The one for the End of the Year.

Another year is coming to a close... it's been a busy year for us... I look at how Eleanor has grown, I look at how our family has grown,

There were some questions I asked myself last year in my New Year post...I forced myself to go back to those questions...

Whatif we leave Bismarck? 
We haven't... we are both enjoying our jobs and are settling into our house.

Whatif we are blessed with another child?
Truth be known, I knew the answer to this question when I asked it as I found out the previous week that I was pregnant. Grady has been a beautiful addition to our house and when I looked at the stockings on the mantel this past Christmas season it continued to hit me that I have a family of four. He's my sweet gentle soul that compliments my hurricane sassafras!

Whatif we have to say goodbye to someone we love?
We have been blessed that we haven't had any funerals or tragic goodbyes this past year.

Whatif we still have Eric living in our basement?
Eric moved out in January after finding an apartment in the middle of town.

Whatif we get a different car?
We did get a different car.. with having another baby we knew there was no way we could fit 2 car seats in the Mazda... that forced us to get a Tahoe.

Whatif we get to go on a wonderful trip - where will it be? Texas? Kansas City? California? Boston?
Trips... ha... Matt and I dream about our old lifestyle but we took 2 trips as a family... 1. to Sioux Falls/Dutch Country, Iowa and 2. Grand Forks.

Whatif the Cubs win another World Series?
Sadly... they did not.

Whatif Matt lets me get another cat?
No additional pets added to the mix... some days even Lola is too much!

Whatif we finally have a family party/picnic at our house?
We couldn't even get our crap together to have a party at our house.

Maybe I have questions for the coming year... sometimes it's even hard to imagine the possibilities of what could happen so I don't even know what questions to wonder on. 2017 seemed to be a hard year for a lot of people, but for us it was a beautiful year filled with Eleanor laughters and the beginnings of Grady smiles. Time is a tricky business... it never seems to happen at the pace you'd like it to... too fast, too slow... I think I'm okay with the ticking away of the seconds, minutes, and hours. But what I'd like to hold on a bit tighter to is the memories and moments. I want to remember the feelings and soak them up, already Baby Eleanor feels a million years ago and I just want to remember those moments a little clearer.

I think 2018 is going to be a blur. Eleanor will continue to talk, Grady will learn to walk...and Matt and I will just try to keep up.