Top 10 of 2010

I was hoping to have this post up before we rang in the new year, but alas, it's a little late. Story of my life. Deal. I have compiled 10 of our favorite events from this year into a top ten list. They are basically in the order in which they occured, and not at all in order of importance. Enjoy!

1. Bathroom Remodel- This one was a long time coming! Since we've lived in this house (6 years) I've hated our bathroom. A lot of things in this house need remodeled, fixed up, replaced, etc- but that bathroom was the number one thing that I've wanted to change, and in January 2010, WE DID IT! I absolutely adore everything about my new bathroom, and it was totally worth all of the effort that we put into it!

2. Nolan- May 17, 2010, we welcomed our first nephew into the world! This little guy can light up a room with his smile and charming personality. Matthew was honored to be named as his Godfather in October. We're so excited to watch him grow and change each time that we get to see him!

3. Florida Vacation- In June we were able to take a fantastic trip down to Florida with several of the people that we love the most! We celebrated our anniversary, Sara and Todd's last trip as a couple, I was able to reunite with an old friend, and meet up with a close one! We were blessed to be able to have my mom and dad accompany us and help with the boys. We had the best of both worlds getting to spend time with our boys and my parents, and also being able to go out with our best friends sans kiddos! I couldn't have asked for a better trip!

4. Five year anniversary- This is one of my favorite events from this year. Celebrating 5 years of marriage to the man that I adore? What could be better than that? So much has changed since we said, "I Do." Yet, we're still the same two young kids that fell in love 9 years ago in so many ways. I wake up every single day, thankful to have him by my side. He is the best friend I've ever had, the best husband any woman could ever ask for, and the most amazing father to our two wonderful boys! I can't wait to celebrate all of the anniversaries to come with him!

5. KaeLynn- When Michelle first told me that she was expecting a baby, I was shocked. It was a lot for me to digest at first, but it wasn't long before I was falling in love with that little peanut. By the time that she arrived on July 29, 2010, I was head over heels in love with her! This girl made my Little Sister a mommy! She's such a sweet, precious little thing- and it's such an amazing thing to watch my little sister be such an awesome mama!

6. Cooper- I knew this little guy was in the works before his mama would even admit it to me! He made his debut on September 13, 2010, and he is just perfect. I'm so thankful that Jodi and Brett live so close and that I'm able to see this little guy pretty often. He looks a lot like my two boys did, so it's fun to watch him grow and change. I can't wait to watch him play with my boys as he grows! Hopefully they don't corrupt him too much :)

7. Allie- This little princess?? Well, I pretty much adore her! She's the daughter of my best friends, and everything you'd expect the child of two awesome people to be! She arrived on September 24, 2010 and completed the foursome of nieces and nephews that we were blessed with this year. I'm pretty pumped to be the one that will be watching Allie when her mama goes back to work, because she's such a sweet and fun little girl!

8. Growing in Christ with my husband and family. This has been a big one this year. We've become far more active at St. Susanna and it's been such an amazing thing. After finishing RCIA last Easter, I started teaching FPU there. I'll be starting my third class on February 22. Beyond that, we've enjoyed attending mass regularly and getting to know the other families. Owen is also loving his PreK class and has made a number of friends. It's truly an incredible thing to see your children grow in Christ, and in turn to grow with them. It goes without saying that our two boys are our world (They're our Top 2- every day of every year!) , so we're incredibly thankful to be able to raise them in a place like St. Susanna!

9. Saying Goodbye to credit cards! This December, we broke up with credit cards forever! After 21 months of "Living Like No One Else", we've cut this chain that was holding us down and are one (BIG) step closer to being debt free!! If things go as we plan, we will be completely out of consumer debt before the end of this year! WOO HOO!!! It is a pretty amazing feeling to see our hard work turning into serious momentum!

10. Watching my friends and family members become parents- Maybe this one is kind of cheating since I already gave each of the babies their own number- but seriously these little souls defined our year in a lot of ways. We're so happy to have nieces and nephews. We're so happy that our kids have cousins, and watching my "sisters" grow into the role of motherhood has been amazing! We love you Nolan, KaeLynn, Cooper and Allie- Thanks for making our 2010 so special and memorable!