A look back!

It's always fun at the end of the year to look back.  
  2011 was a good year.

We visited six states.

(Florida, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Illinois) 

We love to travel and have had so much fun visiting the beach, our friends and family, and exploring new places! 

Alex started school and I finished.

It's hard to believe Alex has already been in kindergarten for four months.  He has had such a great school year so far.  Alex's teacher is wonderful and we love her enthusiasm and commitment to her students.  We also love his school and have enjoyed getting involved.  Joe has been volunteering one afternoon a week in Alex's classroom since the beginning of school and his teacher and classmates really look forward to him coming each week.  He has also gone on field trips and helped out with many other school events.  All the teachers and staff know Joe by name and he is so popular with all the kids!!  Just as Alex is starting school, I finished!  I really enjoyed getting my Masters degree and have learned so much in the past two years.  I'm truly enjoying a bit of downtime now, though, and am looking forward to spending more time with my family, reading fiction books, and learning how to use my new photo editing software!!  You never know, though, I might be crazy enough to go back to school again someday!
 

Spanish is becoming a common language in our house.
Alex's school is a Spanish Immersion program, so 95% of his school day is in Spanish.  He is amazing and has picked up the language so quickly.  He and Joe have full conversations in Spanish and Alex's reading skills, in both English and Spanish, are incredible.  I'm so proud of him.  Joe and I are so excited for Alex to have this opportunity to become fluent in Spanish, just like his daddy!  

House Stuff.
Joe has been working hard on projects around the house all year.  He's done a bunch of painting, yard work, and remodeling the kitchen.  We hope that sometime soon we will be ready to rent our house out and buy a new home!  

A few more things.

We were so excited to add a new puppy to our family this year!  Jilly is such a sweet doggie and we absolutely love her!  She's got a playful and energetic side, but she also is a cuddler and loves to lay on the couch with us!  Alex really likes her too, but I think he has a little sibling rivalry, and can kiss her and pick on her all in the same moment.   We are also so excited for our new nephew/cousin to join us soon!  Bonnie and Tim are expecting their son to make his appearance sometime in January and we can't wait to meet him!  

I am constantly inspired by my husband's faithfulness to our family.  He takes such good care of us and always makes sure we have everything we need and more.  It's not always easy or glamorous, but I so appreciate all that he does for me and for Alex.  Speaking of Alex, I am so proud of him.  He's such a smart and sweet boy and I love his enthusiasm.  He gets excited about the little things in life and is generally so positive and courteous.  He loves sports, playing games, reading, and trying new things.  He loves to do just about anything with his daddy and grandparents, and he can't wait to hang out with Bon and Tim or for Steph to visit!  

 Our little family of three (four with the dog) has been so blessed.  Even though we have each had struggles this year, we have each other to lean on.  We also have wonderful friends and family which we are so grateful for as well.

So, now that we've looked at the year behind us.... we can now look ahead to more great adventures in 2012!  Happy New Year!