2011....an AMAZING year in a nutshell

Well...I thought that I might do a better job of updating the blog last year with the arrival of a new baby and maybe more to actually blog about....but well I was wrong.  With balancing life as a new mom, a wife, and working part/full time :), updating the blog well......was not a priority.  I am a scrapbooker as well so doing both well might be a challenge but I did want to capture at least the highlights of 2011 and HOPE to do better in 2012--maybe one a month--that's not too tough right? So here goes my recap of an amazing year!!!

January 2011

Well of course the highlight of this month was the birth of our daughter, Addison Grace Seaton on January 22nd at 12:49 pm!  :)  She weighed 8 lbs and 5 ounces and was 20.5 inches long-perfect in every way.  Here is a picture of her shortly after she was born.  Notice her sweet little Caddo Heart birthmark on her forehead between her eyes--my Camp War Eagle friends will appreciate this part. 

Addison Grace

Being parents has been the biggest blessing in life thus far...it has truly stretched us and challenged us to keep God number 1 in our lives, even when it seems that there is not enough time in the day to even take a shower. :)  

February 2011

This month started out with a record breaking snowstorm which stranded our newly expanded family at home.  We got a whopping 24 inches of snow in one day!  The snow was taller than our dog Lily (who loves snow btw).  Here is a pic of Lily galloping through the snow. She was in heaven. 

   


 Darrick also took advantage of the photo opp for our new family and made a snow angel with our baby who was 2 weeks old.  :)  We are pretty laid back parents if you haven't noticed  Here is a pic of our little angel with Daddy. 

Addy looks like she is hating life and crying...she  is not-it was just bright :)

  The month of February was also about figuring out this thing called parenting.  :)  Addy was super easy the first week or so...but after that...well let's just say she wasn't exactly the easiest baby--she cried a lot, didn't sleep a lot, but liked to be held a lot (okay all the time--which is not always a bad thing).  See my other blogs about this joyful time. :)  But all worth it of course.  And well...it was short lived.  

One other fun thing I have to for sure mention is that my best friend from grade school Amber Miller Godfrey had her precious baby girl Ireland Elise Godfrey on February 3rd, 2011.  Pretty great to be pregnant with your best friend--if only she lived closer. Addy and Ireland were actually due on the very same day, January 25th, but neither one held true to that contract.  Oh well...2 weeks apart is not bad.  Best friends in the making. 

We  also had some really great pics done by our great friend Sarah Estelle Barrow.  She is wonderful.  Here are a few.  

Happy even at 1 month :)

 March 2011

If I remember right--because well this was a long time ago, this was the breakthrough month. :)  When Addy was about 9 weeks old I was on the verge of losing it....and so was she.  She was one tired baby.  My dear friend Jen Shipman helped me with helping Addy learn to sleep on her own.  Literally after a day or two of quality sleep she was a different baby--happy, smiling, eating better and well mom and dad were also a lot happier with a bit more rest for us as well.  So thankful for wisdom from great friends.  

Also in March I turned 30!   And much to my surprise my sweet amazing husband Darrick threw me a surprise 30th birthday party...let's just say that I was so surprised that according to those at the party, I looked mad...so mad in fact that they didn't really know what to say when I walked in the room--the "SURPRISE" was a bit weak needless to say.  :)  I wasn't mad at all...just REALLY REALLY REALLY surprised. My sweet friends Hanna and Lyndsay hosted it at their house.   Here are a couple pics from the big day.  

Cara (with Baby Claira), Les w/ Addy, Leah (with Baby Levi)  This is a fun pic because we all techinally have babies in the picture...Cara and Leah's are just still inside. :)

Darrick and I at my 30th Bday party

 

 

In March we also said goodbye to Darrick's beloved hunter green 2000 Toyota Tacoma because...well it only had 2 seats...it was such a great truck--Darrick almost cried when he sold it.  But that also meant we said hello to a new truck for Darrick.  Thanks to Dave Ramsey (check him out at www.daveramsey.com) we had been saving for a few years for a new truck so it did not really put a strain on us even with the new addition.  

  April 2011

 April was spent mentally and physically preparing for another summer of Camp War Eagle.  I was done with my maternity leave and starting to work a bit more (not full time yet) while the amazing Cassi Dime watched Addy at our house.  We are so thankful for Cassi--she is amazing with babies for all of your information.  Here is a sweet pic of Cassi and Addy.  

Addy was also preparing for some summer fun.  This is probably one of my favorite pictures of Addy pre summer.  

Look at this adorable muffin!

 May 2011

In May I went back to work full time for the summer (while for the first 2 weeks sweet Sam watched Addy--she has also been Addy's nanny this fall and is AMAZING)...which was very hard for me to do.  I so cherished all the time I had with Addy, but knew that the summer would be manageable for sure because even though I was working full time, I could pretty much see Addy whenever I wanted.  May is usually THE HARDEST month of the year for me....all related to my job.  I am in charge of training our summer staff at Camp War Eagle and well...that is 1/2 of the month of May.  After that...it's smooth sailing for the summer...ha....usually.    

