Goodbye 2012, Hello 2013

Oh 2012...what a BIG year this has been for our family! Time for a look back:

January: We celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary. Matt started recruiting school...the beginning of a whole new adventure for our little family. Hard to believe that's been almost a year ago already!

February: Matt graduated recruiting school and the adventure officially began...for real!

March: March was a month of goodbyes. We had to say goodbye to the many friends we'd made during our time in California, the therapists and teachers who had become like family and made such a huge difference in Shaun's life, and ours. We had to say goodbye to California, the place that had been our home for so long and where our little family truly began. It was a bittersweet as we left our old home in California and moved into our new house here in Indiana.

April: Matt officially started work as a recruiter, and the long hours began. Shaun's struggles to adjust to the move truly began during this month.
May: To be honest, I don't remember many particulars of May, but I believe this was the month Shaun started at his new school. He was placed in an inclusion preschool classroom and it did NOT go well. His struggles adjusting worsened and we unfortunately saw a lot of aggressive behavior. It was the beginning of a rough few months for us! But on the bright side, I also became a Blessings Unlimited consultant in May!




June: Our first summer in Indiana, and boy was it a hot one! But Shaun managed to find ways to stay cool and have some fun anyway!

July: Shaun experienced his first time making homemade ice cream the right way (you know, hand cranking it!). It's a tradition in my family, and he loved it!! No fireworks for the 4th of July this year...we were in a drought and had a burn ban! No fun at all!!

August: Shaun turned 5 years old! Which of course meant a party, and much of our family's first time seeing our new home in person (actually, for the majority of them, it was the first time seeing ANY of our homes in person). Shaun also started his third and final year of preschool. This time he was placed in a separate special education only class. I also celebrated my 25th birthday as well!

September: Shaun experienced his first chowder (a family tradition in my hubby's family). He also got a pet turtle, which unfortunately we had to let go because he refused to eat. Shaun was heartbroken.

October: We made the decision to start trying to add onto our little family- a decision that had taken a LONG time to make!! And of course, how can we mention October without mentioning Halloween!? Shaun made an adorable Mario!!

November: The positive highlight for the month was the Marine Corps ball. Aside from that, November was a difficult month for our family. After making the decision to start trying for baby #2, we were ecstatic when we had a positive pregnancy test right away...and devastated when that pregnancy ended in an early miscarriage.

December: Our sad November was turned around with a truly blessed December, when we once again got another positive pregnancy test. This time, everything seems to be going incredibly well, and we truly could not be happier. We are ending the year on a positive note, and can't wait to see where 2013 will take us!