Goodbye 2012, it's been a wonderful year.

As another year comes to an end, I have spent the last few days looking back and remembering all the wonderful things that have happened for my family. So many "firsts" and some milestones for Dylan - not to mention the wonderful new friends we have made through our love of photography and the new friends I have made through twitter.

At times I question writing this blog, and think I should just stop. The computer and social media can consume so much of your time ... but today I am thankful for writing the blog.

This blog allows me to walk down memory lane with just a click of the mouse. Better than any photo album I could imagine.

Life with Dylan is a combination of thoughts, reflections, and pictures that tell a story - our story.




January:
Dylan wins the Cub Scout Pine Derby and takes Grandpa to the winners circle with him.
The photo bug bit me when I got a new camera and spent the day at the San Diego Zoo.

February:
My obsession with jellyfish continues ...

March:
Reminding myself that some days you just need to have fun and my no holding back open letter for all the single moms out there. I believe March was the turning point for me - where my life took on a new direction.

April:
The turning point in Dylan's life when he met Zookeeper Rick and I realized that my job was to inspire, support, and love my child. And the day when I finally saw the picture in what we call the blogosphere.

May:
Thanks to Pinterest and the San Diego Zoo I found a new love for tigers.
A very special Mother's Day and more wonderful memories were made at the San Diego Zoo.
Oh, and my most favorite post of May ... Dylan's Birthday Wish for the Tigers.

June:
We pinned it for tigers and we won a behind the scenes tour at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. I learned that one person can make a difference and that I was that one person. I celebrated a birthday, wrote a thank you letter to the ocean and was reminded why it is so important to keep taking pictures.

July:
Started daydreaming more and turned our dreams into a family bucket list. Dylan turned 9 and his birthday wish came true!

August:
This was a pretty big month for us. Dylan's love for photography grows and he takes a few tips from mom. We celebrated Yun Zi's 3rd birthday and dreamed of a world without habitat destruction. We said goodbye to a legacy, published our family bucket list, and realized how great the power of one can be. 

September:
Along with going back to school, September was time to slow down and make some lifestyle changes. It was the start of Sunset Sundays and Endangered Species Mondays.

October:
After a long hot summer, rain finally fell in Southern California and we saw the first signs of the seasons changing. Want to change the world? Start by educating the children ... and then watch as they beam with pride when recognized for their efforts by the White House.

November:
This was another big month for us. I am sure it won't be the last time, but Dylan amazed me with his thinking and how the mind of a child wonders why ... After months of saving, we sent our second box of packaging to Terra Cycle instead of throwing it in the trash. Not knowing it at the time, but we wrote what would quickly become our most popular post on saving the orangutans. I also learned how to stay positive in a world filled with negativity.

December:
Time to slow down and recharge. We didn't do much writing in December, but instead took some time off to relax and be a family.

Wow, looking back I can see that my family has really grown and changed as individuals too. We saw the big picture and realized what the important things were in life. I foresee some big changes coming in 2013, but I will save that for a new post in the new year.