This year can be described as ordinary. No infertility, no adoption processes; just a Mama, a Daddy and two precious girls living life.

In January Little Bug was potty-trained at 2.5 years olds in a day! I hope Sweet Pea trains that easy!

In February we started our daily Learning Time. I look forward to many more years of teaching my girls at home.

In March we had emerged from the newborn/withdrawal phase with Sweet Pea and tummy troubles were becoming a thing of the past. Life was just sweet with our two beautiful little girls.

In April we celebrated Dave’s great-grandma’s 100th Birthday! We took a four generation picture with her after her party. Grandma Brewer passed away on November 28th, 2012, at the age of 100 years and 7 months, exactly. She lived a long life of service to God and her funeral was a joyful celebration of the rich life she lived.

In May we celebrated our 5th anniversary by a little getaway where we did nothing but sit on the beach, walk around to little shops and eat great food for four days! We also celebrated a special little girl’s 3rd birthday!

In June we spent a week at the family cabin. We took Little Bug to see a real cave since she was fascinated with them at the time.

In July we got to spend a lot of time with Mimi and Papaw who came for a visit from Texas.

In August we celebrated Sweet Pea’s 1st birthday!

In September Little Bug got a new car seat and the box almost became the fifth member of our family because it stayed in the house so long! It was first a Princess castle, then an alphabet tree and finally, it was the Mayflower before it was accidentally thrown away (miscommunication on the part of the adults in the house). And, yes, there were tears.

In October I took one of my favorite pictures of my little Sweet Pea at our annual pumpkin patch visit.

In November I went on my first road trip with my girls by myself to visit Rebecca and her family and to meet another friend of mine and her kids!

In December we enjoyed new and old traditions with our little family of four.

I think thankfulness sums up my heart at the close of 2012. Thankfulness for everything that happened in the past years to bring me to this year of enjoying life as a wife and mother. It truly was my childhood dream and now I’m living it, day in and day out.

Every day isn’t peaches and cream, of course, but I do know when I am old I will look back on these days with very fond memories.

Happy New Year!!!

- Elaine