Our year in review - 2018

This past year was filled with blessings and challenges. It was probably my most difficult year of mothering so far, spending most of the year with four kids four years old and under and all the coordination and juggling that entails. It was also absolutely lovely and a time I will look back on as overall remarkable and awesome (in the true sense of the word). I took the majority of the year off work and finally went back on a very limited basis in October primarily just to keep my license active. Thankfully the Lord provided friends here in town to step into new roles to help me keep this crew afloat and we are so grateful for them. Chris continues to seek new challenges at work and is the best dad and husband ever (not an exaggeration). Eleanor grows more independent and incredible by the day - her curiosity and ability to reason and figure out hard things astounds me. Jane continues to have her challenging moments but her heart is pure gold and her compliments warm my soul. Ben is almost always happy and his "boy" personality is starting to show, which is a new and interesting dynamic in our house. And finally, our Rosie is tiny but mighty - she is always crawling off after the girls and enjoys being carried around and incorporated into their games. Our roots have grown much deeper this past year, necessarily, and we look forward to another year with family and friends.

(For past years, click the following links: 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008.)

January: We celebrated New Years with friends, had a big snow storm (with 7 snow days!), Chris' Aunt Caroline came to help us for a week, and Eleanor got her first hair cut.

February: We went to lots of basketball games, had a pajama pancake party at Eleanor's school, Ben and Rosie learned to smile, we celebrated Valentine's Day and Charter Day. and Shug came down for a visit.

March: We visited Grandma's new house, Ben and Rosie tried the swings, I went to Charlottesville for a baby shower, Eleanor turned 4.5, and Jane turned 2.5.

April: Eleanor had an Easter pageant, we celebrated Palm Sunday and Easter, we visited the grandparents over Spring Break, started the Busch Gardens season, and celebrated One Tribe, One Day.

May: We went back to Busch Gardens, went to a Kentucky Derby party, celebrated Mother's Day, Eleanor graduated preschool and registered for Kindergarten (!). Jane potty trained, ending my 7 months of having three kids in diapers. We celebrated Memorial Day in town.

June: Friends came to visit! We celebrated Father's Day, spent lots of evenings on the porch. rode bikes and walked around town.

July: We took our summer vacation to my mom's house in Round Hill for a week, celebrated the 4th of July and our ten year anniversary. and participated in the summer reading program. Eleanor lost her first tooth, and we lived the dog days of summer. We also did VBS.

August: Eleanor did ballet, our neighbors moved away, we had a summer small group, we visited Chris' family in Lorton, Eleanor turned five, and we went to Jacksonville on vacation.

September: Labor Day, Jane turned three and started preschool, Eleanor started Kindergarten, I spent a weekend at Lake Anna with my small group, and we continued the neighborhood POETS tradition.

October: Eleanor played soccer and broke her arm, Ben learned to love food and baths, we celebrated our ten year reunion Homecoming and Halloween with a Little Mermaid theme, we went to a pumpkin patch.

November: Ben and Rosie turned one (which truly felt like a huge milestone to me, surviving a year with four kids four and under!), Rosie learned to crawl, and we celebrated Thanksgiving with family.

December: Eleanor learned to read, Ben learned to crawl, we went to the Christmas parade and saw Santa, Jane had a Christmas pageant, it snowed (!), we went on field trips, we visited Christmas Town and family, did other Christmas activities, and finally, celebrated Christmas both at home and away!

It's been a wonderful year, and we are so grateful for each of you who have played a role in our lives this past year. 

Happy New Year!