you can see part I, the first six months of 2012 here. and after the jump, the rest of the year…
we spent the first weekend of july in new york city (samson’s first trip!) and returned to dc in time to celebrate the 4th of july in the district. we traveled to LA to see friends (LA posts here and here and sprinkles new ice cream shop post here.) we also traveled to san francisco where the city officially stole my heart forever (SF posts here and here and here.) we spent a weekend out and about around dc in between travels, and here is one of my favorite moments from the month of july.
in august, we moved back to NYC! we had a little going away gathering with friends in dc before we left and had to say goodbye to kingsley who is currently living in virginia for a while. that’s been very hard for me and our family, but he’s really thriving and doing well which makes us happy. we survived the first week being back in nyc even though i thought we wouldn’t! (it’s exhausting to live here with kids!) eleanor started to carry her camera everywhere taking pictures of mostly the floor and here are some happy feet i found around the nursery. ;) i also wrote a post on flying with little ones found here.
in september my sister hannah visited and helped us move into our place. we started adjusting to life back in nyc with two kiddos in tow. josh started working longer hours again so the kids and i began figuring out life as just the three of us. and here are a few photos from around the apartment from september. i also attended blogshop ny and posted a tour of eleanor and samson’s nyc nursery.
in october, we enjoyed autumn in the city and the leaves changing color. samson started giggling and smiling and eleanor enjoyed a subway merry-go round. ;) here are a few photos from around the apartment from october. we also visited the brooklyn flea one weekend and flew to italy the week of halloween… just in time to dodge storm sandy hitting nyc!
we spent the first two weeks of november in italy as a family. we visited an olive vineyard in sicily (more sicily posts here and here) and a morning at the market in siracusa. we also visited rome (here and here), florence, cinque terre, a parmesan cheese factory and a vineyard where balsamic vinegar is made in parma and reggio emilia. we spent a few days in venice as well (posts here and here). samson celebrated his six month birthday at the end of the month (time flies!) and here are some sweet photos of eleanor and her sunnies. we celebrated thanksgiving back in nyc and picked out 2 christmas trees (one for us and a tiny one for e!)
in december, we decorated the tree and the little ones met santa (samson loved him, eleanor not so much.) eleanor and papa had the cutest impromptu tea party, and i posted some thoughts on traveling abroad with little ones. we spent time with friends visiting town seeing the festive nyc sights together. we stayed in the city for christmas and slept under the christmas tree as a family on christmas eve. then here’s christmas morning at the apartment and christmas day in nyc!
looking forward to it, 2013!!!
Love your new website/design! congrats.
And what a sweet review of your year.
GAH! your style is just the best. and your little girl with that backpack on? i could cry it’s so cute.
Congrats on all you achieved in 2012 – I hope this year is even bigger and better and more full of love! x
You are so naturally beautiful it’s amazing, where do you get those cute barrettes you wear in your hair?
http://www.nateandmaryclaire.blogspot.com
I love your blog for a million different reasons, but the biggest one is the fact that you take so many pictures of your family and your day-to-day adventures. I love that. You have totally inspired me to take more (and more!) pictures, so if my friends and family start to complain, I’m blaming you. :)
Love this post. 2012 looks like it was a great year for you.
Such a beautiful and happy family. Thank you for sharing with us, we basically live vicariously through you! (In a non-creepy way of course.)
xx
H&H
http://hemingwayandhandbags.blogspot.com
Love love LOVE all your photos – how do you manage to capture so many great shots? I love your perspective, especially for the shots of the kiddos. k x
love the photos!! what a great family!
Love these posts.. such a great way to start a new year. And again – well done on the new site.. love it x
What a beautiful collaboration of 2012! Here’s to what 2013 will bring to your family : )
what a great year! hope 2013 is even better for you guys :)
beautiful photos and recap of 2012! Looking forward to your posts in 2013 :)
http://smittenbyangels.blogspot.com
What a beautiful family. You are inspiring. It’s fun to follow your journey. My first 2 littles are close together, like yours, and now we have another. Crazy busy, but so fun.
http://www.dancingtoadphotography.blogspot.com
You post the best recaps! What an amazing year!
I can sincerely say that I have never seen more adorable babies than yours. It must be a beautiful thing to have such sweet faces looking up at you all the time.
All the best.
Looks like a wonderful 2012 for you and your fam.
Beautiful memories and beautiful photos to go along with it :)
May your 2013 be filled with more adventures and wonderful memories to cherish.
xo,
http://blog.sisiliapiring.com
Wonderful pictures, looks like you all had a pretty great year :)
And it’s so nice to hear that your pooch is doing well! That must have been tough for you all but it sounds like you really did what was best for him :)
Hope 2013 is another good one for you and yours!
