12 in 2014

I'm joining HouseUnseen for a link-up of 12 photos in 2014. This was my first year blogging, and I loved going back through the year and remembering all the fun we had this year. It was an incredible year, and I'm truly blessed. 

We started January with a new (to us) minivan so that we'd be able to fit our third baby, who would be arriving in the summer. We sold my old car in our first experience using Craigslist, and everyone was excited to make room for a new baby. We spent the rest of the month enjoying snow, and independent Belle turned 3. 

We spent February surviving more snow (and I was slightly dramatic about it). Our cheerful little Bug turned 2, and we had a Magic School Bus birthday party for both girls. 

March was a low-key month with some more snow and a lot of toddler illness. 

April is always my favorite month.  The Officer and I celebrated our 4th anniversary weekend at a beautiful resort and were both so grateful for this wonderful marriage. We spent my spring break visiting one of my sisters and had a prefect Easter. 

We had a hot May, and the Officer was able to refinish our  front porch. May was a big month, because my preschoolers had their last day of school, and then I became a SAHM. 

We spent June doing all kinds of fun things before the baby came. The Officer and I took the girls on an incredible weekend get-away to the beach, and we enjoyed some ice cream trips, time at the mall splash park, and lots and lots of outdoor time. It was a fun month to end our time as a family of 4, and it was topped off with some beloved family moving back from across the country! I honestly thought baby number 3 was going to arrive in June, so I spent the end of the month waiting and waiting.....

In July our third baby finally decided to make an appearance 10 days past her due date. It was a crazy, exciting day, and then we spent the rest of the month soaking in our newborn. She was a cute, sweet, happy newborn. July was a perfect month.

August was a month of firsts for our little lady. She went to her first wedding, she made her first day trip to the beach, she went on her first airplane, and she attended a 90th birthday party. The highlight of the month was when she was baptized and joyfully welcomed into the Catholic Church.

September was another busy month. The Officer finished our powder room renovation, we met a new baby cousin, we spent lots of evenings at the tennis court, the Officer had a birthday, the girls went to Frozen on Ice, we all enjoyed Oktoberfest, and everyone else went back to school, but all the Mik girls stayed home and played instead. 

I thought September was busy, but October turned out to be even crazier. The Officer and I went on a ziplining date, the Officer demolished our Master bathroom. That renovation got put on hold, and our schedules got out of control when I went back to work as a long-term sub, and the Officer and I juggled watching the 3 girls and working. We finished the month with a fantastic Halloween, and the girls loved their Frozen costumes their Aunt made them. 

Things calmed down with a pretty quiet November. SuperDad held down the fort easily while I worked part-time throughout all of November, and the month flew by. We were so happy that we got to visit all of our family for Thanksgiving and met another new baby cousin. 

December was fast and fun. In a desperate attempt to figure out the food allergies of my baby girl, the Officer and I started off the month deciding to go on the Whole30 diet (today is our last day!!!). We fit in all of our favorite Christmas traditions with a trip to see Santa, the tacky light tour, numerous Advent calendars, and a school Nativity play. I finished teaching and became a SAHM again, and we had a magical Christmas with both our families (and yet another new baby cousin!).