Showing posts with label April Post A Day 2011. Show all posts
Showing posts with label April Post A Day 2011. Show all posts

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Day 365!!!!


December 31st, 2010
December 31st, 2011

Well... I made it to my 365th post! I've actually posted more than that this year... but there have been 365 posts related to sharing the pictures and events from each day this year. It started off as a bigger challenge for me, and then once I found the time and just made it part of my routine, it was easy. I actually have grown so used to posting daily that I plan to keep it up. However, I am excited to not "have" to post or feel pressure to post... it'll be nice to be able to actually give each post a title and not just an update on the postings (Day #).

I hope my readers have enjoyed reading the posts each day. I know that Steve and my parents enjoy the posts because it's an easy way for them to keep up with what I'm doing. Steve says if I didn't post, he wouldn't know what I've got going on. :-)

This morning Steve was still feeling sick, so I got up with Gus and he watched tv while I cleaned the kitchen. I ran the dishwasher and washed the remaining dishes in the sink. Just as I was finishing, he was done with Mickey.

Gus headed downstairs to wake Gram and Pap and I headed down to join him. He was playing on his coaster and then he and Pap played trains. I mentioned wanting to move the couch under the window so that I could sit comfortably while Gus played, and my dad said he'd help me move the couch from by the guest room. :-)

We headed up and watched television for a bit and then when Gus went down for his nap, my mom and dad and I went to Wal-Mart. I did our grocery shopping and then we stopped at Wendy's for lunch and came home.

My dad finished the Safety Tot Tower and it's INCREDIBLE!!! We just have to varnish it and it'll be totally done-- but I was able to use it with Gus tonight while I made meatloaf, mashed potatoes and corn for dinner. It was perfect! He was in the tower, could see what I was doing, and HE WAS SAFE!!!

Here are some pictures from today:

Playing with his fruit


Snack with Pap

The finished Safety Tower

Gus was so happy to be near me while I cooked!!

We're going to stain it to match the cupboards

Gus as a sketch


Steve is in bed, but wants me to wake him up at 11:50 so he can ring in 2012 with us. We started watching a show about life after humans (gloom and doom) and I decided to come and do my last blog for 2011.

I have to say, 2011 has been one of the greatest years so far. Here are a few things that happened this year that I feel were wonderful:
  1. We headed to MI in February- I was homesick and we got to see all of Gus's birth family for the first time since his adoption. It was a WONDERFUL experience and we felt so thankful to have such an open relationship with them!!
  2. In March (Gus was nine months), Gus took his first steps and started walking just before turning 10 months!!
  3. April 15th, 2011- we celebrated Gus's adoption being finalized!!! We headed to MI for a quick weekend trip and celebrated with family. Gus's birth mom and Grammy came to the court to be there with us and my parents, and then after court, we headed to lunch together and got to meet Gus's Great-Grandma Marge!! It was an incredible day and we shared dinner with my family... it was a really really great day!
  4. May 11th, 2011- Gus turned one!!!
  5. May 13th, 2011- My niece Charlotte was born!!! I became an aunt again!!
  6. Weekend of May 14th, Steve's dad and Sue Ann came down to surprise Steve for Gus's first birthday party and my parents came down too! We were surrounded by friends and family as we celebrated Gus's first birthday! The next day we headed to the beach and had a great time as a family!
  7. In August, I started taking classes for Medical Transcription and Editing. The program would have me finished with the whole thing by April 2012.
  8. In August, we headed back to Michigan and Indiana for vacation. We were able to be there to celebrate my niece Lily's 2nd birthday! It was the first birthday party for any of my nieces or nephews that I've ever been able to attend and it was WONDERFUL!!!
  9. While in MI, we spent the day with Gus's side of our family and they had a birthday celebration for him! It was so special to see him sitting on his birth mom's lap and blowing out candles for his 1st birthday. :-)
  10. In September, we joined The Little Gym and Gus LOVED it!!!
  11. In September, Steve interviewed with World 50... and got the job!!!
  12. October 2nd- Scott and I turned 35!! YIKES!!!
  13. October 14th was Steve's last day working for Burt's Bees... October 17th was his first day working for World 50. The stress of moving began!!
  14. I dropped out of my Medical Transcription program and couldn't have been happier!!!
  15. Went to the NC State Fair with Kristen and Grace in October!
  16. Was asked to do my first family photo shoot... it was GREAT and the pictures were so AWESOME! I was nervous but it went so well!
  17. In November we found our house and made an offer on it... it was accepted and we closed on December 8th!
  18. We said goodbye to NC and hello to Georgia on December 10th!
  19. We celebrated Christmas with Steve's dad and Sue Ann here with us and then rang in 2012 with my parents here with us!!
  20. December 31st, 2011-- Gus was able to jump on his own for real!!! He's a jumping bean and will be jumping into 2012!!
I hope 2012 is as GREAT as 2011 has been for us!!!
See you next year!!!

