2011 Recap

Now that January 2012 is almost officially over, and the hurricane that is the holidays has settled down, moved on for another year, reminiscing has kicked in.

Here's what our 2011 looked like, for all who either witnessed it or missed it: 

-In April we visited Hocking Hills for the first time with the Robinsons and Uhls. We spent a relaxing weekend in a little cabin, hiking, playing games, soaking in the hot tub, and enjoying each other's company. It is a beautiful area and we hope to get back this year again. 

- In June we both started new positions at our companies - both after 3 years of the same position. Aaron moved from Desktop Support into the Product Technical Readiness team, and I moved from the front office sales assistant into an executive assistant position, which then led to being the office manager/executive assistant. Both of us are currently happy and blessed by our employment. 

- For the first week of July, Independence Day, we spent a rare vacation with a lot of "Lyon" folks down in the Outer Banks. I believe there were 18 of us total. That was another relaxing and fun week. The house we rented was big enough for an army, complete with its own pool. I spent many afternoons lounging by/in that pool reading. That was hard to come back from. 

-In August we brought home Lucy, our puppy! The past 6 months with her have been a myriad of crazy: crazy fun, crazy exhaustion, crazy frustration, crazy silliness... Lucy is such a good dog. She has bundles of energy (what 7 month puppy doesn't?) but is scared of her own bark. She absolutely adores Aaron and craves his companionship all the time (eh, I'm just ok). She learns new concepts almost immediately, sometimes so fast you can't even remember actually teaching her something. She has provided us with lots of laughter and sweetness - and lots of responsibility!

- In October we celebrated our first anniversary. We traveled to Pittsburgh for a night in a nice hotel and indulged in an amazing dinner at a local restaurant. It was nice to reflect on our first year together and what we've learned and what we hope for in the future.

- Also in October we took some time to go down to Columbus, where Aaron was going to donate his peripheral blood stem cells to a patient with a form of Leukemia. Though it ended up being a trying experience, it was also very humbling and emotional. Sadly, the patient didn't survive after her procedure due to complications we were not told about. Still, Aaron says he had a great experience with it and will definitely do it again someday given the opportunity.

-November and December flew by, with the many events and get together's for the holidays. Before we knew it, we were ringing in 2012 with friends in Akron and making plans for the next year. 

Here's what we have to look forward to in 2012: 

- A week in Hilton Head with the Robinsons and Uhls in March

- Welcoming a new baby into the family in April - our first niece! Parents Scott and Katie Lyon in WA. 

- Flying to WA and getting to meet our new niece in September when we visit the new little Lyon family. 

- Making some needed and long awaited major home improvements, like hardwood flooring, and a backyard fence for Lucy so she can run around until her skinny legs fall off.  

-Celebrating our 2nd anniversary - what should we do? 

Hope everyone has been enjoying a safe, healthy, and happy 2012 so far. We look forward to spending time with everyone this year.