As we end another year and get ready for the next one, a trip down memory lane is a MUST! This year has been very kind to us as Daddy has been very healthy and has not had any hospital stays. This is for sure our biggest blessing of 2011!!! It has also been one of the best years as I was able to spend majority of my time at home with my babies. Oh the memories we have made!!!
The second part of the year was very tough but it has also been a huge learning experience for me. I met wonderful people who I have so much respect for, I grew as a teacher like never before, I was blessed with an amazing team and a great group of kids and parents. As I struggled to balance stress of being back at work full time, adjusting to crazy high expectations, many late nights and long drives I learned that being a mom and a wife is the most important thing in the world to me. I have so much respect for moms who work full time especially after this current job. I am thankful for the opportunity and the sacrifices my sweet husband is ready to make that will allow me to stay home and focus my time, love and energy on three of the most important people in my life as we begin 2012.
As we start this new year my heart is full! Justin has been my rock and has gone above and beyond anything I ever expected and asked of him over the past 5 months. He helped me keep it together during a few very rough patches as he took on the roll of being both mommy and daddy. He has graded papers, created monitoring sheets, helped cut things for school, came on many weekends to help me get ahead or just catch up,he cooked, he cleaned, he put the kids to bed 98% of the time and helped get them ready in the morning, he stopped doing things he loved because I needed him...he put everything else aside as he placed our family first without the smallest complaint. To say he is an amazing dad and husband truly does not do this man justice! Justin Michael Bates - you are so much more than I deserve! I love you so much and I look forward to pouring my time and energy into our sweet little family. Thank you for all you do for us!
We are thankful for these two little people who rule our household at times and the love, joy and chaos they bring to our every day lives. Terrible 2s and 3s ( times two) have not been kind to us this year but we are hoping that the 4s will turn it all around. ;) Hey we can keep praying and wishing, right? Suuuure we have had our share of chaos, meltdowns, rough patches and craziness but at the end of the day when I look back we have so much to celebrate and cherish as we look back on 2011. It has been a year of making new memories, a year of making new friends, a year of changes and challenges but it has definitley also been a year of many, many blessings. As I look at the million pictures I took this year it is hard to keep the smile off my face...God is so good!!!
Here is my attempt to summarize each month with a short caption and a few pictures.
January- we started the year off with some awesome snow days. The kids were so excited! We celebrate quite a few special friends' birthdays this month too. We visited PawPaw and Nanny in Ft. Worth and had a wonderful time with them. We also had quite a few arts and crafts days as a family.
September - Miss Mia turned 3, kids were doing great at school, they loved their sweet teachers and friends....another visit to Nac, work is kicking Mommy's behind, first tent camping trip, Daddy kicks booty at at Rose City Tri in Tyler, lots of park time with the family...
The second part of the year was very tough but it has also been a huge learning experience for me. I met wonderful people who I have so much respect for, I grew as a teacher like never before, I was blessed with an amazing team and a great group of kids and parents. As I struggled to balance stress of being back at work full time, adjusting to crazy high expectations, many late nights and long drives I learned that being a mom and a wife is the most important thing in the world to me. I have so much respect for moms who work full time especially after this current job. I am thankful for the opportunity and the sacrifices my sweet husband is ready to make that will allow me to stay home and focus my time, love and energy on three of the most important people in my life as we begin 2012.
As we start this new year my heart is full! Justin has been my rock and has gone above and beyond anything I ever expected and asked of him over the past 5 months. He helped me keep it together during a few very rough patches as he took on the roll of being both mommy and daddy. He has graded papers, created monitoring sheets, helped cut things for school, came on many weekends to help me get ahead or just catch up,he cooked, he cleaned, he put the kids to bed 98% of the time and helped get them ready in the morning, he stopped doing things he loved because I needed him...he put everything else aside as he placed our family first without the smallest complaint. To say he is an amazing dad and husband truly does not do this man justice! Justin Michael Bates - you are so much more than I deserve! I love you so much and I look forward to pouring my time and energy into our sweet little family. Thank you for all you do for us!
