2011 has brought many wonderful memories in our busy lives. Mental memories is all they will be...there are no pictures or videos to document the last 6 months of our adventures. During a recent "clearing out the hard drive" project on our computer, I mistakenly deleted pictures and videos from 2010-2011--2 years!!! Luckily, everything was saved through December 2010 on disks. I have decided to just cut my losses and start anew. Yes, an external hard drive has been purchased since then!
So, since I am a little behind I will bullet point all the big happenings of 2011 so far...
JANUARY: Back to school after the Christmas holidays. Caleb doesn't like waking up early again. Mark starts his first full-time semester of grad school.
FEBRUARY: Mark and Caleb planned a beautiful Valentine's Day for all the ladies of the house. They decorated the dining room like and Italian restaurant with a quiet ambiance , including rose pedals and candles, and made a delicious, fine Italian meal. In each seat was a rose and a box of chocolates. Caleb was our server and Chef Mark worked in the kitchen. It was really sweet and special!
MARCH: Spring break week we decided to go camping at Huntsville State Park. My brother, Steve, and his family joined us along with Mark's brother, Michael. Ismari and I have decided we always want Michael to come along because he goes all out with food...plus he serenades us all with his guitar and singing around the campfire! haha. It was a fun week of bike trails, canoeing and good food!
APRIL: For Easter we went up to Dallas to visit the Empey crew. ALL 5 siblings were there and all the grandkids. It was a very fun-filled, exciting, and exhausting (in a good way) weekend!
MAY: Last month of school...both Mark and Caleb are ready for a little break. Madilyn is ready for preschool (she asks everyday when she will start) and Luke starts going to nursery! Yea!!! We forgot what Sunday School was...Sister Allison gets married and has reception in our parent's yard. It was vintage and beautiful and also exhausting! All 8 siblings were there!
JUNE: Summer swimming fun! With the heat so intense, we are in the pool everyday, several times a day. Mark takes a "weekend trip" to Dallas with Caleb and Madilyn and by a tender mercy, the transmission of the car went out as he exited the highway to his parent's house. They are stranded there for 3 days longer...without the car. With all the extra problems popping up, will we get in back from the shop ever? We prepare for our summer adventure to Pittsburgh...
JULY: Sister Margie visits Texas for a couple of weeks. We enjoy the 4th of July with Darrin's family watching a firework show (since there is a burn ban and we cannot purchase any this year) and we try to get in our beach trips before we drive back with Margie and her 3 kids to Pittsburgh for 5 weeks! 26 hours in the car with 6 kids=2 very tired mothers.
