2012.

Well, I guess today is the day to recap and think about and ponder the past year... My biggest notation about it is how insanely fast it has gone by. I mean, a year ago Lila was my first kiss on New Year's at the stroke of midnight and that is because her tiny infant self was up for a midnight feeding and had just nursed to sleep. It's amazing how much can happen in the span of a teensy little year, but it has.

Sweet girl. It’s amazing that the tiny baby in that photo has morphed into my hilarious, kind, loving, ball of energy that she is now.

So, because it has kind of become a thing (and one I quite enjoy, J) Here is a photo montage of the year 2012. Enjoy!

We surprised Mimi for her 70th birthday by having her three sisters fly in from Ohio. Se didn't expect a thing. ;)

And she cried a lot. It was so worth it. 

These women are amazing, and they have "Patton" hands. I feel so lucky to be a part of this family. 

Strong hands belonging to strong women.

Stu surprised me for our anniversary with a limo ride, dinner, flowers, and wine. Such a spoiled girl. :)

Kaden started his first day of preschool!

 Stu mastered the art of simultaneously studying, eating, and raising babies. A skill he put to good use all year long. I am so proud of how hard he works on school and taking care of our kids. 

"Wigging out" with my bestie for Ian's 30th birthday party. 

Kaden and I enjoyed hopscotch for "Let's Move Boise" at the Boise Zoo.

Lila played dress-up a LOT! Here, she is sporting her Minnie Mouse dress from Cousin Hayley and her knit sweater from my friend David's Mom.

Jackson tried out the playroom floor as his nap space. (A rarity for sure, for those who know Jackson.)

Lila decided to get as big as her brother! She came within one pound of matching his weight this year. 

My beautiful girl. We got a surprise visit from Momma E, Maddy, Hayden, Colten, Stevie, and Kylie. 

So we went bowling.

Maddy and Stevie. I think they should get married and have babies. 

And there was lots of "dog-pile-on-Mom" time after work and between work and school. Mommy was stressed out a lot that she was missing so much time away from her babies, but she kept trying to remind herself that it was for them. 

Stu and the kids spoiled me on Mother's Day!

We watched movies on the "big screen" in the playroom. 

Kaden "graduated" from preschool.

Mommy met her goal of nursing Lila exclusively for 6 months. Then nursed until 9 months. Goal reached.

We went to CDA for Uncle Hayden's graduation!

Such a handsome boy!

The boys celebrated their 2nd and 5th birthdays in July!

Then in August we went to CDA for the Pig Pickin and to see Justine, Kemer, and baby Keegan. 

Hayden came down again for the last time before he went to the Air Force boot camp. 

We had WAY too much fun with Mimi. 

And Papa turned out to be a real dope rapper. :)

Salem and Cru came over for lots of playdates. Salem and Lila especially love being twinners!

Momma E came down again!

We brewed our first batch of homemade beer.

And Lila learned to walk!

Kaden started Kindergarten.

And Lila had her very first birthday!

Lots of family came to celebrate her birthday.

Stu enjoyed an aerial acrobatics flight.

And the kids all hung out with him in the hammock in their monkey jams!

Stu had his last birthday in his twenties decade. :)

And we all carved pumpkins.

We visited the farm and fed the animals.

And all dressed up for Halloween.

We bought our first house (here, enjoying our first meal in it).

And said goodbye to our old house... it was very bittersweet for Mommy.

We celebrated Christmas as a huge family with family from both sides of the family present. Including Mimi and Papa, who moved to Boise this year to be nearer the grand kids, and the Fox grandparents, who drove from Michigan to join us for the holidays.

The real Santa read Twas the Night Before Christmas to my kids, wrapping up a busy, crazy, life-event-heavy year.

Lowe's... our BFF.

So Stu decided he needed a work bench in the garage and I needed planters made for the herbs I want to grow in the kitchen window, so we set off so our favorite place these days: Lowe's. We are there so often for odds and ends (and sometimes huge, household purchases), that the staff recognizes our family. There is an elderly guy usually near lumber that loves Jackson, and a young, sweet girl who had two girls that are Kaden and Jackson's age that was holding out hope for a girl for me when I was pregnant with Lila, while I was sure we were having a third boy. We've spent a lot of time there and it's a place I know pretty well. It's so weird how places become comfort zones... they're like tangible memories. It's kinda fun. Especially when this is just a tiny part of our life, but a place where we know people and are small parts of their lives as well. It's kind of fun to imagine your place in someone else's life. Like, as small and insignificant as, say, a cashier at the grocery store, is in our own lives, that's how insignificant we are in theirs, and to each of us, our lives are the most important. Kind of mind blowing actually. Anyway, definitely a tangent, but it's fun to think about. To that woman who passes by, you might just be an extra in her movie sipping a cup of coffee. Weird.

Goodbye Grandmas!

So, the whole time Tom and Patty were here, Jackson just couldn't figure out who was who, so he called them both "grandma." This was hilarious to me for some reason, every time he would say it to his big, manly grandpa, I would laugh because it just seems so silly and like he was doing it on purpose.

The grandmas left today though and we have spent the day getting things back to normal and making plans for the remaining days of the break. Mostly we are trying to finish up the house projects we have each been working on, and I want to make sure to spend as much time playing and just being with my kids as possible because it is a while before I have more time off with them, so I want to make it count.

Boy things... Challenge Accepted.

So, we already know how I feel about gender roles... Now, I decided waiting for Stu to cut pieces of wood for me, sand them, paint them, and attach wall brackets for them would take far too long and would only give me a reason t be mad at him for not doing them on my schedule. Why not do them myself? ........ Why not indeed?!

So I set off to do this particular project All. By. Myself. It started off easy enough. I picked out the wood I wanted, which wasn't the wood Stu suggested, but it was MY pick. Then, Lowe's will make 4 cuts for free on any wood, which coincidentally was the number of cuts I needed, so voila! And I didn't have to risk an appendage wrestling with Stu's table saw. Then I picked out and ordered online the paint I wanted and the Mod Podge for the pictures I was doing. Cool. We all know I got myself accidentally high last night, which was a minor woopsie, but what is trial without error, eh?

So now I just have to affix the pictures to the wood and we will be done! I plan on doing this final step tomorrow once the in-laws leave and the kids are down for nap and I will TRY to remember to take pictures. I have realized I suck at this part. I am great at taking "before" pics and then "progress pics"... but apparently, once the work is done and it is finished, it completely escapes me to get an "after" picture. Silly girl. So below, because I JUST remembered tonight, are the before and after of the awful wallpaper wall in the kitchen, and also a pic of my new pot rack, because, well, it is freaking AWESOME! :)

Today was a pretty chill day all in all. We had the family over for smoked pulled pork and I made coleslaw, baked beans, and homemade mac and cheese for sides and I think they all were pretty good. I got good reviews from the peanut gallery and I think I accomplished pretty damn close to my Momma's Mac N Cheese, so I am happy. :) More fun tomorrow. I get my babies all to myself! I am so excited!

Mommy sanding the boards.

In the garage... which is obviously the last place to "unpack and organize". Ugh. 

"Before"

"After."

And my awesome new pot rack with just some of my new pots (I'm already putting them to good use!)