I intended to post a lot more in 2012. I had good intentions. But time was short and my to-do list was long. I decided to give you a quick and dirty recap of our year just like I did for 2011.
I reduced my hours at work this past May. One would think I should have more time on my hands for blogging and such but as it turned out, I had less. I tried to make sure I spent the majority of the extra time with the girls and we made Fridays “Family Day.” We did a different activity each Friday. Sometimes they were big (like trips to Myrtle Beach) and other weeks they were less exciting (like planting a garden). We painted pottery, played in our little plastic pool, made trips to get frozen yogurt and to the park. Bits and pieces of those are included in the recap of 2012 below.
So without further adieu, I give you 2012 {in review} and in chronological order.
We went to Disney World last January and that was one of the highlights of our year. We loved every minute (even the ones that were a little more stressful than others). I can’t wait to take the girls back again. I think Avery will enjoy it a lot more now that she’s a little older.
Though she seems to be enjoying it quite a bit based on the picture.
March brought Easter egg hunts, Easter baskets and the whole nine yards.
(My three favorites on Easter Sunday)
In April, we celebrated McKenna’s 5th birthday with a Taylor Swift Birthday party complete with a stage and karaoke. She is so sassy!
We also had cupcakes on her actual birthday at preschool. (Don’t worry…Contrary to what the picture implies, the other kids got cupcakes too.)
We also went to Denton to the Bluegrass Festival .
The girls can’t leave Denton without a ride on the Handy Dandy railroad!
In June, we went to Myrtle Beach, SC with Mom.
We visited Wonderworks while we were at Broadway at the Beach. McKenna is begging to go back.
And June wouldn’t be complete without our annual trip to White Lake with our favorites! (Though I don’t seem to have any pictures to document it.)
Another of our Friday activities in June was to have a “Beauty Day.” The girls needed their hair trimmed so we went to our stylist and then the girls both got their first manicure! They both sat still like they had had their nails done a thousand times.
We spent a lot of time this summer in our little garden. The girls enjoyed running out there every afternoon to see what we could “pick.”
In July, we took a day trip to Fort Macon in Atlantic Beach, NC and spent all morning in the museum and exploring the fort. If you have an interest in history or the Civil War, it’s a great spot to visit!
We walked across the parking lot to the ocean after we toured the fort and the girls couldn’t resist a little dip in the water.
McKenna started school in August. 
I have to be honest here. That rocked our world for a while. We were in a blissful, disorganized, no-schedule paradise that came crashing down when she had to be dressed and at school by 8:10. (I was in the habit of taking her to my Aunt’s house in her pajamas.) She had a hard time adjusting to being away from her family since she had never been to daycare or kept by anyone other than a family member. She cried. A lot. For weeks. And then she got over it. One magical day she made peace with it and she hasn’t looked back.
In September, we were beyond thrilled when my sister and her boyfriend announced that they were getting married! I hosted a little lingerie shower for her in October and I think all the ladies in attendance had a ball.
The girls and I also took a little trip to Chapel Hill to meet up with some of our favorite ladies.
In November, my little sweetheart turned three years old! 
She is an angel.
Can you believe it? We celebrated with a small Rapunzel party at home. Here’s a helpful hint. If you can’t find a Rapunzel cake – just order any princess cake and pop the princesses off and replace with Rapunzel figurine toys.
November was a whirlwind as we spent the rest of the month preparing for my sister’s wedding on the 17th. She was so pretty and I’m happy to report that she and her new husband are living happily ever after. (The picture quality is not that great on these.)
The girls were so excited to be flower girls in the wedding!
I had to throw in one of me and my man from the wedding! 
And that brings us to December. I got to volunteer in McKenna’s kindergarten class for Craft Day and again for the Faculty’s Christmas Breakfast. Her teachers are awesome! In case you didn’t know, kindergarten is hard work! I don’t know how they do it everyday. She has learned so much since August! She is reading and doing math problems and comes home talking about things that I wouldn’t even have expected them to cover (like Boxing Day, for example). I am amazed by the shear volume of topics that they have covered in such a short time.
I’m still sad about it though. My baby. In Kindergarten. I miss her.
Christmas was awesome.
We are very blessed. I can’t help but think of all of the families (especially those in Connecticut) who were not so lucky.
I’m praying for peace in 2013.
And that, my friends, was 2012. Thanks for hanging in there, if you are still reading. I’ve resolved to do better about posting in 2013!