**January
We stay the night at a water park/hotel with my family

have a visit with Grayden’s birth dad at the Children’s Museum
 
Sadler starts walking {8.5 months}

I hosted my first ‘favorite things’ party

Sadler’s first hair cut

**February
sickness invades our family (me-hospitalized for UTI and sepsis, Grayden-flu, Sadler-respiratory)

Sadler gets his first stitches

Leap Year; Brenham’s 4th birthday

**March
spend a few days in Indy for a truck show

boys get lots of use of the new backyard

Robb and I go on a 5 night cruise to Belize and Cozumel (first time leaving the boys long term)

Spend a night at a water park/hotel in Shipshewana with Grandma and Grandpa L.

**April
Swing set goes up

Sadler turns 1!

Grayden spends a day working with dad on ‘take your son to work day’

**May
we spend a rainy day at the Bethany Christian Services  Micro-Olympics

tulip time fun


Grayden turns 3!

we spend lots of time outside playing and doing lots of fun stuff on the Summer List, click here to read more about that

We take the little wrecker in the Memorial Day parade

Sadler has emergency surgery to repair an inguinal hernia

**June
We go the farmers market almost weekly

Spend a couple days in Indy for a sisters weekend

do lots of garage sale-ing

Grayden starts his second year of swimming lessons

Grayden does 4 weeks of soccer camp

spend a couple days in Chicago for training for Robb’s job

Spend 4th of July weekend at the cottage and watch fireworks

we go to stroller fitness class almost every week

Robb wins Hamilton tennis tournament

first family DAY trip the beach

spend lots of Sunday nights at different parks with our friends all Summer long

first visit to Sandy Pines

**August
I water ski for the first time in 6+? years

Grayden’s first dentist appointment

family trip to the zoo

Peyton Grace, my niece, is born

Robb goes to Nascar race, sits in the pits

Hudsonville Fair fun

Robb and I go to a Tiger’s game

We visit with Grayden’s birth dad at the park

**September
We spend Labor Day weekend in Shipshewana with the extended Rietman side

Grayden’s first day of school

I do 27 acts of kindness on my 27th birthday, to read more about that click here

Robb spends a few days in Utah for training
Sadler gets his second set of stitches
 
With the help of healthy eating and regular exercise, I reach my goal to lose 20 pounds

Circus
 
4 year check up at Mayo Clinic
 
Swallow study for Sadler, learn we need to thicken his liquids


**October
Breakfast on the farm
 
celebrate 7 years of marriage

take train to Chicago and Shedd’s aquarium



**November
My Grandpa R. passed away

Meet Todd and Angie Smith at Embrace the Hope event

Grandparent’s day at school

Purchased a mini van

**December
Go on a cruise to the Bahamas with my sisters

Grayden sings in his first Christmas program at church

I finish reading through the Bible in a year!

Thank you, Lord for blessing us so richly in 2012.
I thank you for keeping our family safe, I praise you that Sadler’s surgery went well, and his stitches have healed up and thank you for sparing him from worse injuries ;)  Thank you for our health, and for restoring our bodies when we’ve been sick. I praise you for my kidney, and that it continues to function normally.  I thank you for being with us during the ups and down, from the birth of a niece to the passing of a grandpa. Thank you for our jobs and for providing all that we need and more. Thank you for the awesome opportunities we’ve had to travel and see the beauty you’ve created around the world. Thank you for our children and blessing us with them. Thank you for our marriage and for giving us 7 wonderful years together. Thank you for all the fun times we’ve spent this past year with friends and family and for the blessings they are in our lives. Thank you Lord for your Word and the gift it is to us. What a privilege it’s been to spend time in your Word this past year.
Lord, I pray for your protection over our family in 2013, and for continued health and happiness. We look forward to what your plan holds for us in the coming year. We know whatever comes our way, you will be there through it all. Help us to live our lives in a way that may please you in the year to come.
Amen