But before the craziness of summer started...we made the trip to Oklahoma--God's country to celebrate Mother's Day with my family.  Mom and Dad were thankful to see baby Addy before the craziness of summer started.  Mom and Dad with Addy below. 

During May Darrick celebrated his 31st birthday--at camp as always....I did manage in all the craziness to get him his favorite...an Ice Cream Cake from Dairy Queen. 

On the first day of Pre Orientation (when all new staff arrive to camp for certifications) we had a bit of "weather."  We made the Camp Tornado Shelter our home, not once, but twice in one night.  This was a bit more challenging with a newborn strapped to my chest--thank goodness for baby wraps--Addy slept through it all, but it did bring a bit of stress to the opening of our summer.  This was the same night that the F5 tornado destroyed the city of Joplin, MO, which is only about 1.5 hours from Camp War Eagle.   We were thankful that going into the tornado shelter ended up only needing to be a precaution, but it did make the fact that Darrick and I were staying in a trailer at camp during the summer a bit harder.   

Pre O and Orientation went great--yes a bit more challenging juggling all of my roles as the Staff Coordinator, but also as a wife and now a new mom--but we survived and Addy seemed to love it all.  It was really great for her to be at camp.  It was hilarious when everyone commented on how happy she was (which she was all the time for the most part).   So many people asked if she ever cried...which I thought was hilarious...if they has only known her start to life.  Here are a few pics of our happy baby in May.

June 2011

The 6th Summer of Camp War Eagle was fully in motion by June.   This was definitely the most challenging summer for Darrick and I for a number of reasons, but still so great to be able to serve the Lord through this ministry.  I work mostly with the staff and Darrick co-runs the program, focusing on the Lake and Spiritual Emphasis program at camp. The experience that these kids get thanks to the support of the Walton Family Foundation is truly Amazing. 

Addy was loving camp...every ounce of it.  She still at this point slept a good portion of the day, but when she was awake, she was a fun one.  We were blessed to have sweet Chancie as our nanny during the month of June.  She faithfully served our family in so many ways.  (We had other nannies for short stints as well like Adrian-so thankful for their service).  Here is a sweet pic of Chancie and Addy.

A fun moment in June....Addy Swimming for the first time!!

 

July 2011

Camp was still in full motion...the great thing about July was Addy finally started sleeping through the night in mid July....imaginE working 16 hour days and having to get up during the night to feed an infant...not the greatest of situations, but so worth it.  I think moving home to our house across the lake from the trailer and just boating every day helped that out a bit.  :)  

July was a fun month--we had visitors at Camp...my parents, Darrick's parents, and my dear friend Lacey Bailey and her adorable daughter Annalee--Lacey used to work for camp. Here are a few pics of Lacey and I and our girls.

  We also had another blessing in another Amazing nanny for July and August--Shelby.  Addy loved her as well and she become a part of our family, as did Chancie.   Shelby is going to be Addy's nanny for the entire summer for the summer of 2012...we are so so so blessed by her service to our family.   Addy adores her.  Here is a great picture of the both of them. 

One more other great thing from July was that Darrick's brother Dustin and his wife Victoria moved to Fayetteville.  We are so excited to have them so close.  

August 2011

Mid August marked the end of the Summer of 2011.  We always end the summer with a really fun Banquet that celebrates the great summer behind us.  Mid August also marks the start to what most would consider "normal" life again. :)  Although we love our job...we could love live that pace all year long.  It is a blessing to do things like go to church, have two days off in a row (a weekend), make a visit to family, etc.  :)  

We also got a week off of work in August. We took advantage of this time and visited friends and family in Oklahoma.

Here are a few pics from our visit to Amber and Stuart...Ireland their daughter is almost Addy's exact age.  

On August 30th, we also welcomed my 2nd nephew Levi Michael Metscher to the world.  He was born on my sweet late Grandma Jean's birthday.  So special.  Here is the little muffin.

We also had some AMAZING family pictures made with Callie Granderson.  She is very talented and if you need pictures of any kind I suggest checking her out.  She is based out of Northwest Arkansas.  http://calliegrandersonphotography.zenfolio.com/  Here are a few of my favorite pics from the shoot, although I loved them all. 

September 2011
 Probably the most eventful thing in September was a mini vacation for Darrick and I!!  We took a trip that was also work related to San Antonio in September.  It was our first time away from Addy which was of course hard, but she was in great hand with Grandma and Grandpa Seaton...she did great and so did we.  We really loved our time away together there.  It was so relaxing.  My favorite parts....the Lazy River at the resort, my Spa day, and the Riverwalk of course....but better than all of that was quality time with Darrick..much needed for sure.   Here is a pic from the Riverwalk.  