Aren’t Sorels the best? I live in mine.
what an exciting year for you and your family—its crazy to see how much samson is growing and how much he is looking like eleanor these days!
such beautiful photos! looking back on these photos, it amazing on how much eleanor and samson has grown! i hope 2013 will be an even better year for you guise :)
These pictures are all so wonderful.
so cute! what adventurous year1 can’t wait for more :)
-deana, @ birdsandoxfords
hey rockstars,
have a technical question for you.
what type of camera do you use for your pictures and do you edit them? If so what program? Am trying to figure out how to be a cool blogger and am asking all the bloggers I look up to what they do! Your one of them! :)
thanks!
ps/ how do you make your blog look like it is? haha. I know that’s pretty broad but specifically wanting to know how you did your layout and how you post your pictures large or is there some technical genius that does this for you?
the end.
My hubby is from SF, therefe I too love that city…although I’m struggling with a slight case of envy when it comes to your Italy trip. Ok and maybe your wardrobe :)
It’s amazing to see how much Eleanor and Samson have grown this year! Cheers to an amazing 2012 and hopefully an even MORE amazing 2013!
What a wonderful, wonderful year for you guys! I wish you more of the same in 2013! (Baby no 3???)
Maria xx
http://www.cheekypinktulip.blogspot.com
I loved these two recaps, even though I had read all the posts during the year. When I’m having a bad day, thinking two children are one too many, I think of you alone in NYC with two babies. Mine are 7 and 1 and I live on a tiny island, surrounded by family so seeing how easy you make it look encourages me to pull up my socks and keep going. I look forward to this year following your journey together!
Great blog! I also have two little ones with a nearly identical age gap and a husband who works long hours in the city (London). I have just started blogging publicly and wrote a post yesterday about how each child is unique and needs different parenting. Would love if anyone could share their thoughts :
http://www.samandasha2.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/as-many-loves-as-hearts.html
Thanks!
Your family is so adorable… i love how real u guys are.. i have 2 lil ones too, so many of your comments are very relatable..
Here’s to another good year with many more awesome moments with our kids… #priceless
wow what an amazing year! here’s to 2013!
sleeplessanddreammore.blogspot.com
great pics, great time spent together ….. wonderful family …..
xo from Italy, xo from Lelli Family
that picture of josh and e with their hands raised towards the tree is so funny and simply the best.
My very first time leaving you a comment… You guys are so adorable . Such beautiful children …
samson is just too cute :3
You have so many fun things going on. Thanks for sharing.
That picture of you kissing Kingsley goodbye breaks my heart…. but I’m sure he’s loving all the space!! Xo
Perfect review! You all had such a wonderful, blessed year! It’s amazing how much can happen in just 365 days!
Love the reviews. One year – so many new things. Your pictures put a smile on my face every time :)
http://www.livingnotesfromnyc.com
What a great year! Love these pics :)
Also, I absolutely love the Stokke carrier + sandals :)
http://www.livingnotesfromnyc.com
lookin`to your photos is alsways fun and make me smile.
xoxo from germany
I’m a new reader to your blog…I loved your year end wrap-up and I just LOVE reading about and viewing your posts from your recent trip to Italy. Your family is beautiful – God bless!
such beautiful memories, you guys are the cutest
I LOVE your new design. In fact, the yellow was part of the inspiration for my new blog design. When the designer asked me about colors, I pointed her to your website :P It’s so cool that the little menu always stays at the top of the page!
This is so sweet! What a lovely review of your year! I bet 2013 is even better to your sweet little family.
gorgeous photos (love seeing some of them again)-lovely new blog!
So beautiful, each picture is so precious! Thank you so much for sharing so much of your life with us. You definitely inspire me to do more to make each day a little more special (and take more photos!).
Oh so happy to hear that Kingsley is doing well! We just got a puppy, and I was thinking about what a hard decision that must have been. So glad that he’s still with family, and I hope you guys get to see him a lot!
http://www.anna-bird.com
Great pictures! Your life seems awesome. I’m really glad I found your blog. You’re quickly becoming one of my favorite reads. Best of luck in the new year :)
Jessie
http://jessieanna.blogspot.com
Another great roundup. Eleanor and Samson have both grown so much. These crazy kids grow up too fast. Thanks for sharing.
Becoolmom.blogspot.com
Your new website is lovely.
What a pretty little family <3
- L
I love these year in reviews- so much joy all in one post! Happy New Year :)
OK so I know you and your hubs are both great photographers, but seriously, how do you get such AMAZING PHOTOS of all of you together? They are so candid and lovely – pictures that as a photographer I STRIVE for. But I guarantee, we have none like that of my own little family. They are all just gorgeous!
http://www.thismomsgonnasnap.com
I’m not sure how 2013 can beat your 2012! Looks like you had so many fun adventures. Cheers to an even better 2013!
