Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a very Happy New Year and rang in the year with lots of fun, safety and hope for the new year.
I rang in the New Year at my sister Ashley's with her and my brother in law Matt.
It was a perfect evening, calm and relaxing. That is exactly what I would like for this year!
I went and picked up my husband from a party on the way home and really had a whole new perspective walking in totally sober.
It was definitely interesting!
The boys got to ring in the New Year with Nana and Isabella (the Noodle). Nana put together a little party for them, they decorated cupcakes, had dinner, watched some movies and stayed up late.

This year for us has had it's ups and downs.

We bought our first home around April this year. It was so exciting to have our own place and know that we could provide a home for the boys to grow up in.
I was able to get a fairly new car and not have a car payment! I was pretty excited to not have to drive the mini van any longer and have something reliable.
The end of the year I was accepted into Nursing school.
We got to watch our boys grow and learn new things everyday.
We made it through the year fairly unscathed and all of us healthy.

With the good there was of course the bad. I am trying to not dwell on the bad things of this past year, but a few do stick out in my mind.

Joshua was laid off in October and with how horrible the job market is hasn't really had any nibbles on the thousands of resumes he's been sending out.
My cousin lost her baby daughter Keilyn only a day after being born. This has caused her and her husband and our whole family more pain than anyone should have to withstand.
She was also in a horrible car accident around Christmas and is lucky to be alive. She came out of it with a broken arm that had to have surgery and metal rods and pins placed in it to heal and both sides of her pelvis broken.
Seeing the pictures, it's amazing that she or her husband lived.
She is so amazingly strong and I know will be able to heal from the accident even though she may never full heal from the pain of losing Keilyn. She has an attitude about life that can inspire.

I lost a great friend and co worker to cancer this year. Victor was an amazing person that had one of the best attitudes I have ever come across. He was so positive, even through everything he was going through.
I think about him regularly.
I realize how lucky I am to have known him and had him in my life for the short time I knew him.

I know 2011 will bring a whole new set of challenges but I am hopeful that this is a great year for us and my loved ones. I know this year will bring lots of love, laughter and happiness.
I am hoping for us that this year I can kick ass in nursing school and still keep myself sane and with enough time to spend with my family.
I hope for myself to try to be a healthier person and kick my butt in gear with some sort of work out routine.
I of course hope for my husband that he finds a job that he will feel fulfilled and happy going to everyday.
I can't wait to spend another year watching these boys grow.
This upcoming year will bring a big FIFTH birthday for the boys and of course with that comes Kindergarten!

I'll end this with a year in pictures of the boys since I could keep going on for things that I wish for.
I think instead of wishing this year will be the year of DO.





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