2011... In Pictures!

Well, I'm pretty sure we started a new tradition in 2010 with our 'picture post' to close out the year... I just can't come up with a better way to document our most favorite memories of the year! Here it is....

 2011, in pictures...

We prepared our hearts and home to bring home Baby Smith #2....

 Someone special turned 3 years old....

We spent special time with our cousins....

We spent time with siblings....

Onk & Day graduated AND got engaged....

We dated each other....

Bonk drove across the country and came home in time for Christmas...

We went on a carriage ride...

We wore reindeer noses...

And paper hats...

And reindeer noses...

And paper hats....

Did I mention reindeer noses??

Families were together despite distances...

We dressed like Princess Peacocks and made silly faces...

Joey got a new job....

And we moved half-way across the country...

It was hard work...

We acted like princesses, even when doing breathing treatments...

And we even lost a couple adenoids and tonsils...

We rode the carousel...

We dated each other...

We ate ice cream....





We stayed close to best friends even though we don't live close anymore...

Someone learned how to use the big-girl potty...

We got some 'interesting' mail...

Hannah got to know her Great-Grandparents...

2011 will forever be remembered by us as one of the most challenging years we've ever had;  we planned for babies and lost those babies, we struggled through job loses and losing friends... but we also are thankful for a new job and new friends, our finances took hits along with everyone else in the world, we cut back but learned to appreciate the things we have and the people who love us, Joey and I both at times distanced ourselves from each other and the Lord... but we always found our way back to both and realized that things are much easier to get through with both, we found people whom we had lost.... in some cases, we were better off without them... and in others', we're thankful for their return and missed them so much, we learned that it's ok to be vulnerable and transparent... and to trust again, even though we have felt deceived so many times before, we learned that our Jesus never deceives us and that HIS plan should always be our plan.

As challenging as 2011 was, we were stretched and challenged and at times, didn't think we could make it... but we did;

and we loved each other through every second!

 ~ 2011 will be our last year as a family of 3... we just know it!! 2012 ... twenty-twelve... will ALSO be a year that we'll never forget and we'll appreciate it so much more, thanks to 2011. Thank you for taking this ride with us... hang on because it's going to get fun :-)