Goodbye 2011....Hello 2012!!!

I can't believe this year is over already.  I feel like time is racing past us.  It feels like yesterday I was walking down the aisle.  Now I'm a Mom of 2 kiddos and married for 6 years (or will be 6 years in 1 week). How did this happen??

This year was a great one for us, filled with tons of memories.  And in true Jessica fashion, let's recap the year in pictures!!!
We started the year with Noah turned 4 and had his first birthday celebration at school.  We also celebrated him with a Toy Story birthday party and a trip to Disney

 February brought the Disney Princess Half Marathon.  Sharon and I ran it again for the second year

March brought the Strawberry Festival and Lady Antebellum with the girls and the Seminole PowWow parade and carnival

We had so much fun in April.  I attempted to make cake pops and it was an epic FAIL.  We also spent the day with Thomas the Train.  I ran the Iron Girl 5K with Jess and we had a great Easter

 May meant Mother's Day Tea at PreK, Rays Baseball, and celebrating the Hubs's birthday at Disney

Noah said goodbye to his classmates and 5th grade buddy as his first year of PreK ended.  We spent fun nights with friends and celebrated weddings!

July we honored my life long friend Jen and her baby to be Colton.  I also had a great reunion with my amazing Chi Omega sisters

August was a busy month for us.  The Hubs and I took a trip to NYC where we took in all the sights, went to see RENT, and much more.  Emmy turned 2 and we had a Little Mermaid party and Noah returned to school for his second year of PreK

September brought sorrow and heartbreak when we said goodbye to my grandfather.  It was a very hard time for me and I miss him every day

October brought us trips to Disney, meeting princesses, celebrating more weddings, and Halloween at work and with the kids

November we gave thanks for our family and friends.  We traveled down south to meet Colton.  I am a very proud Aunt!!!  We also enjoyed college football, supporting the USF Bulls and the Florida Gators.  Jen and Jeff even snuck away from sweet Colton to go up to Gainesville!

And of course, December brought us Christmas.  We had a great Christmas, celebrating 4 times with family.

2011 was a year full of ups and downs for our family.  We made so many memories and experienced so much.  I am so blessed to have the most amazing people in my life.  I'm also thankful for all of you, who encourage me to keep doing what I love, sharing my life.

Here's to 2012, a new year full of friendships, family, health, laughter, and love.

It's OK

This has been a ridiculously crazy-busy week at work.  I know we're cramming 5 days worth of clinic appointments into 4 days but I feel like this has been the worst 4 day week in a while.  My 9.5 hour day turned into almost 12.  I haven't done 12 hr shifts since April.  I'm seriously out of practice when it comes to that schedule.  So I think it might be an early bed time for me {probably not since I'll end up stalking reading blogs all night}

I'm going to take a break from Christmas updates {I have to share what I got with all of you!!!} to link up with Amber and Neely.


It's OK.....
~to dread packing up all the Christmas decorations
~to secretly be counting down the days until Noah goes back to school.  He sure is a hyper kiddo and school really tires him out.  I'm ready for a break from nonstop motion {does that make me a bad Mommy?}
~to be digging this Zumba DVD that I stole borrowed from my mom
~that I look like a crazy white girl trying to be Latin while I'm doing Zumba in my living room
~that I'm obsessed with Shutterfly, as evidenced by the amount of gift certificates I got to use there
~to not be OK with this wishy-washy weather we're having here.  One day its 80 degrees, the next it's 45.  I mean, come on.  It's Florida for crying out loud.  Can't we just have steady 60 degree weather?!?
~to be so determined this year to stick to my NY resolutions
~to make 2012 the best year ever!!!!

Give me strength to get through tomorrow.  Then its 4 days off!!!!
 

Christmas Kiddos

After sharing the awesome job that the Hubs did with my gift, I guess I should share with you what I got the Hubs.  When we went up to Gainesville for the UF/FSU game, he found a polo shirt that he really liked (I did too).  Nike golf polos are crazy expensive but it wasn't like any Gator shirt I've ever seen....and trust me....I've seen A LOT.....so I told him to get it if he really wanted it and that would be his Christmas present.  So he did and that's what he got.  I wish I could find a picture of it to show you but I can't find one.

Now on the the fun stuff.....the kiddos at Christmas.  Every year, Christmas keeps getting better and better.  I don't know if it's because the kids are getting older and sort of get the whole Christmas festivities or if it's because the kids are at such a fun age right now.  Either way, it was awesome.  I'll spare you the details for tonight (I'm really tired) by posting some pics (photo overload) from Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Em giving Selah a kiss 

Whenever he'd open a gift and it was a shirt box, he'd yell "I got a box!!!"

Em not so patiently waiting for my dad to open up her iXL

So excited to get this present from Grandma and PaPa

Putting out reindeer food in their matching pj's (yes I'm that kind of mom)

Santa's elves (the Hubs and my brothers) building all the gifts

Chirstmas morning....oh wait....that's the shirt I got the Hubs for Christmas!!!

My handsome boy (with his irritating scrape on his forehead)

My MIL made Em this Belle dress.  It has been worn every day since

Rudolph!!!

He was so excited to see Santa brought him a bike

Santa also brought Em a new ride!

Riding his new Transformers bike

All in all, it was a great Christmas.  We were fortunate enough to spend time with family and friends (and celebrate on 4 separate occasions).  I can't imagine anything better.