2012 was for the most part a great year. There were some bumps in the road. Some, unexpected bumps that I have still yet to talk about, but we got through them and the good outweighed the bad by far.

 

Drew graduated Pre-K early Spring. How can this be?! He is NOT supposed to be this old. No way. No how. Impossible.

 

He was so ready for Kindergarten!!

 

 

Right as I got off the train from Chicago, we headed out with the boys for vacation in Destin, Florida.

It was so peaceful and relaxing and I did not want to come home!! Keep me there forever!!

 

 

A few weeks later we took Drew to his second WWE Match. It was the 1000th episode of Raw, so it was a special night. Lots of older wrestlers that my husband used to watch showed up and Drew had an absolute blast! Who knew I would be such an awesome boy mom?!

 

 

 

August rolled around and it was time for Drew to head to the BIG school! He is now my Kindergarten child! :( He loves loves loves school! It was an emotional, crazy week for me. But I finally made it through!

 

 

 

 

 

I also had my 10 year High School Reunion this year. It was so nice to hang out with my old friends. It was just like old times. It was like we had not even been separated at all! Fabulous night!

 

I was disappointed in my outfit, so I dressed up as Giuliana one more time with my girls from work.

 

The boys celebrated their Halloween as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. They were the cutest little turtles out there!

 

 

I hosted my first Thanksgiving and rocked cooking the turkey. Best turkey I have eaten if I do say so myself. No kidding.

 

Justin and I also celebrated our 4 year anniversary!

 

We spent the last days of 2012 celebrating lots of Christmases! And I mean LOTS! It was a wonderful Christmas season!

 

Here's to 2013!!!

 

 

They make such great photo subjects.

 

 

 

Dylan has began a new obsession with diggers. He loves all things construction, mowing, and digging. So, I was not surprised that he was the one shoveling and digging in the snow.

 

 

While Dylan was digging, Drew was throwing! He wanted to have a snowball fight the WHOLE time we were outside.

 

I kept making rules:

 

"No throwing at the face!"

"Don't throw at my legs, it hurts!"

"Like really, I am going to have a bruise on my leg now!"

 

Okay, so I was being a baby according to my husband. But it was faaareeezzing outside!!

Plus, look at the size of this snowball??

 

 

 

Dylan eventually got into the whole snowball fight. This next picture is a great action shot of Drew throwing and Dylan falling in the background. Love it.

 

 

And what's playing in snow without a sled ride and some snow angels??

 

 

We tried to build a snowman but well, we really sucked at it. Plus Dylan just wanted to bulldoze the thing over anyways. Little rascal.

 

He was a little short for the snow, which is why he face planted right in it when he tried to run.

 

This is the face you get when that happens...

 

 

 

We enjoyed the snow while it lasted! It made for some beautiful scenery at the house! But it can go away any day now. I am ready for Spring and flowers and gardens and greenery, oh my!!!

 

 

 

 

Our Christmas was anything less than awesome!

 

Like I said before, holidays are just so much more fun once you have kids to share them with.

 

We do not really have to be anywhere Christmas Eve day. It's kinda sad actually. I wish we did. Justin stayed home with the boys while I ran into work for a few hours to do payroll. Go figure payroll would fall on Christmas Eve. Oh well, I don't have it too bad where I work. ;)

 

So, later that night we headed out to a Christmas Eve gathering with Justin's family that was completed with Santa and Mrs. Claus stopping by.

 

Drew loved them. Dylan...not so much. The face in the picture gives it away. Ya see, Dylan is a crazy crazy kid, but when he is in front of a bunch of people he gets kinda shy.

 

Later that night we were presented with crazy face objects. This following picture just cracks me up. Dylan looks like a sad little clown.

 

 

And the hubs and I got into the crazy spirit...

 

 

Once we got home the boys were so excited to set out the milk and cookies for Santa. I would like to say that we were just so awesome in baking fresh cookies for Santa, BUT, we just grabbed cookies from our cookie jar. Hope Santa enjoyed those Chip Ahoy's! Sorry Santa.

 

I also had every intention of getting monogrammed pajamas for the kids. I found the perfect red, green, and white striped jammies I have been looking for at Hannah Anderson. Oopsie. Mommy forgot to order them. Darn it. So we got Old Navy polar bears and footballs instead.

I am sure it only bothered me. 

 

 

Here are the little kiddos all snugged in their beds Christmas Eve night...

 

 

 

FINALLY! Christmas is here!! I woke up to the most annoying text from my Mother "Santa Came! Santa Came! Wake up! Wake up!" Ugh. She used to drive me bonkers Christmas morning running around the house in like the most chipper mood ever.  I immediately replied "Still just as annoying as if I was at home."

 

Anywho, my Dad and step-mom joined us Christmas morning which was a nice surprise. Drew was totally into opening presents. Dylan, however ,was not. He wanted to me to open every single present for him.

 

Before we left for Justin's parents Christmas I was cleaning up the house a bit and got the vacuum out of the closet. I forgot to close the door. Dylan ran right smack dab into the door, cut his eye, and screamed bloody murder. He immediately began to get a black eye. Just perfect. He's a trooper though. 4 days later, that shiner is still there and blacker than ever!

 

 

 

It was a nice little Christmas morning we had. I missed my family on Christmas, but I was lucky to get to spend the whole weekend before Christmas with them.

 

We went to Justin's parents for lunch and more presents. I tell ya, between my parents, Justin's parents, Santa, and ourselves our kids are spoiled rotten. They are very lucky kids.

 

Justin's dad makes these reindeer for all of us to put in our yards. Their house is filled with lots more reindeer than ours. Reindeer for each person in the family.

 

 

I am still working on trying to figure out my camera. I think I have it figured out, but the types of pictures I want to get, call for some expensive lenses. My kids and husband may be getting tired of me all up in their face with my camera, but look at the awesome pictures I get!