2011 - The Highlight Reel

2011 was a great year for the Simpsons!

Let's take a look at the highlight reel, shall we?

In January Jack turned three and had a superhero party.

We also changed our breakfast room light from brothel to classy.

In February, Chris and I took a trip to Ikea in Atlanta and Ikea-fied our playroom.

In March, David turned seven.

That is still unbelievable to me, and now he's almost eight!

We also redid our hallway bookcase so it's more like a built in than a shoved in.

We also replaced the hall light with a fantastic light that used to hang in my great grandmother's house in New Jersey.

In April, Henry turned six.

Again, seriously?  Six?  Didn't I just bring him home from the hospital?

We had a joint birthday party for David and Henry.

Our first joint party ever, and probably not our last.

In May, we replaced our back door with a new one.

We also got two scary (at the time) diagnoses about David, and started seeing our amazing Ms. Dana, which was the start to a new way of life for him and really for all of us.  We've all come a long way since then.  In a good way.

We also painted some of the playroom, but I wasn't brave enough to paint the whole thing!  I'm really glad I didn't, because I love it with just one wall done.

I also made a chalkboard out of a hideous Goodwill painting.

In June, we added a screen door to the back door.

We planted some flowers, and prettied up the patio a bit.

We also replaced the glass in our front door from a so-not-my-style-stained-glass to a simple piece of clear glass.

We also announced that we were starting the process of adopting a little girl!  

In July, my obsession with our outside plantings continued.

We started the Wilbarger Brushing Protocol, and have been doing it ever since.

We also started our adoption blog, The Simpson Six and officially committed to adopt this sweet girl.

In August we painted the guest room.

David and Henry started their new school.

We also started Coins for Katie, which has been the most amazing experience for our family.

It has taught us more about people than we could have ever anticipated.

We had a fundraiser yard sale (and lemonade sale!) and raised over $1,500 for our adoption expenses.

In September, I came out of my cake retirement for a very special girl.

I also redid a lamp from my mother-in-law's basement.

In October, the boys ran their first race, and our amazing friends raised over $1,500 for Katie.

Also in October, Henry got glasses.

And David got an IEP.

We also carved some pumpkins and got our trick or treat on!

In November, I gave thanks.  For a lot.

I got some old silver and made a burlap wreath.

We ate some turkey and had much for which we were thankful.

In December, we went to Opryland with Gigi and Henry was in a play.

We made gingerbread cookies, and we decked the halls.

We had an amazing Christmas, and David and Henry can both ride their bikes with no training wheels!

Jack still needs his training wheels, but he does so well!

We have been very blessed this year - we've had good health, great friends, and amazing support on our adoption journey.  We hope 2012 brings our sweet girl home to us.

Best wishes to you and your family for a healthy, happy, safe 2012.

I'm linked up to Southern Hospitality,  Tatertots and Jell-o, The Blooming Hydrangea, and Thrifty Decor Chick.

Merry Christmas!

I hope you had a great Christmas!  We sure did.  We don't have a huge extended family here in Tennessee - just my parents, Chris' parents, and my sister, her boyfriend, and his child - so everyone comes to our house for most holidays.  Which I love.  It's no secret that I love to have a party, and any time I have people over I consider it a party!

Christmas Eve I actually got all five of us dressed and out the door to church.  On time!  In fact, we were the first people there.  I was quite impressed with ourselves.  The boys did such a good job.  There was a very small baby in the pew behind us.  The first time he made any noise Jack said (not quietly), "AH!  I just KNEW the Baby Jesus would be here tonight!"

After church we came home and everyone was at our house!  We had fabulous food - just a buffet style - with seafood Newburgh, lots of yummy dips, appetizers, and desserts.  We let each of the boys open one present on Christmas Eve, and they were of course very excited.  David wanted Henry to open a special gift that David had picked and wrapped for him.  He did such a great job wrapping it.

My favorite part?  "To Henry S."

Unfortunately for Henry S., it was my iPad.  Maybe next year David will pick something that Henry S. can actually keep.

The rest of the gifts they opened were great.  And the boys were maybe not the only people who were excited with their gifts. . . Nothing says Christmas Eve like a good light saber fight.

The boys went to bed relatively easily on Christmas Eve, which really surprised me because they were very excited for Santa.  We wrote him a note, got some cookies and milk ready, and went right to bed.  After they were in bed, Santa came and brought presents for them, as well as for Katie.  You can read on The Simpson Six about what Katie got from Santa - girlfriend got a bunch of goodies!

And of course I had my slipcovers off of the sofas!

I love the Christmas trees at night with no other lights on.

They were SO excited Christmas morning.  Chris' parents spent the night, and I could hear the boys in the guest room waking them up at about 5:30 in the morning.  Chris and I stayed in bed until they came down, and then they opened their stockings.  They were so loud and excited to see what Santa brought them!

This "big Indiana Jones" was by far Jack's favorite gift.

It's about the size of a Barbie.

And was a used toy from Craigslist for $8.  

(Which was a fantastic deal, because the same one on Amazon is over $40.)

The stockings were my favorite part about Christmas gifts when I was little.

And, um, still are.

Santa had a moment of crazy and brought slide whistles.  

Three of them.

Bad move Santa.  Bad move.

Since Katie isn't here yet to open her gifts, Henry and Jack did.

David is a big fan of the crazy straw glasses Santa brought.

And we played some serious games.  

Monopoly and Battleship were two that we got this year.

David is a little Monopoly real estate mogul.

Jack likes to watch.

And tell people how to play.

Henry got a video camera for Christmas, and he loves it.

He's been recording movies and following us around with his camera so he can capture anything exciting we might do.

They got snack sets (plates, bowls, and cups) that they can design.

You draw your design on the templates that came with the sets then send them in to Crayola and they print it on your dishes and send it back.

Henry was ON that project.

I have more Christmas pictures for another post, but must get started taking down my Christmas decorations!