This has been my first full year to follow you as an suggestion by a friend, and I have loved and been inspired by every post. Thank you so much for sharing your lives with us, AND for being so darn cute! I look forward to 2013 and where it takes you 4! Blessings!
Lindsey
I had a blast looking back through all your pics… Can’t believe how much the fam has grown and how much life changed for you in the past year! Sending lots of love from San Diego!
xx
Holly Foxen Wells
GlamourMash
I loved your review!! The pictures are very cute!!
xo
Rachel
I feel like we are friends. My baby boy was born a month before Elenor and my baby girl was born the day after Samson. Right after my baby girl was born, my sister, who was pregnant with her second told me to read your blog. I was having such a hard time feeling like I could be as good to baby #2 as to baby number one. Your optimism and love of family completely encouraged me. Since then, I have loved watching your babies grow up and I relate SOOO well because mine are growing right along side with yours. Thank you for loving being a Mother! I love it more than I can say and you truly keep me motivated for the tough days. My sister and I always laugh because we always joke about “rock star” and how we wish we were as perfect mothers as you. She called me last night and said.. and by the way, the year in review part II is up! Ha ha. Thanks!!
So very sweet! What a happy recap!
I really love your precious little family. Makes me so excited to start my own family soon!
Beautiful photos! I love that you broke it up into two parts. My favorite is E kissing S on the nose! Too cute.
Sheree
thehartungs.blogspot.ca
great year in review – what a year you guys have had!
you make me want to move to NYC! {i live in the UK} and go back to italy…
http://thislittlemum.blogspot.co.uk
so happy to re-discover your blog! I live in LA and did a quick browse of your LA photos…where is that pizza from??! it looks SO good!
So wonderful!! I love these little year recaps :)
What a wonderful year! Cheers to 2013!
xo
almost cried!! amazing pictures, and family!! E’s green backpack from wheree?? :)
this was amazing.. thank you so much for sharing with all of us <333
your family is beautiful :) so excited to see your adventures in 2013
what happened to your dear old pal kingsley?!
Could you please change the color of the links,I am finding yellow on white hard to read. Thanks
Bah! That Thanksgiving photo with the turkey hat kills me with cuteness every time. Every. Time.
I hope its not creepy to admit that i found no need in clicking your links because i knew exactly of each moment you were referring too.
I love love love your blog and your little family. E puts a smile on my face each time you post pics of her. And Samson, he’s is my tiny twin. He was born on my birthday which as you can imagine, thrilled me to the bones.
I hope to bump into you some day in the city although i’ll likely shy away and walk right past you.
May you and your family continue to blessed in 2013.
xo
Jah
You and your family have achieved so much in just a year! It is so nice to read such a lovely post. I’m sure 2013 will be just as amazing for you all x
What a wonderful year you’ve had. Here’s to another one!
http://lifeiswhathappensblog.wordpress.com/
First comment here..
It’s crazy to see how Little E is growing fast by looking at all of those pictures.
Your family is really inspiring.
Love from France.
Camia
Such a great post! Seems like you guys had an amazing 2012 – hope this year will be just as good for you! :-)
Hi Taza ! Your blog is so adorable. Also, where did you get that cute grey looking beanie of yours ?!
thanks! it is very old… from h&m like 6 or 7 years ago…
I started reading your blog this year and I absolutely love it! I somehow started reading a post that was several years ago before you and your husband had kids. I thought “what a cute couple, they have so much fun together.” Then I noticed on the header there was a baby. And I read some more, and dang, there’s another baby. What blessings, eh? I love being able to see how much you love and adore your kids and seeing how they grow…it’s also wonderful how much you love your husband. It’s so refreshing to see real/genuine people enjoying life despite the gloomy times.
Keep on keepin on!
Kara
These photos are definition of young, hot american family.
http://bellaconscience.blogspot.com
Lovely pictures as always!
with grace & gumption, Hlary
We are heading to DC next week and your pictures made me even more excited! I love reading along.
xo Kelsey
http://kelseydesign.com/
Beautiful pictures! Looks like a wonderful year.
Naomi I can help but ask you how come all the pictures you publish on the blog are equally beautiful, with the same high quality, nice depth, great angles and always the right light, despite being shot by different hands (I guess/you/Josh/friends). Do you retouch them in any digital programs before publishing or are they straight out of the camera?
I’d love to read any info/tips/advice/secrets on this one more thing you’re great at (because I still haven’t taken the 2 backpacks packing thing out of my mind :P)
I’ve been reading for some time but never commented…great blog, great photos, beautiful family, congratulations!
Can you tell me where you got Samson’s blanket on the last photo (blue and green one)? thanks ;)
Hope 2013 will be as great year for you and all your readers!
All the best, Paula.
You got a genuinely valuable blog. I have been here reading for about an hour. I’m a newbie and your success is extremely a lot an inspiration for me.