2012: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

For our family, 2012 was the year of the good, the bad and the ugly.

The Good:  Our Bonus Baby, Ella Grace

She was the best thing that happened to us this year.  She was a true miracle. You can read the story of Ella's birth in this blog post.



The Bad:  Aaron's Job

Aaron lost his job at the end of 2012, two weeks before Christmas.  It was something we were not expecting.  You can read about our adventure into unemployment in this blog post.



The Ugly:  Breast Cancer


Breast cancer affected a countless number of families in 2012.   Receiving a breast cancer diagnosis less than 2 months after giving birth was a shock.  It was one of the most difficult times in my life.  I am proud to say that I am now cancer free.  I get checked about every 3 months just to make sure they got it all and that it hasn't returned.

If you are going to take one thing away from this blog post, let it be "early detection."  Make sure that you take the time each year for your annual OBGYN visit to get a breast exam.  No one enjoys going to the doctor but early detection of breast cancer is a life saver!   If you are eligible, get a mammogram, even if there is no breast cancer in your family.  There wasn't any in mine.  You are not "too young" or "too busy" to get checked.