January- This January we took time to make final preparations for the arrival of our little one! We had a “true” New England winter. There were a handful of snow days and hours spent outside sledding, making snowmen, and generally living it up in the white fluffy stuff from the sky! Ada’s curiosity about the impending baby seemed to grow in proportion to the circumference of mom’s belly!

February- On February 20^th, we were blessed with the birth of Amaia Banigan Mertz (8 lbs. 12.9 oz). She was born at 12:17 pm on our second trip to the hospital! We were fortunate to receive lots of support from family and friends in the beginning weeks. Despite being a generally calm baby, it was still and adjustment becoming a family of four and reacquainting ourselves with the schedule of a newborn!

March- This month Kara turned 30… wow! Greg surprised the family with a spontaneous two-day trip around Maine stopping at many of our favorite places. We followed a set of rhyming clues and obscure GPS addresses that led us to stops between the southern Portland coast and the Mancoon (located outside of Bangor). We visited with friends, checked out breweries, and lingered in some of the state’s nooks and crannies that we have too often been breezed by on our way to someplace else. Ada especially got a kick out of seeing the Bates Chapel where we were married!

April- At two months old, Amaia continued to be a calm and happy baby. She wasn’t the greatest sleeper, but was always pleasant to be around, and Ada couldn’t get enough of her little sister! From day one, Ada was nurturing and kind towards Amaia, and continued to be a big help around the house too. Kara was still on maternity leave this month, and we all definitely enjoyed the prolonged family time we had together.

May- For Mother’s Day, the entire family drove up to Stow, VT- not for a get-away at a countryside B&B- but for Greg to run in the Tough Mudder adventure race series! This was a 12+ mile challenge where participants ran up and down the slopes of a ski mountain (over 13,700 vertical feet gained and lost from start to finish line!) while encountering obstacles designed by the British Special Forces! We all had a banner day- from Greg and his teammates finishing in fine form to Ada hiking up and down the mountain to see her dad covered in mud to Amaia who patiently rode around in the stroller on the same terrain all day! Kara was so intrigued she has signed up for the 2012 race!

June- This is a little bit embarrassing… but we planned part of our summer around Maine’s 2^nd Annual Whoopie Pie Festival! As soon as the Fay students graduated, we hopped in the car and drove to Maine where we got to experience first-hand some of the best whoopee pies on the planet! From traditional style to brownie whoopee pies to black raspberry ganache, we tried them all! We will be heading up again this year, so please think about joining us! This month we also connected with good friends at the Mancoon, Greg squeezed in a backpacking trip in the Berkshires, and we were able to begin to relax after a busy school year.

July- We spent the summer driving between Southborough and the Mancoon, spending a week to 10 days in each location. This was our third summer at the Mancoon, and instead of getting right to work on projects as we have previous years, we decided to explore some surrounding Maine towns. We discovered some great local farms and were surprised to find nearby charming coastal spots. Kara also flew with Amaia to North Carolina for her best friend’s bridal shower weekend which, thanks to the tremendous help from her mom, was a blast! This month we also moved to a new apartment on campus. Our address remains the same; however, we now live in a more spacious apartment in the youngest girl’s dormitory. Although we loved living in the boys dorm, the differences between 8^th grade boys and 6^th and 7^th grade girls is nothing short of apples and oranges!

August- As is becoming a tradition, August became synonymous with trips to our favorite wild blueberry patch. We took two separate trips and picked approximately 20 pounds total. We made pies, jams, syrup, and ate fresh blueberries on everything for weeks! What a treat! It was during this month that we got to work on a variety of projects around the cabin. Baseboard heating and ceilings got installed in the bedrooms, a flowerbed put in, trees got cleared, new paths to the bog were cut, the new addition was sided and closets were built! The best part was almost every “workday” ended with cold beers, grilling out, and playing in the stream! All in all, a relaxing and productive end to the summer!

September- We started the Fall with a bang… Ada began “pre-school” for 2 ½ hours twice a week. She continues to love it and looks forward to going and seeing her new friends! We traveled to Nantucket for Kara’s best friend’s wedding which was a blast. We rented a cottage and spent 3 1/2 days on the beautiful island. Greg coached soccer, and while his team’s record was not as splendid as previous years, he continued to enjoy this opportunity. Kara’s role as the 6^th grade Class Dean continued to keep her busy, and we both loved our work in the new dorm!

October- Ada turned 3 years old this month on the 27^th! She had a camping-themed birthday party complete with camp stories in a tent, a bear hunt, and s’mores. It is hard to believe that she is already three… she is growing so fast and talking our ears off! She continues to be curious and spunky (which side of the family does that come from?!), and we love how much she enjoys being outdoors. Her favorite thing to do is to take bike rides around campus while Amaia rides in the carrier or stroller. We were surprised with a freak snow storm just before Halloween. Ada seemed to re-discover snow while Amaia was fascinated by it!

November- The good news: we were able to spend nearly all of our weekends up in Maine hunting. The bad news: the deer heard we were coming to town, so they found a new place to hang out during these weeks. In November, Greg also completed the GoRuck Challenge with a colleague from Fay and Jillian’s fiancée. It is hard to appreciate what he went through, but for a little perspective- this challenge is led by a Green Beret, started at 1am, lasted almost 19 hours, covered somewhere between 25 and 30 miles, and involved doing most obstacles with an extra 40 pounds of bricks on his back… Impressive or crazy depends on your perspective!

December- Greg and Kara hunted in MA together in December, but alas, no deer. Both girls are getting bigger and bigger. Ada is talking up a storm, and some of her favorite topics include construction vehicles, wild animals, and playing kitchen. She has gotten really into art this year and Greg has her painting on canvases. Amaia is not crawling, but is scooting everywhere! She may not be fast, but she is definitely mobile! She continues to be a happy baby and had her first words this month, “Bye bye” while waving.

At the end of the month, Greg took a harrowing fall while descending Mt. Washington with his brother. Though he was able to hike out, he broke his neck in three places. The amazing neurosurgeons were able to put him back together using a variety of vertebrae fusing, plates, and bone grafts, but he is currently in a neck brace recuperating at home. All in all, we feel so grateful for the outcome and blessed by the care from our family and friends. Greg is a strong, and we know he will make a full recovery. Regardless, the support and blessings from those around us have been overwhelming and have truly carried us through the darker moments.

Please consider a trip to the Boston area or, in the spring or summer, up to Maine.

We send our best wishes to you all and would love to see you!