house, we went there first to visit and try our hands at being mommy and daddy to a girl.
Needless to say, we cannot wait to welcome Avery Rozz Stern into the world - she is already so loved that we cannot even imagine what it will be like when she is finally here to share our life with us. Her nursery is painted and she has a rocking start to her wardrobe, but there is still so much work to do.
And this is where our new year's resolutions come in...
We would like to well, finish our daughter's nursery. Preferably BEFORE she arrives.
Organize our home to better accomodate our new life with baby.
Get rid of/donate as much as possible - we have a tendency to hang on to unneeded items for far too long.
Start updating our own wardrobes to include less "stuff" - have less things by buying better quality items that will last longer.
Eat healthier.
Start walking and working out more often (hopefully on my maternity leave).
Do more things together - we need to get out more.
Spend more quality time together.
Keep the house cleaned and organized.
I'm sure there are many more things that we need to start doing - I just can't think of them right now. But, in proper wannabe fashion, I will most likely come up with 9,000,000,000 other things that I would like to do in 2013 (more crafty things, make more home cooked meals, bake more, make my own laundry detergent - see, I've already come up with some!).
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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