2010- What a year!!!

Here's wishing everyone had a very Merry Christmas and that you all have a Happy New Year!! As this year comes to a close, it's hard not to reflect on everything that 2010 has brought us. It's felt like a bit of a rollercoaster at times, but we were amazingly blessed. Sometimes I can't believe so much has happened in just a year's time. The year kicked off with Dyllan's birth, which couldn't have been a more exciting start to 2010. But while still in the height of excitement over our new baby we were hit with a major low in March when Joe's sister was diagnosed with brain cancer. Probably one of the healthiest people I know, it was hard for all of us to grapple with the idea of Heather being sick. Not long after- though certainly not comparable- we got a bit lower when our pup Lucy was diagnosed with a form of skin cancer. It was hard to take more bad news at the time. But modern medicine is amazing and God is GOOD. Today Heather (and Lucy too!) are CANCER FREE and we are still thanking God for those blessings. I still can't believe all of that has happened in just one year. Heather's strength during her treatments has left a permanent impression on us and we've tried to make an effort to remember to appreciate each and every day.

Of course there were many other milestones this year as we watched our sweet baby grow before our eyes-- first smile, first laugh, first words. We are still waiting for that first tooth!!! That gummy smile is ready for a tooth to pop through :)

In August my sister Kelly got married and we gained a brother-in-law in one Christopher Migatz. And in September, we welcomed a new niece when Joe's sister Katie had a baby girl. Of course, the year also rounded out with some more medical amazement. Joe had a total hip replacement at the end of October and was out of the hospital the NEXT DAY. Last week he was running. It has been pretty incredible how quickly he's bounced back and we were very grateful for top-notch care from the Rothman Institute/Jefferson Hospital, as well as the outpouring of love and concern we felt from our family, friends, and church.

In November we walked proudly beside Heather at the Race for Hope in Philadelphia. The Migatz family also joined us with their own young brain cancer survivor. Our team raised close to $4,000 for brain tumor research. This last month has mostly been focused on preparing for the holidays and it has been a joy having Dyllan here for her first Christmas. With such a busy year, we would have no problem with a quiet 2011 but I'm pretty certain Dyllan won't allow for that :) With the "walking" and "talking" phase in our near future I suspect she'll keep us quite busy!

As we look ahead to a brand new year we hope that you've enjoyed checking in on our family from time-to-time. Looking back over a year's worth of blog posts, it's definitely amazing to see how much has changed. We are looking forward to another year to come!

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS :)

Yum!

After lunch the other day we decided to give Dyllan a little treat and see how she'd do with a whole cupcake (it was just a mini one, but she's still never gotten an entire piece of food like this...we usually break everything up). We were very curious what she'd do with it and figured it'd be good practice for her birthday, which is coming up very soon :) Well, she spent a lot of time staring at it in awe. We think she was shocked it was all for her. But it didn't take too long to dig in....

Toward the end she got lazy and started eating it off the table. We decided that was a good time to call it quits. But she had some real fun and made a nice little mess in the process!

D & Friends

Dyllan had a nice day playing with some of her friends. She and the boys got quite a kick out of all trying to climb and push the walker around together. Amazingly, nobody fell, even with all friendly pushing and shoving ;)

A little elf and reindeer...

Holiday Happenings

The holidays always seem like the busiest time of year. But we're enjoying our first holiday season with our sweet little girl....

My sister Kelly and I enjoyed attending "Breakfast with Santa," put on by the Y at a local Applebees. Our tickets included a pancake breakfast and Dyllan's photo with Santa. These photos are out of order, as Dyllan first cried, then decided she was "okay" with Santa after he gave her a candy cane...

Prior to getting the candy cane, Dyllan wasn't a big fan of the "Big Guy"

We took our first-ever trip to Longwood Gardens with Joe's parents and Dyllan. It was definitely a fun time for everyone...

Dyllan's favorite part of my sister and brother-in-law's housewarming party was playing with the pillows on their bed...

Kelly and Chris with Dyllan at their new house...

On the Road

This past weekend we took our first long car trip with Dyllan. She did really well (I was definitely nervous as we've been through some serious car melt downs where she just wants out of the car seat). We took long lunch breaks both ways to give her some time out of the car and that seemed to do the trick. She napped in between and I sat in the back to entertain her.

We had a really nice time visiting with my Aunt Ginger in Saugerties, NY on Friday. Then on Saturday we all continued on (including Aunt Ginger) to Massachusetts to spend the day with my cousin Michelle and her family- husband Chris and daughters Erin and Grace. Dyllan had a new best friend in Grace. Sat night we returned to NY to stay over with my Aunt again and then made the trip home on Sunday morning. All in all it was a great time and Dyllan enjoyed getting to know her extended family :)


"Hi Mom!!" (ever since Dyllan learned how to wave, she likes to wave at everyone)


Saying "Hi" to the camera with Aunt Ginger

Dyllan and Erin

Dyllan and Grace