Thursday, December 31, 2015

2016 Year End Review....

Well ~ another year is in the books for The Dowdys! 2015 came and went before we knew it! If times flies when you are having fun ~ we must have had a BLAST!!!
I thought I would recap our year  ~

January started with basketball season, dance almost every Saturday and Jackson turning 9! We celebrated with a party at the sand piles ~ messiest party ever...but he declared it the most fun he's ever had! 
February ~ Dalton turned 39 ~ Mary Dalton FINALLY got to go to Swank in ATL, we had dance competition, and we took a few days off from school to go to Opryland in Nashville, TN! 
March ~ 
It warmed up and Jackson decided to swim! We celebrated Easter, St Patrick's Day at the coast, and turkey season! 
April is one of my favorite months and we started our April with Spring Break! 
We enjoyed the longer days ~ spent lots of time on the trampoline, buying ice cream from the ice cream truck, going to more dance functions, traveled to Wild Adventures with Jackson's class and got our sweet puppy, Rebel! Dalton had a conference in Savannah and I was able to attend with him ~ it was 5 days of work for him, but 5 days of my FAVORITE city in GA for me! :) 
May is has proven EVERY year to the busiest year for our family!!!
Jackson hunted everything with 4 legs or feathers ~ 
He competed in our school's track meet ~ 
Both children were chosen to compete in the area spelling bee ~ 
Both children RACKED up on Honor's Day ~ (They both want to go to college out of state so I am TRYING to encourage them to keep good grades! ha!)
We had end of the year parties ~ 
MD had her dance recital ~ 
Pitch Perfect 2 came out and I took a car load of girls for the debut! 
June had us swimming every chance we could ~ 
Both kids went to Winshape for a week and LOVED it ~ 
We rented a cabin the mountains ~ 
Both children learned to drive ~ 
We went to Natchez and toured several antebellum homes ~ 
Spent some time at the coast ~ 
Pawpaw taught Jax how to drive the lawn mower ~ 
And Air Strike opened...which was a HUGE deal to Jackson Dowdy! :) 
July ~ 
we ended our summer with a lemonade stand, lost of time at the farm, target practice, swimming parties and a trip to San Antonio, TX! 
August came and back to school we went! 
Mary Dalton started 5th grade and Jackson started 4th grade...we were so thankful that they BOTH had good teachers this year! 
Mary Dalton turned 11 and had a sleepover to celebrate! 
Football started back...and so did dance. It was  a busy month and we had to get back in our routine of go, go, go! 
September ~ 
This month started with my 37th birthday! My PRECIOUS senior class gave me a surprise party...it was one of the sweetest things ever! We celebrated all things homecoming with a thousand dress up days, started on the cabin addition and took an amazing girl's trip to Chicago!!! 
October ~ 
This was a fun month!!!
Jackson and Dalton killed GREAT deer ~ this was Jackson's first! 
We enjoyed the cooler weather and spent time at the tree house & cabin ~ 
Jackson's teacher got married (this was a BIG deal to him! So sweet!) 
Nana came for a visit ~ 
MD competed in the 4H competition at the fair ~ 
WE had our first annual pumpkin carving contest and let our friends on FB vote ~ Jackson's pumpkin won! 
November was an easy month, but I was in full Christmas planning mode! 
We started the month with a Girl's Day for me & Susan-Laine to see Disney on Ice ~ 
We celebrated my parents' 50th weddign anniversary ~ 
Dalton & I got a WHOLE week at home to ourselves (thanks Nana & Pawpaw!)
And I talked DDD into Black Friday shopping! 
December was filled with Christmas!
I hosted my annual girl's Christmas party, the kids were in a Christmas play, we went to Lights of the South with The Millers, saw Santa, rang the Salvation Army Bell, saw The Nutcracker, went to Christmas parades, got an awesome paddle boat, and MD had a Christmas party for her friends! 
2015 was a great year for us...but it was not problem free. We have had sickness in our family, deaths of friends, feelings hurt, financial concerns, work issues, and just the day to day stress that comes with being a parent. I will always believe that it is trials like these, that make us into the people we are.  We try to learn from our mistakes, love each other and live each day to its fullest! 
I have no clue what 2016 holds for us ~ I am sure we will have great days...and I am sure that there will be crappy days, too. We don't have any big "plans" for the new year...and I don't have any resolutions...I just want to try to enjoy EVERYDAY that the 4 of us have together!
Soooooo ~ 
Bring it on 2016...
The Dowdy's are ready for you!!! :) 

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