Hello, Friends...It's Been Awhile

The boys designed our Christmas cards for the third year in a row, and I was pretty impressed with the results. They may not be your normal Christmas cards, but I say normal is overrated and hopefully we brightened a few grandparents' days.

And here's 2011 in review:

Michael Ryan

• Worked a lot. Still with Plus Three.
• Moved my company's servers from New York to Raleigh.
• Went through four church callings in one year.
• Celebrated 10 years of marriage with my lovely wife.
  
• Discovered the bands Bayside, Four Year Strong, and Manchester Orchestra.

Erin Nicole

• Served in the Young Womens organization until being called as the choir director.
• Retired from green blogging but was still interviewed and photographed for an article about green living in the New York Times.
• Successfully grew a three-season garden.
  
• Bought a bike for me and a bike seat for Rylan. We looooove it!
• Went back to my natural brunette hair color and cut my hair really short.

Nicolus Talmage

• Started second grade.
• Won the first grade spelling bee and competed in the school wide bee.
• Spent a week alone with Grammy and Gramps. My family came a week later.
• Beat everyone at Pokemon.
• Turned eight and started Cub Scouts. Will be baptized...eventually. (This is a long story. We don't want to talk about it.)
  

Elijah Hawking

• Started first grade.
• Had a picture that I drew put on display at the state fair. It was a self-portrait.
• Learned to ride a bike without training wheels on my first try.
  
• Went camping twice. I fell into the water in the river.
• Went to Raleigh's annual BugFest. I went in the caterpillar bouncy house and ate cricket cookies. I didn't like them.

Rylan Jack

• Started my second year of preschool taught by my mom.
• Played with cars, cars, and more cars.
• Played with my best friend Kenny.
• Went to the beach. I do not like the ocean, but the sand is fun.
• Gave away my pink boots and kicked a magician in the balls.