Back to it!

I have been sick since Christmas Eve, and with getting the gifts uncluttered and finding homes for them, and playing with the the kids and showing them how to use all their new stuff, I haven't had much time to blog.

But what a better way to come back that with a Year in review Flaunt it Friday!

The year started off in JANUARY with Josh traveling a lot back and forth to Indiana to work on a huge job. We tagged along once for the weekend, and it was no fun being cooped up inside a small hotel room with 2 kids. Josh turned 29. While he was gone we had many play dates to keep us busy. At Ethan's eye Dr appt we were told his eye is doing better and he will no longer have to patch daily.

FEBRUARY brought us a new Nintendo Wii for a family Valentines Day gift. One Sunday, unknowingly our blog friend Drea dropped into visit our church, she was recognized as the famous blogging Drea and we introduced ourselves. She came back to visit us and we went to
JoAnn to get sling making material and have a nice lunch at Panera and afterwards a time to play at a friends house. Josh was still traveling back and forth to Indian a lot.

My birthday is MARCH 4th and I turned 26. We also went rollerskating with Merci's school. This is the first time any of us roller skated (or roller bladed) since Josh's horrible accident a few years ago.

APRIL brought Spring break for Merci and we decided to go back to Indiana with Josh. We brought my car this time so we could do some sightseeing. We ventured to the Indiana zoo and met the sweetest walrus ever. We also went to the 4 floor Childrens Museum, which was lots of fun! I guess this was a traveling month for us, because we also went to Pennsylvania to watch my cousins while my Aunt and Uncle went to Puerto Rico...3 boys under 7 means they deserved an nice vacation. It was fun to get to take my kids on their first airplane ride!!!

Finally after almost 7 years my daughter learns to ride a 2 wheeler in MAY. Merci also has her first small solo in the Spring concert. We also took the kids to see Shrek 3 in the theater, Ethan's 1st time to see a movie at the theater and he did great!

JUNE brought the end of 1st grade for Merci and Summer break!!!! My youngest brother also graduates from high school. We go camping for the 1st time without anyone else for Father's Day, it was fun. We also take the ferry to a day trip to Put in Bay. Merci attends her first Vacation Bible School. We are told Ethan needs to wear a patch on his eye daily or use dilating drops.

We got engaged 8 years ago on JULY 4th. Merci Rae turned 7 on July 9th. We go on our family vacation to Michigan and borrow a jet ski to take with us....SO MUCH FUN! We go to Geauga Lake and Merci rides the Double Loop, her first roller coaster. WE let Merci have her friend sleepover...the first sleepover for her. (It was horrible, they were up forever)

Ethan Chase turned 3 on AUGUST 10. Merci started 2nd grade. We find out Merci will need another hernia surgery on her belly button (her first was at 9 months old).

We took the kids to Cedar Point for the first time in SEPTEMBER. They were so well behaved, that we stayed later than anyone else we went with (no one else had kids). Merci rode the Magnum and Millennium Force. (2 of the biggest, fastest roller coaters there). We did lots of fun Summer activities as well.

Merci had her hernia surgery in OCTOBER. October 5 we go to the beach, because we had a record breaking 87 degree day in October (VERY unusual for here), Josh starts the biggest job of his career at a well known church in our area, we also went to the circus.

I give in and tell my husband to go buy the XBOX 360 that he really wants...he deserves it. Ethan's eye isn't getting better, so we need to be aggressive in treatment, dilating drops to his good eye, so his bad eye will work harder, DAILY. NOVEMBER also brings our 7th anniversary, and a weekend trip to Hocking Hills.

The last month of the year, DECEMBER, brings lots of shopping=) We need to fix our tub surround and end up ripping out the walls and tiling the tub surround (you haven;t heard much about this because it has been stressful, the tiling is done and we can finally shower in our bathroom and NOT the icky shower stall in the basement. I also get my iphone=)!!!