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Day 358


December 24th, 2010
December 24th, 2011

We got up this morning and I made cinnamon rolls, then Gus and I played while we waited for Steve's dad and Sue Ann to come up from the basement. We had a nice morning!
After everyone had time to eat and relax for a bit, we hopped into the car and headed to Buckhead so that Steve could show his dad and Sue Ann where he works. We went inside and they got to take a tour... it was decorated so nicely for Christmas!

Gus at Steve's desk

Gus and Steve :-)

A LEGO White House! So cool!



Gus on the way back to the car

Getting help from Grandpa

Pulling Grandma to the car


We got to see where Sue Ann used to work and live and it was nice to see the areas that she frequented! Then we headed to The Varsity (I kept calling it The Victory) for some lunch. It's an Atlanta place...
Gus ate almost an entire hot dog!!

My two chili dogs and onion rings (sooooo good)

After lunch, we headed back here and Steve put Gus down for a nap while his dad took a nap and he watched the Bengals in the basement. Sue Ann and I headed out to do some shopping. 
This tree was GORGEOUS! Covered in red bows and bulbs... absolutely beautiful!

We ended up going to Home Goods and they bought us a HUGE clock for over the fireplace. It's absolutely perfect and looks like it was meant to go in that spot. Then we drove to Target and they got us some new dishes! I think the set that we have (was Steve's with Voldemort), we'll keep and set aside for Gus to have in his first house. It's a nice set... and full of everything that you'd need... but I wanted something that's OURS together. I like the new stuff so much more!

When I got home, I watched the game with Steve in the basement while Gus finished his three hour nap. The Bengals won (they played the Cardinals) and Steve was on the edge of his seat while he watched!

We had some time to just hang out here at the house before we headed to dinner at Bonefish Grill. We had reservations and got right in! It's a good thing we called ahead... there were a LOT of people out for dinner tonight! 

Trying to get a picture...

Gus and Grandma

After dinner, we took a drive through the neighborhood to show Steve's dad and Sue Ann the lights. It was so pretty!! 

Then we came back and Gus opened his special Christmas Eve present of Christmas pjs!



After opening them, he tried to rewrap them :-)

We watched some tv and Gus danced and played and then it was tubby time for Gus!

Dancing Boy!

The new clock and our tree...

Steve's dad and Sue Ann headed to the 9:00 pm mass... and we stayed home. I made our ham and cheese hashbrown casserole for tomorrow, and Steve put together the BIG gift from Santa. It's now in the basement and after all the other gifts are opened tomorrow... we'll head downstairs for Gus to see his last gift! I CAN'T WAIT!!!






Gus is going to FLIP out when he sees this!!!

I talked to Scott (my twin brother) tonight. He and I played phone-tag all day. I always miss him and my dad on Christmas Eve. Ever since I was a kid, we'd go shopping together on Christmas Eve. When we lived in MI, Steve and my mom would go have lunch and do their own thing together while I went shopping with my dad and Scott. I missed them SO MUCH today and thought about them all day long.

I love the holidays, but hate being away from family. I hope to (one day) go back to MI for a Christmas at my parents' house. :-)

It's so special to have Steve's dad and Sue Ann here with us this year... our first Christmas in Georgia, in our new house, and we get to spend it with them. I'm overjoyed!

It was a WONDERFUL day and I'm so excited for tomorrow!!! I'm actually going to attempt to go to bed now, so I'll be rested for my FULL day of cooking tomorrow!!!

Merry Christmas Eve!!!


Day 357 (Friday, December 23rd, 2011)


 December 23rd, 2010

  
December 23rd, 2011

I'm writing this on Saturday because I was too busy to write last night!

My inlaws arrived around 9:30 or so last night!! We showed them the house and then stayed up chatting. It's been too long since we saw them, and it's great to have them as our first visitors!! :-)

Steve and I spent the day finishing up the house. Cleaning, laundry, folding and putting away laundry, vacuuming, and then we did some shopping too.

Of course, there's always time for table dancing in our house!!

We went to Kroger to get some "odds and ends" and then PetSmart and Target. Here's a couple pictures from our day:

I ABSOLUTELY love this picture of Gus and Steve!!!

Vroom! Vroom!



Going along for the ride...

Gus and mama

That's it for the day! I will say that the house looks AMAZING!!!! So clean and tidy!!

I'll be back later tonight to post about today (December 24th)'s activities!!