A Look Back at 2011

As we head into the new year and welcome all that 2012 has to bring, it never hurts to look back and reflect on where we came from! Remembering the past year stirs up so many different emotions and even though I’m slightly nostalgic for what was, I cannot wait for what’s to come. Each day brings with it the promise of something new and exciting, challenges and trials to overcome, and the wonderful memories we will make along the way. Here is a collection of my favorite posts and events from 2011. I pray this year brings us all peace, health, and happiness and the time to reflect on all our many blessings!

January 2011- We celebrated New Years at the farm, we survived Snowmageddon and enjoyed the six inches of snow for a few days, Carter and I took thousands of pictures with my new camera, The Baby Brigade went out to lunch together for the very first time, we had lots of play dates with our buddies including our very first meet up with the twins, we helped Bill celebrate his 40th birthday with a disco themed shindig, Linc and I played lots of tennis and we enjoyed Carter’s tenth month to the fullest!

February 2011- designed, printed, and mailed C’s first birthday invitations, Carter finally started sleeping through the night, Trent was the first of the Baby Brigaders to turn one and we attended his Sesame Street birthday, we met up with high school friend Kari Beth who I hadn’t seen in nine years and celebrated sweet Lila’s cowgirl themed first birthday,I began my Sunday Silence posts, the twins had their first birthday at Gymboree, we went to the park a lot including spending Valentine’s Day there with Shari and Spencer, we took a road trip with our buddies to celebrate Macey’s first birthday in Newnan, Carter got his first year molars and practiced lots of new tricks!

March 2011- Baby Spencer turned one, We celebrated Carter’s first birthday with our closest friends and family, I wrote my favorite post of 2011, we hosted Kristin’s baby shower at St. Ives, C tipped the scales at his one year well visit, we attended birthday parties for Madeleine, Nicholas, and Dylan, I got really into Mod Podging, I did some major landscaping of the front yard and prepared for spring.

April 2011- we spent a rainy week in Isle of Palms, Candace and baby Griffin came to visit, we visited the Charleston Children’s Museum, The Baby Brigade turned one year old and we had an awesome party and photo shoot, Baby Isabella had her first birthday party, Carter started walking for real, Candace and Griffin came to visit again, we reconnected with Katie and Baby Bennett and welcomed them to playgroup with open arms, our little family spent Easter weekend at the lake, Baby Grace turned two, and C and I spent lot of time at the park enjoying the beautiful spring weather.

May 2011- We started the month celebrating Linc and Hattie’s birthday, I wrote an ode to Carter’s beautiful baby curls, C got his first haircut at a real barber shop at 14 months old, we posed for family photos at Vickery, we celebrated Mother’s Day by driving down to Orlando and welcoming baby Nathan to the world, Kristin turned 30, we played in the splash pool with Miles and Kerri, we made a new friend in Anita and Evan but then said goodbye to friends Sara and Mads as they moved to the UK.

June 2011- Linc and I toasted our fifth year of marriage, we met bloggy friends Heidi and Gianna in real life, we went strawberry picking at Warbington Farms, we had some family fun time at the pool, the BB Mommies got out for a yummy meal and the second round of pregnancy announcements began, C had his fifteen month well visit and started Music Pups, we visited K &N in Florida, our world was rocked when mom was rushed to the ER for emergency surgery to remove a tumor from her abdomen and she had to stay for a week to recover. It was a horrible shock to all of us and unfortunately just the beginning of a long line of treatment to rid her body of this terrible disease.

July 2011- I guest posted and hosted my very first giveaway, Fourth of July was rainy but we still had fun at the Club with all of our family, I started taking my photography habit a little more serious, Blue Mammoth took a company retreat to the mountains for a weekend away, I began training for my first triathlon with 5am wake up calls every single day, the BB kicked off summer with an awesome BBQ, and we attended Megan Harvey’s wedding.

August 2011- continued pursuing my photography habit and practiced on lots of families, got my first paying client, had a pool party with the Harveys, C turned seventeen months old and got the hang of painting with a paint brush, we enjoyed hosting our Friday Friends for play time and got to hang out with high school friend Greer and daughter Sloan,we had lots of indoor play dates trying to beat the heat, our good friends and old roommates Jack and Laura came to visit and stayed for the weekend.

September 2011- C turned eighteen months old at the lake, we celebrated Labor Day by taking C on his first tube ride, I competed in my first Triathlon on 9/11/11 and had the time of my life, we had fun at the splash pad, Candace and G had another slumber party at our house, the entire BB went to the zoo! Linc and I also took our very first overnight trip to Vegas for the iHeart Radio Music Festival!

October 2011- Uncle Shuck’s Corn Maze was a big hit, Carter and I took a road trip to Savannah for Baby Gs’s first birthday and we finally got to meet blog buddy Tam and her son Owen in person, on our drive home we stopped at the farm to visit with Bella and Bo-Bo, The Baby Brigade hosted a “sprinkle” for our mommies to be and I got to announce that my bestie is expecting twins, our little group took a fieldtrip to Kinsey Family Farm to pick out pumpkins and see the petting zoo, mom flew Carter and I down to Orlando to visit with K & N, the BB had a huge Halloween party at the Gordon’s house, new friends Vivie and Nichole hosted our little Friday group for a costume party, Linc and I went with the Woomers to Chuk’s Halloween extravaganza and met up with Alice (who I hadn’t seen since high school) and her husband Joe, and Carter went as a spider for his second year of trick or treating!

November 2011- started the month with my favorite Shutterfly giveaway, we had a great time going for a nature walk with the Bignons, I fell in love with fall photography and took nearly 3000 pictures, Baby Bennett turned one and we had an awesome time at his Masters themed party, Carter and I hung out with the twins on a beautiful afternoon, a few of the mommies got out to paint pottery and relax, Krissy and I took the boys to Sawnee Mountain Preserve, our little family traveled to the farm and the Hilton Head to celebrate Thanksgiving with our families, Candace and G drove over to HHI to hang out with us for the day, Kris and Linc prepared their first turkey, we snapped lots of pictures at the beach and crafted our hearts out all week long, and we rounded out the month by meeting Santa!

December 2011- the BB mommies enjoyed a night in with delicious food and hilarious conversation, the very last Baby Brigader (Kayden) turned one, I attended Gingerbread Puhlooza 2011 at the Reeders and cheered on all my friends, I sat in a Lamborghini for the first time, Krissy hosted the greatest ornament exchange including a fully plated dinner, we went to the Bignons again for cookie decorating and outdoor time, my camera got a workout this month by taking holiday pictures for lots of friends, little sister Alex hosted a house warming/cookie exchange at her new downtown condo, our little family hosted our big family for a pre-Christmas dinner, the Trottas loaded us up with delicious tortellini soup and a night of fun, the Gordons had us over for our second annual Chrismukkah celebration, we attended Christmas Eve service at Johns Creek UMC and C slept on my lap the whole time, we spent the night at my parent’s house and woke up to everyone celebrating Christmas together, our little family traveled to Barnesville to celebrate Christmas with the in laws, Linc and I spent New Years Eve at the Chick Fil A Bowl at the Georgia Dome and watched Auburn cream the UVA Cavaliers while C stayed behind with Bella and Bo-Bo. We kissed 2011 goodbye while driving down I-75 but still managed to share a glass of champagne with my in laws before heading to bed and waking up to a whole new year!