2012 Wrap up

Well its time to wrap up 2012!

 

Our last few Elf on the Shelf.   Sweet Home Alabama made it to Baba's house!  And according to Santa's Note on Christmas day he also made it back to the North Pole!  I'm guessing he's taking a nice vacation until he has to get ready for next year. 

 

 

 

Santa Photo this year.  He wouldn't sit on Santa's lap but the picture turned out GREAT anyway :)

 

 

 

My New favorite Thing to do on Christmas eve.  Ice sculptures

The Dogs

 

 

Cam and Jess's Christmas party... Clayton's New friend

 

Christmas Morning... Spider man visited

 

The Gift William chose for his Daddy :)  For those who don't know Clay's colors are usually blue, white and orange!

 

 

 

 

The Russell's have had a busy year of changes.  With the move to Lacombe, job changes, a little boy starting pre-school and a bunch of other challenges that have helped our little family grow, learn and strengthen our relationships.

 

We are excited for 2013.  Its going to be a big year for us!  Clay and I get to turn 30 ( YIKES!).  William turns the BIG number 4, and gets to continue to grow and learn and experience new things.  We will continue to build relationships and a life for ourselves in Lacombe.  And we have several exciting trips and other plans for the upcoming year!

 

As we do every year we have reflected on last year and have came up with some goals and a Family Motto that will help guide us in the upcoming year.   I don't know if I have posted about this tradition that we have done the past few years.  Its kinda like making New Years Resolutions, but we do it as a family and choose a MOTTO that we print out and post in our home so we can refer to it during the year to help focus our energy on what is really important. 

One year the Motto was "Enjoy the Journey"  last year it was "Building a Better Life".  This year it is "Live, Laugh, Love: Today".  They may not be the most original motto's but they mean something to us and are related to our goals (resolutions) for the year.

 

We did a new thing this year as well.  A reflection of 2012. 

 

I found it on Pintrest (http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/12/free-new-years-eve-printables.html  the link will go to the updated free printable for 2013).  I think it will be a fun thing to do each year as kind of like a time capsule thing, to see how much we changed over the years.  We all used the 'kid' one because I liked how it talked about favorite things and Highlights of 2012.  I'm going to keep them in our Command Central book (a binder of important things).

 

HAPPY NEW YEARS TO EVERYONE!!!  ALL the Best in 2013!