Happy New Year

We had another exciting and eventful year.  I love going back over all the blog posts from the year and seeing what we've been up to.  We sure have been busy this year.

We went to a lot of different museums and parks throughout the year, starting with the Exploratorium where Lucas got to make huge bubbles. We also went to the Train Museum in Sacramento, Happy Hallow Park and Zoo where Lucas rode his first roller coaster, the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Dennis the Menace park followed by yummy food at the Fish Hopper and Ghirardelli Square.  We went on preschool field trips to Fairyland, the fire station, Super Franks, and the pumpkin patch.  

We also went to the California Academy of Sciences, went camping, toured the USS Hornet, took Lucas to his first baseball game, drove to Big Basin, and capped off the year with a visit to Alcatraz!  The biggest trip of the year was probably to Disneyland.  This was our first time ever going to Disneyland as a family.  I think we might have to make it a yearly tradition. 

We spent a lot of time in the water - going to the pool with friends, playing in the sprinkler at home, going to the splash park, and going to the beach a bunch of times too.  Lucas made his first sand castle with daddy earlier in the year.

I feel like Lucas has grown up a lot in the last year.  He was definitely not a baby anymore at the beginning of the year, but this year I feel like he's been making the transition from being a toddler to being a kid.  His vocabulary has expanded a great deal.  He graduated from riding the Mater to riding his tricycle. He started going to preschool, and most recently has entered the phase where he asks a lot of questions about how the world works and why certain things happen.  At first I thought it was so cute, then two days later I wanted to pull my hair out if he asked me why one more time.

Another first for the year was for me and Ryan.  We got our first bedroom set with matching bedside tables and a dresser.  AND we upgraded to a King!  Best decision ever.  I got to decorate our bedroom and the nursery and do all sorts of fun crafts.  I can't wait till we own a house and I can go crazy with the decorating.

The biggest thing that happened in 2012 was that Paige joined our family.  We started out the year big - I found out I was pregnant on New Years day!  We all went to the doctor and saw Paige's heartbeat for the first time 2 weeks later when I was only 6 weeks along.  Lucas loved going to the doctor to hear her heartbeat.
We found out she was a girl in April, felt her kicking and squirming throughout the summer. And on September 5, 2012 we got to kiss her chubby cheeks and welcome her to the family.  I don't know how we ever lived without her.

2012 was a great year - can't wait to see what 2013 will bring!