Top 10 of 2012:

2012 was good to the Grant family! We are actually sad to see it go. It was a year of change, growth, and intense joy. It will be one of those years we will always look back on and smile. So, let's do that now. Here's our top 10 of 2012.

1. Welcoming our first child, Elliott Knight Grant in January of 2012. Hands down the best day of my life! He weighed 8 pounds 11 ounces and measured 20 and a quarter inches long. We were so relieved to hear he was perfectly healthy. Our top 10 could easily be all about him, but I'll just list a few.

2. Seeing Elliott smile at us for the first time, and later hearing his first laugh. It made all of the sleepless nights and dirty diapers worth it, and it continues to bring joy to our lives every day.

3. Running my first post baby half marathon in Nashville, TN when Elliott was 3 months old, making this my 4th completed half marathon. (My running has since slacked, but we'll save resolutions for another post...)

4. Joining the entire Grant family for their annual Getaway to Arkadelphia. Many were able to meet Elliott for the first time here. We also enjoyed a special family celebration for Gary's grandparent's 65th wedding anniversary.

5. Having Elliott dedicated at our church with both sides of our families (great grandparents and great great grandma included!) in attendance.

6. Taking a family vacation to Seagrove Florida. After many months cooped up in our house with a new baby, it was a breath of fresh air to have a change of scenery, and as an added bonus, my family and our friends Brooke, Jonathan and Paisley joined us.

7. Finishing our 3 year lease at the Salon and signing on for another 2 years in historic Park Hill. Our 2012 team consists of myself, 3 stylists, a barber and a massage therapist. 

8. Gary earned the award for number one salesperson at Jenkins Enterprises, increasing his sales by 23% over last year, and beating his personal goal for the year!

9. Celebrating our first Christmas as a family of three. Having Elliott with us for Christmas made the whole season more magical. We loved shopping for him and introducing him to our Christmas traditions.

10. Marveling over the 10 inches of snow we got Christmas night, making this our first ever white Christmas! We felt like we were in a Christmas movie driving to my grandparents as the snow fell, and watching as it continued to fall from the window behind their Christmas tree during Christmas dinner. Simply perfect!

See what I mean? It was a good year, so it's been kind of hard to say goodbye, but I'm excited to see what 2013 holds for our family. It will take a lot to top 2012, but I'm hopeful. We are so very blessed! I hope that 2012 was good to you, but if it wasn't, I hope that 2013 will be a fresh start full of new blessings. Happy New Year, friends!