I really feel the need to do a year in a review, since it was probably my slowest blog year in the last 8 (almost 9!) that I’ve been blogging.
January
Celebrated Tuesday’s forth birthday with a car themed party.

Oh how they’ve grown! I loved the way we set up the dining room on Tuesday’s actual birthday too, we are definitely doing the photo strips again. And it will be the third year of the quiz.
February
I spent February blogging just in pictures, one of my favorite things to do lately. Rainbow Rice was my most popular post.

March
We went to Alaska to visit our friends, where we got to ride on a one horse open sleigh.

Bennet had her first bite of solid food, and a little bit of dirt too! Also I made this super cute bear sweat suit.
April
Visited the tulip fields as a family:

Tuesday got her hair curled by grandma. Super warm weather meant lots of sleeveless walks and picnics. Bennet got her first tooth.
May
I made a bunch of baby food (then Bennet decided after a month that she was so over being spoon fed). I made Tuesday a cute swimsuit. We took a short family vacation for Bj’s birthday to the Oregon Coast, and the Oregon Coast Aquarium (might be becoming a tradition?).
 

Got a new front door.
June
Tuesday had her second dance recital. Made a bunch of teeny tiny trainers (and a tutorial here). Edited my kitchen, picked strawberries, hiked Forest Park. Kids science association first meeting. Played in fountains.

Made skirts for myself, and a prairie girl dress and bonnet for Tuesday.
July
More fountains. Homeschool hiking group trip to the river, every meal on the front porch, forth of July with matching mama, baby, girl skirts (I never did share this did I?)

I sewed some other clothes for the girls too. Bj made this cute toy for Bennet. Playing outside everyday, and lots of gardening. Bennet walking! Sister’s Outdoor Quilt Show, the Salem Art Fair. Bennet is one! My dad and I built a Montessori map cabinet. Bean picking with Salem Harvest. Homeschool playgroup by the creek. Visiting nana and pops. Tuesday dressing up as a postal carrier. I finally made myself some leggings. After 8 long months mama can eat soy and dairy!!!! And Bennet was totally fine with it!
August
Worst bug bites of my life! Re-doing the dry-loc in the basement and repainting the walls. Finally finishing up the french doors, painting, etc. Thrifting: buying and selling at our own garage sale. Pacific NW quilt guild meet-up in Portland. Swimming in my mom’s pool. Beginning the summer canning. Started having B, my mother’s helper come twice a week for a few hours. Outdoor play kitchen everyday.

Mama’s birthday at the fair. Camp out at my grandpa’s.
September
Repeat most of the summer months: swimming at grandma’s, playing outside, gardening and eating outside everyday. Add in a massive corn pick with Salem Harvest, and a ton of corn canning, including learning to pressure can.

Harvesting the sunflowers we watched grow all summer for the birds for winter. Harvesting our first (and most expensive!) potatoes. Canning, canning, canning. Freezing too. Dance camp for Tuesday. Summer colds. Pumpkin stuffed with everything good. Visit from our Alaskan friends. Did I mention the canning (of course I had to rope my mother in law in for at least a day or two of it)? Rendered my own lard for cooking. Decided to get back on my bike and pull my girls anywhere close enough to make it. A bounce house birthday party at a farm on a rainy day. Bennet’s first pig tails. It was no-spend September and one of the best months of my life.
October
Painted with Bennie for the first time. New dance class at a “real” dance studio. More canning (shocker). Hood River with my mom and nana, who met us there.

Drawing with Bennet, hey she’s right handed! More homeschool days at the creek. Impromptu beach trip with gramps. We bought an electric car! Pumpkin patches. A Susan Enan concert in a friend’s home. My high school BFF moved back to Oregon and had a new baby, I can drive to see her for the first time in years. Counting to big numbers the Montessori way. Jury duty, Zumba, bean bin. A garden gnome and mail carrier.

November
Harlem Ballet with Tuesday. Taro and his family came to visit! From Japan! And I never blogged about it!


Fall leaves that were crispy because it wasn’t wet (trust me this is very weird).  Sorting all my fabric, and starting too many new things. Lots of bee blocks. Tuesday setting up things and Bennet getting all up in her business. Bubble painting. Short haircut for Tuesday. Thanksgiving at the in-laws.
December
The month started off with high temps and bad colds and is ending with vomit laundry and upset tummies! Epic estate sale scores. Snow! Soups from scratch. Christmas pillows and finally finished an advent calendar. Letting the girls paint wrapping paper.

Tuesday dictating her own books and illustrating them. And writing her own Christmas carols in a made up language and insisting we go to the neighbor’s to sing to them. Getting Tuesday to sleep through the night again. Night weaning Bennie. Re-organizing the girls’ room and building a bunk. Watching choirs at the state capital. Solstice celebrations with the neighbors and then a nighttime lantern walk with homeschool friends. Christmas with my mom’s side. And barely making it up to post-Christmas at the in-laws (and barely making it back, ugh, the puking).  The good news is that Bennet should be diaper free in a few days… yay for a big win!
That’s a wrap!
I realize there is lots, LOTS I didn’t blog about. There always is, but this year I really didn’t get much of it in this space. I’ll save goals for another post, but I think that will be one. One big thing I never mentioned (because this blog is all me, me, me, ha!) is that Bj left his job and started at a new local-ish company, did a one hour (minimum) commute (one way) for a few months before going back to his old job, in a role he loves. Back to him working from home, and we love it! I know that makes it obvious that the blog just touches on some aspects of our lives. I hope to keep recording all the fun things we do here for a long time.