Well here is my annual end-of-the-year recap. This is my fourth straight year for these posts. You can click here to see 2008, 2009, and 2010 in photos. I love looking back at these posts! They are a way to summarize our last year as a family in quick snapshots.
JANUARY
We start the year off with a not-so-great bang, as I undergo appendicitis surgery when I am just fifteen weeks pregnant. With the help of some great friends, we pull off Elijah's birthday part less than a week later, just as planned.
We decide to give toilet training a try, and somehow, someway, they both pick up on it relatively easily. A great gift as we prepare for a third child. JB is standing guard (and blocking boy parts from the camera.)
FEBRUARY
We attend a marriage retreat with the chapel. Isaac and Elijah's friend Scotty is there as well.
Our friends Shane and Linda and Micah and Sarah (with Scotty) join us for the weekend just about 90 minutes from Adana.
We schedule a tour of the fire station on Base, and Sarah puts together an awesome display for us of her great photography. Isaac loved it but Elijah wasn't so keen on being away from Mommy or the loud horns at all.
MARCH
I decide to go for it and lead a tour to Tarsus for Stebbins' awesome mom Kris. We get a little lost but do incredibly well!
Scrubs gets wind of something crazy in the air. Yet another person is moving into the Kitsteiner home?
Veronica introduces us to all kinds of new things -- like the fact that we can take these crazy pictures on our computer. Who knew?!
Our first time swimming in the Mediterranean Sea! Our friends Dan and Angelica (that's their son Noah with Isaac) and Shane and Linda join us for a not-so-beautiful day at the beach.
Easter is a great time getting to know our new nanny.
We head to the park for an Easter Egg Hunt. And at home, Veronica dies Easter eggs for the first ever time.
We take a day trip to Antioch with some other folks from the medical group. We get to see the first church in Turkey, but man is it a long day for all of us: Veronica, Dad, Mom and the kiddos!
Through Facebook, I reconnect with an old friend from college, Leah. Living in Germany now, she decides to take a long weekend and hang out with us in Turkey.
MAY
A fall down the stairs as I let Scrubs out in the middle of the night results in quite a nasty sprain for me. Praise the Lord though that the baby is a-ok even if I'm limping around for quite some time.
We decide to have our first at-the-house birthday party with, yet again, a Mickey theme. Daddy makes a fantastic cake of cupcakes and all of our friends come to celebrate.
Once Veronica has learned the ropes, we decide to leave the boys with her for SIX WHOLE DAYS while we take a vacation in Spain -- our last time "just the two of us" for many months to come. Our great friends Dan and Angelica take the time to give us a tour of their beautiful country.
I end up starting to have contractions at 31 weeks and am sent to Germany six weeks earlier than expected. JB drops us off and then heads to a conference in England where he is able to visit Stonehenge.
JUNE
I end up starting to have contractions at 31 weeks and am sent to Germany six weeks earlier than expected. JB drops us off and then heads to a conference in England where he is able to visit Stonehenge.
JUNE
Veronica is there with me to help make it more bearable. Here we are celebrating her birthday at Macaroni Grill.
JULY
Joan flies to Germany to help me pass the weeks away, just a week or two before Abigail's on-time arrival.
My parents fly in just a few days before the scheduled c-section.
Abigail Grace arrives via scheduled c-section on July 16, 2011 weighing in at 7 pounds 13 ounces. She started causing me problems at 31 weeks but stayed put quite nicely until right at 39 weeks.
AUGUST
Abigail and I spend quite a few days by ourselves in August as we wait for her passport to come in so that we can go back to Turkey. I am met head on by the baby blues and post partum depression but come out on the other side with the Lord's help.
SEPTEMBER
We spent and evening at a local Turkish farm where we see all kinds of new fruits and also experience Elijah dropping his drawers to go potty in front of the entire Turkish audience. Good thing they found that funny!
JB runs in the jogger with the boys and I run/walk in the stroller with Abigail a 5K Breast Cancer Awareness event.
OCTOBER
Play dates look a bit different in Turkey.
Another highlight of our year was getting to spend two weeks in Germany with our Kits. grandparents. We went to Munich, Garmisch, Austria, and Salzburg. What a fantastic adventure!
NOVEMBER
We host a potluck Thanksgiving meal at our house. Tons of people! Our family here in Turkey.
Joni comes for her second visit and really helps the family get over a major pre-holiday bout of missing home!
JB gets to go and see Daughtry in concert!
DECEMBER
Abigail is the only kiddo in our family interested in sitting on Santa's lap this year.
We have a nice Christmas morning at our house with our family (including Veronica). We also go to Christmas service that evening.
2011 ends with new that Veronica is heading back to the USA. Saying good bye to her will be one of the last (and hardest) things we do in 2011.
Looking for 2012 as we head to a new Base in the Azores!
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