We are thankful for these two little people who rule our household at times and the love, joy and chaos they bring to our every day lives. Terrible 2s and 3s ( times two) have not been kind to us this year but we are hoping that the 4s will turn it all around. ;) Hey we can keep praying and wishing, right? Suuuure we have had our share of chaos, meltdowns, rough patches and craziness but at the end of the day when I look back we have so much to celebrate and cherish as we look back on 2011. It has been a year of making new memories, a year of making new friends, a year of changes and challenges but it has definitley also been a year of many, many blessings. As I look at the million pictures I took this year it is hard to keep the smile off my face...God is so good!!!
Here is my attempt to summarize each month with a short caption and a few pictures.
January- we started the year off with some awesome snow days. The kids were so excited! We celebrate quite a few special friends' birthdays this month too. We visited PawPaw and Nanny in Ft. Worth and had a wonderful time with them. We also had quite a few arts and crafts days as a family.
February - we continued the fun with our new family routine before bedtime of playing, wrestling and lots of giggles. We learned to play new games and also had a few sick days. First time to do breathing treatments was not fun but when you have a sweet big brother to help it does make a difference. Oh Daddy also turned 31 this month!!! ;)
March - we cooked, we napped and we snuggled according to all the pictures...we went to the zoo...we took walks, got to take our new scooters for a few spins and we made many trips down to the playground and lake in our neighborhood. The weather was beautiful!
April - the kids enjoyed their Easter basket gifts: their favorites were these goggles and matching Batman shirts. Daddy and Luka also got to go to their first Ranger game together. We took our very first Bluebonnet pictures this month as well! The Bates Family ran their first 5K together at the Haeart of Heath... One of the very special memories we will always treasure is our Growth Group families trip to Beavers Bend. A month full of special moments for sure!
May - we had plenty of playdates, we rode our bikes quite a bit and enjoyed a few birthday parties with sweet friends...we spent one evening as a family in our guest bathtub waiting for a tornadoe...Daddy just wouldn't stop freaking out and made us all go into the tub... ;) LaLa graduated from high school!!!! We made another trip to the zoo and had lots of fun as always. Uncle Tono passed the BAR and graduated from Law School! WOOHOOO!!!!
June - Mommy and Daddy celebrated 8 years of married life :), Luka wrapped up his first season of Blast Ball as the swimming season was starting...we spent a fun day with Aunt Christy, Mimi and all the cousins at the Burger Lake....we also had a few slumber parties and celebrated our Dallas Mavs winning their first NBA Championship. WOOHOO!!!! We had a special visit from Ujko i Ujna all the way from Bosnia and enjoyed spending a whole week with them.
July - we enjoyed more swimming playdates; we celebrated Baka and Papa's birthdays; we enjoyed 4th of July fireworks; we spent a fun weekend in Ft. Worth with Dea, Ivan and Keka; Momma got the crazy idea she wanted to accept a full time teaching job; Mommy and Daddy got away for some alone time and had quite the adventure in Waco, TX....Right honey? LOL!!! Daddy rocked out at Tri Waco!!!! We also visited Grandma and Grandpa in Nac with Uncle Tono.
August - Luka Man turned 4, we headed out for our first family vacation to San Antonio, then it was time to go back to work and kiddos to go to school for the first time..this was a super BUSY month! Our first family vacation was a blast and we couldn't have asked for better timing given that the next several months were going to be very busy and stressful.
September - Miss Mia turned 3, kids were doing great at school, they loved their sweet teachers and friends....another visit to Nac, work is kicking Mommy's behind, first tent camping trip, Daddy kicks booty at at Rose City Tri in Tyler, lots of park time with the family...
October - we enjoyed Trick or Treating, Nik's football games, a special visit from Nevena and Forrest from Cali, LP Fall Festival, many lazy days in our jammies, watching the Rangers and many trips to Kids Kingdom. Mommy and Daddy also survived a whole weekend with four kids under 4 as the sweet Williams girls came over to hang out with us.
November - we enjoyed Thanksgiving with our families and watching Nik finish his senior year football season by going to playoffs. After much praying and many tears Mommy decided to resign from her position.
December - we enjoyed many holiday activities, two weeks of family fun together, and lots of yummy food and precious family time with our loved ones. I am thankful for having both of our families so close and the relationships Mia and Luka get to have with our sweet families.
The kids had their first offical sleepovers at each of the grandparents' houses while Mommy and Daddy enjoyed many date nights. There is just not a better way to end this year!
I get to start 2012 with these sweet faces as my two new bosses and I couldn't be more thankful for that!
We hope you all have a blessed and wonderful 2012!!!
