2011: A Good Year for the Roses

It's hard to believe another year has come and gone, and yet, there it went. So here is my year in review.

January is always a slow month. It was cold and snowy. So we sledded some. And we did our usual work and school thing. And C-man got his very first passport that we unfortunately didn't use. Maybe 2012.

February brought us a Packers Superbowl win. Beerman was fortunate enough to go to the game and have a seat to see it all live.

 I went to Orlando on a work trip and saw Hogwarts.

March brought us a 6 year old. How time does fly. We had a party at a bowling alley and as a result, I ended up with  PhD in Lego assembly.

March also took us to the lake one cold night to see the super moon that was more average than super. But we did meet our friends on the way down, and then met some people by a bonfire, which made it all a worthwile adventure.

In April, we flew to New Mexico for Easter break. We hiked through the Rio Grande Gorge with our very own llamas, Zeus and Apollo, and camped out overnight. I was blessed with an early birthday gift to go up in a hot air balloon over Taos, thereby checking off another bucket list item.

May was eventful as always. I turned 35 and celebrated Mothers Day with my favorite kid. And Beerman and I happily celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary together. Unfortunately, I was in the midst of shingles, so May wasn't as good as it usually is.

But then C-man started his first year in Little League as a Yankee, setting us up for a fun season of bench sitting and friend making.

As K5 finished up, June brought us some summertime fun. C-man started a new summer camp he loved, played more baseball games, and his very first lost tooth.

It also took me to Las Vegas for a week for work.

July meant more summer fun. At C-man's insistence, this meant going to Summerfest.

It also meant learning to hula hoop.

And, of course, playing more baseball; playoffs this time.

August took Beerman and me east to Japan for 2 weeks while C-man spent the time at Grandma and Grandpa's. It was an amazing, insightful, incredibly hot and muggy, bullet train riding, unforgettable trip.

Once we were back, C-man and I celebrated the last week of summer before school by taking his first train ride to Chicago. He also checked off his first cab ride, water taxi ride, and visit to the Chicago Field Museum.

Later in the month, he headed back to school; as a first grader this time. (And missing a second tooth.)

September brought the family together to celebrate Grandma Lou's 80th.

October moved us into flag football season.

It also brought us a Cub Scout.

 And a ninja for Halloween.

November meant we chaired the school rummage sale, (For the last time ever) making $14,000 for the school.

And we jingled around the zoo for the Jingle Bell Walk benefiting the Arthritis Foundation.

December brought more family time, as it tends to do. It started with hosting Christmas at our house.

and then celebrating Beerman's 40th on Sanibel Island,

and then celebrating Christmas for real,

and finally by celebrating Christmas with Beerman's family.

In addition to all that, I've started and stopped more medications than I care to think about. I've read books, watched movies, and burned through a couple of TV series. I've assembled Lego sets, taken photos, and gone for walks. I've rubbed my dog's belly more times than I can count, hugged my kid until he thought he'd burst and not kissed my husband enough. I've mowed the lawn and cheered for the Brewers. I've shoveled snow and cheered for the Packers. There were parts I'll remember forever and parts I have already forgotten. But every part of it included my family. And this year, it also included quite a few new friends. And to me, that's what makes it the most memorable of all.

Happy New Year to you and yours. And here's to a super 2012.