Our Holiday Wrap Up

In trying to reach all of our closest friends and family, as sad as it is I think this is the best way to keep everyone in the loop as to what's been going on in 2011 and what we're all up to! So, this is gonna be our new thing, a lil' "year in review" for ya'll and for us to remember when we're like 60 : )

At the beginning of  2011 we were JUST settling in with our lil' princess-honestly-the first month it was a lil' bit fuzzy, so I'm glad that it's well documented-Rylee has adored her since day 1, and we are so thankful for that!

We have been so blessed by our 2 lil' munchkins, and I can't believe that we ever doubted what was going on in our lives.  God's plan is ALWAYS better than the plan we have for ourselves, so I don't know what I was so worried about!

After settling in for a few months, we felt it was "ok" for mommy to take a lil' break and head out to some of our best friends wedding-Ryan was super sad to be missing out on it, but he bought me a ticket to California with my mama to visit my brother and attend our friends, Lisa and Shands wedding!!!

And while that was a fabulous get away, on my final day there we got word that Ryan had been let go from his job, and we were onto a different segment of our life-change was gonna be coming-and we knew as much stress as we were going to be under, it really was for the best....eventually it would get better, but it was a LONG summer.  Blesse to have the summer months together, we just wish it would have been under different circumstances....so we took the next 4 months to spend together as a family, and as hard as it was to just emjoy that time.  I truley believe that if we can get through that and come out "alive" we can get through anything!  It has told us who we really are as indivisuals and who we have become as a couple, a family, a team....we have grown so much and learned a lot about life, and those who surround us....

We got home and enjoye Easter together with our family, and focused on the good in our life!

We took a camping trip up to Northern Michigan with family and friends-Ezzie LOVED it, and she was just learning to walk! She's a biggie girl! Rylee became a real outdoorsmen : )

Ezra turned 1, and we celebrated with all of our favorites!

See! Walking like a biggie-girl! I almost feel as if Ryan's time off was something "planned".  This sumer my mom got very sick, and long story short required about 10-14 days in the hospital, in and out for about a month.  There is NO way I would have been able to be there as much as I was for her to help out if I had to figure out something with the kiddos everyday-well, I would have-but it took MUCH stress away from that whole ordeal.....We were on our way to the hospital to visit their "nammy" in this pic!

We went to Tennessee for our adoption agencies reunion! What a wonderful weekend away that was, meeting everyone that we have all learned of via the internet during our amazing journey!  CCI has done sucha  wonderful job of keeping us all in touch, and gives us such great means to do so! We also got to stop and stay with some of our good friends The Haid's in Indianapolis on the way home too!

During this time, Ryan was still searching and searching, networking through ALL of this, and actually I don't know how I didn't jump off a tall building through it all.  We learned not to get too excited, as it seemed everynight on the news we just kept hearing how the unemployment rate had grown.  Never in a million years did we think that one of us would become that statistic, but that's why you just live your life for what you have "that day", as you're not guarenteed anything......at this point Ryan was considering a job that he knew probably wouldn't be "forever" but it was something that was able to get him out there again and still looking in the meantime. It's pretty nervwrecking to think about moving the family, leaving our home, etc-but we just do what we feel is right, go with our gut, that's all you can do!

We celebrated Rylee's "Gotcha Day" at the waterpark nearby, and on that day Ryan was "employed again"! Nothing permanent, but hey we were moving in the right direction! We felt "alive" again! And we cannot believe that we were celebrating 3 years of Rylee being home! How on earth did that happen!

The Bodine's and The Shrock's came to visit! We had an amazing weekend with our wonderful CCI family, and now our dear friends!

Kalvyn James was brought into the world on September 4th! A new baby cousin for Rylee and Ezzie to love on! Ezzie is in love with "Bubba Kal" : )

Uncle Jake came for a visit! Ezzie was not his biggest fan, thankfuly since then she has grown to not hate everyone that she doesn't see often!

We went to visit our friends Mark and Amy and their awesome lil' man Eli in Western Michigan! We are so lucky to have met such great adoption friends, that have now become more than just "adoption friends"!

Rylee Bona started preschool! Ok, let's be honest. Mommy was a MESS leading up to this day!  We don't have to go through all of that, but we have loved where he is at-and he LOVES preschool.  The first day as we were pulling out of the garage he says under his breath "finally, i get to play with my friends" Hahaha, o goodness-yes, that child is so deprived! : )

We played dress up on halloween, and Ryle was a shark and Ezzie a ladybug.  Rylee did great trick or treating, was pretty laid back but loved all of his snacks! Ezzie thought she needed to sit down on everyones doorstep to put her treat in her pumpkin, this made for a long night : ) We lasted a good hour out on the town though!

We have had a great fall and holiday season together.  We have been so very thankful for all that we have in our lives, even given all of the "set-backs".  We've had all but the kitchen sink thrown at us, and we have managed to stay alive.  Ryan has a job that he really loves now as an Account Manager with WLNS.  I am in the salon 2 days a week, as Salon Manager, and taking appointments part time-and I am also Director with Thirty-One Gifts, in which I am still loving all of that! It also gives me the satisfaction of being at home with our kiddos too!  We still don't really know  what will be going on for 2012, we see some changes coming up, but I can honestly say I am ready for change! Last time I had been this emotional about life changes, God told me "I got this"-and a year later we brought our lil' boy home from Ethiopia (No, we are NOT bringing anymore kids home right now) : )...just when I think my world is crumbling, some how I am humbled how God is moving in our life, so I can't help but feel him moving mountains for us right now!  We have been blessed beyond belief, and he is using us in ways we don't even know of right now, but I have to trust.  Wishing you all a Happy and HEALTHY 2012!