2011--our year in review--part 1

can it really be 2012?
when i was a little girl, i thought that surely by the time i was in high school, we'd be living all space age like the jetson's! so needless to say, the fact that 1991 has come and gone and i'm driving an suv instead of some sort of hover craft is a tad bit disappointing. ;)
we've had a fun-sad-interesting-peaceful-exciting sort of year. here are a few highlights, broken into 6 months because i was going a bit overboard on the pictures.

january

*we try to start out the year with a self-portrait--just a little glimpse of what we're like right now.

*we got our first snow on january 9 & we were so excited!

*mckinlee had so much fun playing outside

*michele had a crafting party for the girls--they made bracelets and a beautiful shell container. our c.o.'s wife, tamara, also showed them how to write their names in calligraphy.

*here's mck and tamara

*we had our special day assembly this month and this was the theme:

*mck & i at the assembly--doesn't she look thrilled to be posing with me? ha!

february*our second snow came this month & this was a whopper! it actually broke records here in texas.
we were snowed/iced in and none of us left the house for a week! it was great.
chris tried to get work done at home--but he was getting serious cabin fever.
i remember him saying the only good thing about being snowed in was that we weren't out spending money! ha! spoken like a true accountant.

*the view out our front door

*mckinlee & cosmo playing on the back porch

*i even got out in it for a little while

*i figured i better document this with a phone shot--we might not ever have this kind of weather again!

*being house-bound allowed mck the opportunity to try a new craft--making all sorts of things with duct tape. aren't these pretty?

*one of the sad things about this year--this was the month my grandma died. we were so glad we had gone to see her a few months before.

*i won 2 pairs of boots from a little junk in my trunk--you would be amazed at all the fabulous things she finds from goodwill!

* i got my new car this month & i am loving having an suv again.

march

* we went to waco to celebrate mom & les' 2nd anniversary.
we went out to dinner and then back to danielle's for presents and dessert.

*i got to spend some time with this cutie!

*i had been waiting for this eye shadow palette to come back in stock and it finally did. LOVE this stuff--it's all i use now!

*chris and i celebrated our 17th anniversary with a weekend trip downtown. we stayed at this pretty hotel.

*chris thought it was a little too "austin powers" for him--i thought it was pretty cool and modern!

* we had a wonderful dinner at a restaurant about 40+ stories up. the view was amazing!

*i planted my spring pots for the front and back porches.

april

*mckinlee finally got her first phone!

*she had her spring orchestra concert.

*and nana was able to come visit and go to it.

*she made us a beautiful card and got us sweet presents for our anniversary.
(we tend to exchange gifts a little late.)

*the most important night of the year for us--the memorial of jesus christ's death.

*i, finally, completely cleaned out the storage room beyond my pantry.

*so much better!

may

*mckinlee and i made cute teacher appreciation gifts.

*mom, danielle & sadie came for a fun visit.

*mck's orchestra at the sandy lake u.i.l. competition. they placed 1st!

*we went to waco to celebrate our anniversary with our families.
(chris' busiest time of year is right at our anniversary in march. so we end up celebrating with family usually a few months later.)

the pretty dessert table mom had set up

*we don't look too bad for being an old married couple.

*all three of us

*danielle, mom & me

*more celebrating--with chris' mom and dad.

*mck & i came back later in may to be at parker's baby shower that danielle had for kami.

*we love this girl!

*mck's final concert of the year.

june

*i tried to get into extreme couponing by starting with cvs--this only lasted a little while, but i did find some great bargains.

*april had a lovely girl's tea party.

*mckinlee on her last day of school.
we have a little tradition: ever since she started school--she always wears the same thing on the first and last day and we take pictures to see how she's changed.

*coming out of school on the last day.

*before we left to go to the great american scrapbook convention in arlington.

*mck & kathy doing a make-n-take at one of the booths.

*got a new rug and new pillows and lamps to change things up a little in the living room.

*i just liked this picture of d and i at our grandmother's house.

*our district convention was this month.

*abby, claire & mckinlee

*chris & i

*valarie, me & patricia working in the book room.


so...that's where i'll stop for now.
tune in tomorrow for july-december.
i promise it will be just as fascinating as january-june. ha!