We had five different scheduled appointments to check around our home and service appliances today since we have had our one year in our home sneak up on us. One year already? How is that even possible? So many good memories have been made. From watching the slab being poured, to picking out every tile, cabinet, & tub, to seeing it quickly come from the ground up. All the way up until the day we got our keys. Such a whirl wind of stressful moments and lots of exciting ones along the way. In the last year we have experienced so many changes. Some have become family and sadly a few have exited our circle. We are tremendously thankful for the folks we are surrounded by at this new stage in our lives. Bitty has had so so so many first in our new home. Her cute little scooting on her bum across a room (because she never did learn to actually crawl), her first steps, first words, an almost mouthful of teeth now, sneaking on one stair before we quickly put up baby gates. Now she can get up and down those stairs like it’s nothing and fast! Seeing her run around in the home she will get to grow up in. Each of our monsters have had a huge birthday party here already. We’ve had a big Thanksgiving dinner that we had enough room to invite several people in to our home for. A blessed Christmas with our children, my mom , my dad, and Matt’s mom even came over that evening. Bitty’s Christening. Measuring our monsters when we moved in and each of their birthdays. We have also celebrated many other birthdays here over the last year: my hubster, Leilani, my mom, Aunt Glo, my dad’s, and mine. We’ve shared lots of random gathering with friends and fam. In our first year my mom moved in with us. My cousin Joe lived with us for a few months while he worked at Retama. My sister, Godson, Parker, and nephew, Joshie, my B-Boo, my dad, Matt’s cousin, Rachel, Joe’s wife, Sandra, and my Aunt Glo have all stayed with us for some very special visits. Matt’s Aunt Debbie & Uncle Scott came to town and we quickly pulled together a little Graham fam reunion. My husband did a half marathon with Phil in military boots and a 35 lbs ruck sacks, this was less than a year after we had a very big scare with his health and we had thought he had a heart attack! Still so very proud of my husband’s huge accomplishment. He also spun up a small and very successful business that has been both enjoyable & rewarding. This man never ceases to amaze me. Sleepovers galore have happened on nearly every weekend and basically all summer for our three oldest monsters. Bitty and I successful met our goal of extended breast feeding. Budah started his first job. Our girls took hip hop dance classes, tumbling, and karate over the summer. Buggie started Pre-K, ballet, and tap. Bunny started third grade, sings in choir, is a cheerleader, and takes tap, and ballet as well. Budah entered his junior year in homeschool, has held down the same job for a year now, is wrapping up drivers Ed, skateboards like crazy, and is looking forward to purchasing his first car in the near future. With our four little monsters & friends we made handmade Valentines and delivered them to a local nursing home. Then with friends we also made & delivered pillows, hats, cards, and some books to every single child in the Methodist Children’s hospital for Easter before we went to New Orleans for my family reunion. Bunny, Buggie, Aryie, and our niece, Brylee went to VBS at our church this summer. I have had three surgeries in the first year we have been in our home and my family and friends have been amazing through each and every one. I have been very blessed to be a stay at home mama. I finally started using the blog my husband created for me last year and have so enjoyed documenting our life, some not so good moments and lots and lots of very special things that I will have to look back on and cherish for many years to come. Sigh. Just so many special things have already happened in what feels like a very short amount of time. It’s been an amazing feeling to start building new traditions and memories with the folks we truly love and adore. Thought I would share a peek into our last year through photos. God has truly blessed us and we are beyond thankful for the life we live and the fabulous folks that are in it. We are so incredibly humble and don’t for one second take any of it for granted! Thanks be to God!