2011 was a good year !

Although our New Years resolution has not gone really well...we look back at 2011 as a very good year.  Yes...our idea of a good year is a little different than most.  Russell was admitted to hospital twice in early   2011, and he broke his arm in June.  Not exactly fun times...but we learned a lot about how strong our little boy is.  Being in hospital actually gave us a lot of confidence and understanding of his health and how to manage it.  Knowing what to avoid can make all the difference in the world.  The broken arm I can hardly remember.  It didn't slow him down at all and it seemed like such a short time that he was in the cast.  In spite of some of the challenges we had...we had so many more positives.

Nicole started school in September...a pretty big day for the little girl and she has done so awesome in school.  I was able to get a lot of work done around the house...and I am looking forward to enjoying my landscaping in the spring time.  The big change for Russell was that he is no longer a baby...in 2011 he turned into a real little boy who runs and plays and causes carnage and mayhem.  No helpless little baby anymore.  In 2011...it seemed like we moved forward.  Hospital world seems to be fading into the distance...time to get on with life.  Time to start thinking about the future.  My fondest memory of 2011 had to be Christmas.  Christmas has always seemed to be a difficult time.  In years past we had so many bad experiences around the Christmas season.  Susan's Dad was extremely sick at Christmas, and passed shortly after New Years...my Dad and Susan's Mom were diagnosed with cancer right around Christmas and of course our memorable Christmas in Edmonton.  2011 was different.  Both Nicole and Russell really got into it this year and Susan and I went along for the ride.  We didn't do anything out of the ordinary but the joy the kids brought to the Christmas Season was quite infectious.  I have to mention what a trooper Nicole was.  She was involved in a Christmas concert at school and at church.  We really didn't know what to expect because, as parents, we were never really involved in the practices.  We had no idea what to expect.  At church, Nicole, was on stage for a full hour and seemed to be totally into it...she knew her lines and knew her songs...very impressive for a 5 year old.  She did awesome!

2011 had a very shaky start but turned out to be a great year.  2012 has started out a little bumpy...hope it turns around just like it did last year.