A New Year...

It's 1:11 on 1-1-11. I haven't blogged in over a year, so I thought, "maybe I'll start blogging again...or maybe not". Either way, I am blogging tonight.
I'm sitting alone in our living room waiting for the call to pick up my hubby from downtown GR and his gig at the Big O. Don't feel too sorry for me. We had a great night. My parents and sisters and our great friends, the Tenneys were all here to ring in the new year(s) with us. We ordered pizza, had snacks, played games and had our fake new year celebration at 9pm, right before Chris had to leave for his gig. Our pretend NYE was complete with a shiny ball that dropped from our loft as we counted down. *For the record, the "shiny ball" was really a giant bouncy ball wrapped up in Brandie's shiny sequined sweater...you'll have to ask her about the sweater;)

Since it's been over a year since I've blogged, I decided that it might be a nice time to reflect on my favorite memories from 2010...big and small...in no particular order.

New York City
We traveled with Kenowa's Band and Orchestra to NYC this year and brought Avery with us. It was an amazing trip and Avery was a great travel partner. If you ask her what her favorite thing about the trip was, she would say "when my dad stepped in gum...and sleeping on the bus". My favorites were playing on Evelyn's playground, and taking an art class in SOHO at the Children's Museum of the Arts.

Avery's 4th birthday
We are so fortunate to have birthdays that fall in the summer months. We can have fun parties without a whole lot of planning. This year, we did a Cinderella (of course) ice cream party with make your own sundaes. Of course, we set up the Bookie slip and slide (giant tarp with Mr. Bubble). Avery loved her giant dollhouse and still plays with everything she received. Age 4 has been good to us so far. Three was a little trying, but when she turned 4, it was a like a switch was flipped. She has been so mature and independent and loving...and funny. That kid cracks me up!

Lillian's 1st birthday
Lil had a fun Ladybug party this year, and was the little belle of the ball. It is so hard to believe that she turned one. Her first year went by in a flash. She started walking at 14 months, so her birthday was nice and easy to keep her interested. She has really started to develop a funny little personality. She is also my shy child, who is not a fan of strangers (or familiar people for that matter). While it can be tough at times, I sort of love that she clings to me. I don't mind that she is still my little baby...I like it that way.

Starting...and stopping working out
I started working out religiously in January, and stopped in April (I totally got out of the habit during my trip to NYC). I actually loved working out, so I don't know why it has been so hard to get back into it. I need to start again...the end.

Farmer's Market Saturdays
I stole away a few Saturdays this summer to hit the farmer's market in GR. I know this seems so simple and meaningless, but I LOVE the farmer's market, and I LOVE having a little snippet of time to myself.

Class Reunion
Was in June, and was a pain to plan, and I thought that we were going to cancel it, and it was stressful until the end, but it turned out to be a lot of fun. I'm actually looking forward to working on another one someday and seeing everyone again.

5 year anniversary
In July, we celebrated 5 years of marriage. Man, I love that man. He is so sweet and really loves us girls. We've gone through a lot in 5 years, and I've never felt more connected to him. He is such a great partner, and I am so lucky to have him.

Trip to PA
We took a whirlwind trip to PA after Thanksgiving and it was a blast. We visited the Diesner's, hit a few DDD restaurants and had lots of fun traveling with the Tenneys.

Wine tasting in TC
Wine tasting while not pregnant is much more fun that wine tasting while pregnant. I had a blast, and hanging out with the Lobbezoo brothers and sister-in-laws makes everything better.

Dance Class
Avery is in ballet, tap and jazz, and she LOVES it! I love taking her and listening to what she is learning. She is so fun and cannot wait until June when she gets to dance "ON STAGE"!

House full of kids
It's been a literal full house over here in 2010. We've had anywhere from 2-6 kids here and it's been a little crazy. I love all the babies that I've watched (Avery, Lillian, Alex, Cal, Mae, Brenna, Dylan) and they have all given me hilarious memories. They have also helped me fall asleep at night...because I am exhausted.

Quoteables
I've had 2 new ones that crack me up:

1.) While in the car, Ricky Martin's La Vida Loca comes on...
Cal: (YELLS from the back seat) WAIT! That's my dad's favorite song!
Me: Ricky Martin sings your dad's favorite song?
Cal: Yup...he loves to dance and sing to that Spanish song!
(you have to know Jamey Tenney to really appreciate to hilarity of this story)

2.) While changing our clothes...only happened just last week...
Avery: Mom, are you cold?
Me: Nope, I'm just getting dressed.
Avery: Do boobs get bigger when you are cold?
Me: Um...what?
Avery: Do boobs get bigger when it's cold? Cuz...yous boobs are huge....like bigger than my head"
Me: Um...no, boobs don't get bigger...only nipples get bigger in the cold.
Avery: OK...good. (and she runs to play)
Me: *relieved to have dodged a more uncomfortable conversation

Repainting the porch
Chris worked his tail off to refinish and repaint the porch (I did a little painting too). It makes our house look so much better. I don't hate looking at it....the end.

Bookie Drive-ins
We held 2 Bookie Drive-Ins this year. We hang a sheet from our back deck, make a fire, pop popcorn, and watch movies in the backyard. It's a lot of fun, and the kids love it.

Lillian's first steps, first words, and lots of other firsts
What can be said? It's amazing to see Lillian move from crawling to standing to taking tentative steps to attempting to run to chase the kids. Her first words happened almost simultaneously and were "Mama" and "Dada"...perfect. Now, her favorite thing to do is to point, and say "that" and shake her head "no".

A Stroke-Free Year
Since being diagnosed last December with CADASIL, I was worried that I would immediately see some effects of the disease. Luckily, this has been such an uneventful year in regards to my health that there are times that I get to forget that I have it. I thought that it would always be on my mind, so it's nice.

Conversations about Tito
Avery has an on again, off again relationship with Tito. He is an ever-evolving entity in our lives. Apparently, he lives in Florida. Sometimes, he is her boyfriend, sometimes he is her friend. Sometimes he is old enough to drive, sometimes he is 4.
She told me that Tito isn't in love with her anymore, and I had to check myself to remember that he wasn't real...because, I almost went to his house in Florida and kicked his 4 or 16 year old tail.

Sean and Steph's anniversary
Sean and Steph celebrated a year of marriage at the end of October...we love her, and I love to celebrate the day that she became a Dick. Chris surprised them by sending their wedding DVD to their hotel room.

Christmas 2010
Cookie the Elf made another appearance and kicked of the season. Avery was REALLY into Christmas, and Lillian was REALLY into the tree. We had a great Christmas (I got a Keurig!) and I was so grateful for the great kids and family that I have.

Lots of visits to Romulus and lots of visits from my parents
While I have no interest in ever living on the east side again, for some reason, I always want to be there visiting. I can't get enough of my family. I love them all so much, and whether we are there, or they are here...I always want us to have more time together.

These are just to name a few, and I KNOW that I am forgetting some. I know that 2011 will bring more fun memories. I mean, I live with a house full of characters, how could I NOT laugh my way through another year. I wish you all a great 2011 too.