2012...Year in Review

I stole borrowed this idea from Elenie!

Since 2012 was our first year of marriage, I thought it would be neat to start this tradition. It was fun looking back through pictures and reminiscing over the events of the past year!

January - Marriage and Ministry

Eagle Rock 9/11 Memorial (NYC in the background)

We moved to New Jersey on December 30th. We began to settle into married life and find our place in a new ministry. It was the first month in 8 years that I wasn't in the classroom. Instead of lesson plans and tutoring sessions, I spent time getting our new apartment organized, planning meals and learning to keep house!

test # 3 :)

February - Two Pink Lines 

I didn't believe the first test so I proceeded to take two more. It was February 2nd, we had only been married for a month and a half but we were indeed expecting! I'll never forget that day! 

our house was expanding by two little feet

We told our parents and siblings on February 4th by hanging this picture in our apartment!

Our little peanut

March- Love at First Sight 

We had our first ultrasound and saw our precious baby for the first time! I was amazed at the distinct features on such a tiny little baby! It was already moving around on the screen though I couldn't feel it yet!

April- Easter and a growing belly

This month, We celebrated our Savior's resurrection and watched my belly start to grow! 

May- a California graduation 

View from the Santa Monica Pier

We began this month with a trip to the West Coast to see Uncle Matt graduate from Bible College. We were so proud of his accomplishments at WCBC! As an added bonus, California was beautiful!

At church, we saw the Lord work in hearts at our annual tent meeting.

View from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

To close this month, we were able to expand our living quarters! Up until this point we only lived in the top half of our house due to missionaries staying on the lower level. It was exciting to have more space especially with a baby on the way!

June - It's a Girl!!!

PINK!!!

The highlight of this month was definitely our gender reveal party! I was convinced that baby was a busy baby boy, but Daddy's guess proved correct! We shared our sweet girl's name with our family and friends.

July - North Carolina & a Birthday

Mini Golf in Boone, NC

We headed to North Carolina at the beginning of the month. It was especially fun for me to share a place I've loved for so long with Daniel. We attended the Miller-Weaver family reunion, and I even volunteered to plan the next reunion in 2014! It was an added bonus to spend time with my sweet little cousin, Alyssa. She even felt Londyn Grace kick for the first time!

My Chicken Nugget & Mama feeling Londyn Grace kick!

We returned to PA just in time to celebrate Daniel's 29th birthday with his parents, grandparents and brother at a Lancaster Barnstormers baseball game!

We finished the month at the Summit conference in South Jersey. Three days full of preaching and teaching from God's Word was so encouraging to our hearts!

August- Sadness and Shower

We spent alot of time in MD/PA this month. Our first trip brought sadness as we said goodbye to Pop Pop Coale. He went home to be with Jesus after a long battle with Dementia. 

On our next trip Daniel was the best man in Matthew and Rebekah's wedding.

so many gifts! (and my Mamal in the corner!) :)

Then we returned to MD for my surprise baby shower! We were spoiled with so many sweet gifts for our girl!

In between all of this travel, we were excited about our first VBS at FBC. We had many visitors and saw several kids make salvation decisions!

September- Preparation and Prayer 

Labor Day weekend was spent preparing Londyn Girl's Nursery. I spent nearly the entire year prior planning it, but it was so exciting to see my plans come to fruition! Mama and Daddy came to help us with this project!

Beautiful Nursery

I was so happy with how it turned out!

look at that belly!

We also had a maternity pictures taken. Lindsey did a fabulous job and we will treasure them forever!

We took our childbirth classes this month and inched closer to October anticipating the birth of our daughter!

October - Londyn Grace Arrives!

We expected her around mid-October but she was ready on the third. I'll never forget the moment my water broke and calling Daniel to tell him! His initial reaction was "Are you sure?"

Londyn was in a hurry and my active labor was just under four hours! We were able to labor and birth at home just as we planned and prayed for!

Our family of three!

Our sweet girl arrived at 6:22 pm and was prettier than we ever imagined she would be!

Both my Mama and Daniel's Mom took turns staying with us during the first two weeks of Londyn's life! Their help was so appreciated as I was slow moving due to my stitches.

Londyn girl was also loved on by Pop Pop, Grandpap, Auntie M, Uncle Johnny, Uncle Ben, Tammy, Aunt El, Uncle Joe and lots of church family.

When she was two weeks old, we took her to Maryland and Pennsylvania to meet her great grandparents and other sweet family.

I turned the big 2-5, and we celebrated by taking Londyn out to eat for the first time!

November - Parenthood and Party

We learned (and are STILL learning) that parenthood was harder and more wonderful than we ever expected. With each passing day, we fell more in love with our Sweet Pea. I was blessed with the privilege of being a stay at home Mama, making a life long dream reality!

Grandpa and Grandma's Anniversary Party

In early November, we traveled to Grandma and Grandpa Hodge's 50th Anniversary Party in West Virginia.

I met many of Daniel's extended family members for the first time and it was, of course, their first time meeting Londyn.

Then we celebrated LG's first Thanksgiving in Maryland and Pennsylvania.

We praised the Lord for his abundant blessings and unending, undeserved grace!

December - Our Anniversary and  first Christmas

Last December, we were making last minute wedding preparations and then spent a week in Hawaii so we didn't have a tree.

our tree

This year, I was excited to decorate for the season. We went as a family to pick out our first Christmas tree!

We watched Londyn Grace blossom. Learning to smile and coo, she brought us so much joy in this new stage.

On the seventeenth, we celebrated one year of marriage. We left Londyn Grace at home (for the first time!) with Mimi and Pop Pop and went out to dinner at an Italian Restaurant in town. Then we did some Christmas shopping before heading home.

sweet smiles!

Christmas was spent with our precious family in Maryland and Pennsylvania.

On New Year's Eve, we retired early (we tire quickly these days!) and woke up excited about 2013!



Looking back, we are in awe of what our God has done in just twelve short months. It was a year of change. Moving to a new city (especially hard for this country girl), living three hours from family, serving in a new ministry, learning what it means to be husband and wife and then to be Daddy and Mama. Some changes were harder than others, but all the way we found our Savior's grace sufficient and presence real. We are so thankful for His gifts and pray that in the year to come we will glorify Him in a greater way!