 

A few other fun things about September were cheering on our OSU Cowboys in Football!  Addy almost had the Go Pokes down!!!

One other highlight of this month was that Darrick and I both began studying the book of Acts intently while going to BSF (Bible Study Fellowship).  It has been such a blessing to grow in God's word together and Acts is such a powerful book--explaining the origins of the early church.  It is so cool that we are both studying the same thing.  The children's program with BSF is amazing too and such a blessing that Addy gets to learn these truths right along side us.  The infant and children's program is truly incredible.  

October 2011
There was so much fun that happened in October...I guess I will start with Addy fully mastering crawling...she had been "mobile" since August but in October...she took off and never looked back.  Here is our little speedster in action.  

 

Let's see there was also the first annual pumpkin carving for the Seaton Family.  Vic, Dustin, Bill, & Marsha came over for all the fun.   Here is a pic of the finished pumpkins.  

The pumpkins then provided lots of fun fall photo opportunities at the Seaton Casa for our family. :)

WE also celebrated Darrick's Grandma Medley's 80th Birthday at our house...it was sweet and simple with some Pioneer Woman Lasagna and a beautiful cake from Rick's that Victoria picked up.  Grandma was pleasantly surprised. 

For Christmas a few years ago we gave Marsha a family photo shoot to replace some pictures in  her house....the pics then just didn't turn out well so we tried again and well...they were amazing.  I have another photographer Robyn Cloud and so we used her for this big family shoot.  She is also wonderful.  Her website is http://www.robyncloudphotography.com/
Here are a few of the great pics from  her shoot.

We ended a great, but obviously very busy month with Halloween!!!  Addy was an adorable baby turtle.  I have to brag a bit because I was so proud that after 13 years, I still could use my sewing machine and make her turtle costume.  I of course could have just bought one, but all of the costumes looked like little boy turtles and we needed some hot pink in there.  Here are a few pics of our little baby crawling turtle.  

 Whew....October was a fun month!!!


November 2011
 November was a bit less eventful...thank goodness. :)  It was a good slow month to be thankful for all of our blessings.  Addy's baby dedication was this month at our church the grove and we of course celebrated Thanksgiving.  We traveled 5 hours to Caldwell, KS to be with my family and much extended family for Thanksgiving.  Addy did great.  Here are a few pics from the big day.  

 

December 2011

And now to the month of December!  It has been such a great month however one big confession I must make is how sad I get thinking that January is upon us and that Addy will be 1!  I cannot believe it.  She is absolutely the sweetest little baby and although she gets more fun the older she gets, I am going to miss these times so much.   

We started out the month right by having a small watch party at our house with Lyndsay for the OSU/OU Bedlam game!!  Let's just say OSU dominated them to say the least (OSU 44 OU 10) ...it is about time!!!  OSU has had the best year in their football history--in fact if we had not lost to Iowa State, we would have been in the National Championship.  But, I am completely satisfied with our great season.  Here are  few pics from the watch party!

 Next on the docket a few pics of our two little Christmas puppies.

Adorable...I think so!!!

And then there is Christmas...oh Christmas...and getting ready for Christmas...and shopping for Christmas.........etc.    Here is a quick summary of Addy's first Christmas.

First there was decorating our house for Christmas.  I was so thankful that Darrick caved and we got to get a real tree this year!! Yeah!!!  Addy especially liked the lights that went on the tree.  

While we are on the lights theme...we also took a trip to downtown Fayetteville square to look at the lights...beautifl as always.  

Before we took her out of her adorable Christmas dress we took some pics by our tree at home!  

Before I get to the actual big day of Christmas I should include a picture with Santa....this was the successful one...we had a rough day another day and well...I wasn't about to buy those pics for $16.99 for one picture...call me cheap, but they aren't good anyway. ;)  But this one is...and it was free. ;)

And now Christmas Day!  I will say that Christmas day was one of the roughest days that Addy has had since she was first born....she was fighting a cold along with teething and lack of sleep...needless to say....the only person she was not screaming with was me, which was nice and also exhausting at the same time.  But we did manage to get some happy moments during the day and the next day she was back to normal.  We opened her 1000 gifts from grandma and grandpa in shifts.  :)  Here are a few pics from the morning time in her Christmas dress.

The afternoon was when we got most of our "happy addy" but only if she was naked so we opened presents in the buff.. ;)  Here are a few great ones.

Oh...and I almost forgot...the gift from Santa.

Christmas is always such a great time of year as we celebrate our Saviors birth--oh what a mess we would be without him.  Our biggest prayer that that Addy would come to know him and walk with him and serve him in her life! 


We ended the new year with my parents in Oklahoma.  We did Christmas with them as well...but I will have to upload those pictures at another time.

So that is 2011 in a nutshell.  It was an incredible year and it flew by as they all do.  So thankful for all the blessings that the Lord has given us.  Excited to see what he has in store for 2012.