2011 in review

2011

a little about me:

Name: Alex

Age: 9

Favorite food: Daddy's eclairs

favorite activity: pillow fights with Nana

Favorite Color: light blue

Favorite Book: Laura Ingalls Wilder books

Highlights from 2011:

greatest lesson learned: When I practice piano I can get good at it

hardest thing of the year: cleaning

favorite memory: going to Lagoon with Daddy; and Nana and Papa coming to visit

What I loved most about 2011: getting the Scorpion Pyramid Lego set for Christmas

Looking forward to 2012:

want to learn: Daddy's cooking

want to get better at: piano

Biggest Goal: read more (because he loves to read!)

2011

a little about me:

Name: Nathan

Age: 8

Favorite food: Daddy's eclairs

favorite activity: playing with Joseph

Favorite Color: a lot of the colors

Favorite Book: Laura Ingalls Wilder books

Highlights from 2011:

greatest lesson learned: about the ocean

hardest thing of the year: school

favorite memory: the trip to New York

What I loved most about 2011: getting the Scorpion Pyramid Lego set for Christmas

Looking forward to 2012:

want to learn: everything from school

want to get better at: school

Biggest Goal: tithing

2011

a little about me:

Name: Katherine

Age: 3

Favorite food: milk (?)

favorite activity: “sleepovers” with Shannon

Favorite Color: pink

Favorite Book: Caps for Sale

Highlights from 2011:

greatest lesson learned: how to write

hardest thing of the year: cleaning

favorite memory: riding horses and the Daddy Daughter Dance

What I loved most about 2011: I liked to cook with Daddy

Looking forward to 2012:

want to learn: cook more with Daddy

want to get better at (want to learn): reading

Biggest Goal (want to do this year): cook with Abbie on the play kitchen

2011

a little about me:

Name: Abbie

Age: 19 months

Favorite food: suckers

favorite activity: playing with Katherine

Favorite Color: probably pink because she knows that color

Favorite Book: she loves lots of books

Highlights from 2011:

greatest lesson learned: lots of words

hardest thing of the year: sharing

favorite memory: riding horses and cooking with Daddy

What I loved most about 2011: I turned one!

Looking forward to 2012:

want to learn: to go potty

want to get better at: talking

Biggest Goal: saying yes and no appropriately

Jan. 2011 the boys were in their first year of Friday school. Alex had just gotten a keyboard for Christmas, and he and Nathan started lessons a few months later. They were also in the middle of their first year of pottery class too. Katherine was still doing the Mommy and Me dance class here in spanish Fork that she started the end of Oct. My dad had just finished the finale of Biggest Loser, and took over the parenting of Avery a few months later. In Jan. the only pet we had was a goldfish:). We also started looking for houses with land because we had no place to put the trampoline we got for Christmas. We read the Laura Ingalls Wilder series through the year (and other books) and we all LOVED it! I think it was the end of Jan. that Nathan bought the 6 hens. I can't remember when we got the bunnies, but we had to get rid of them in about May because a neighbor complained we had too many animals.

In Feb. Todd and I had our tenth anniversary. and we got Manzo puppy.

In March, we took a weekend vacation to Bryce Canyon, and later in March my parents came to visit.

In April for Easter we incubated some eggs and they hatched a few days before Easter. That was a lot of fun. They were kept inside in a big plastic bin, and outside we had the bunnies, the fish and a dog. We were still looking for our house with land:). We found a plot we liked, but when we prayed about it we got a "not now" answer.

In May was the Daddy Daughter Dance recital- the highlight of Katherine's life so far.  Katherine also had her regular dance recital. Abbie turned one and had a family birthday party.

In June, Nathan started violin lessons with Monte Belknap. Alex had already been taking piano from Mandy Nash. This was also when the kids' bears spent the night at the library. June was also the Princess Festival, when Todd took Katherine to the Daddy Daughter Ball.

July was Katherine's third birthday party- a dancing party at the place where she took dance lessons. She LOVED her party and still talks about it. Todd took the boys to the Father and sons campout.

In Aug. Katherine started ballet at a ballet studio. Alex had his NINTH birthday, and had a late-over party that lasted until midnight. It was a fun party. Nathan had his first violin recital and played May Song out of the Suzuki book. I think it was Aug. when we first started the horseback riding with Jaci, and started doing it once a month as a family activity.

In Sept. the Todd took turns taking the boys to the BYU football games. The boys started the next year of Friday school, which included sewing and cooking, art, making things work, nature study, social dance and lego robotics. They love all their classes except art, because they don't like the teacher (but they love art). We also went on a really fun church history trip. We went from Utah to New York without stopping! We went to Palmyra, then Kirtland, Ohio, then saw Tawnya and her family in Iowa, and Todd and Tawnya ran the half marathon there, and then back home.

October was the Park City condo. We had an extra large room this year (at no extra charge) and our own hot tub on the balcony. Allison and her family came to visit and we had so much fun, that we wished they could have stayed longer. The boys cried when their cousin friends had to leave. We also did the First Feast in Payson Canyon with the Homeschool group and a Harvest party also with the homeschool group that were both very fun. This year for Halloween I was in a bad, bad mood, because Abbie was crying (teething?) all night and day, and I didn't have enough sleep and just had kind of a bad day. So Todd and Danielle took the kids trick or treating while I put the candy bowl outside and I went inside and shut the door and had some quiet time. I love Halloween, so I must have had a really bad day, looking back now! The girls were cowgirls and the boys were cowboys.

In Nov., we did lots of Thanksgiving activities and it made Nov. really special. Each day we read a talk on gratitude. Katherine and I went to see the Nutcracker in Nov and again in Dec. Alex had his first piano recital in Nov. and played Happy Farmer. We had Thanksgiving at Jane's house with Todd's family. This was the first year it was at Jane's house, usually it's at the grandparent's house. We've been able to see them every week (the grandparents) because alex's piano lessons are at their house.

In December, the boys earned their cubscout badges: Alex his Bear and Nathan his Tiger. Nathan turned 8 but is getting baptised Jan. 8. His birthday party is tomorrow: he wanted a late-over like Alex, so we decided to do a New Years Eve birthday party. Both boys played in sacrament meeting: Alex played silent Night on the piano and Nathan sang one verse and played one verse on his violin of The Nativity. The boys were in A Christmas Carol play with other homeschool kids and they loved it, surprising to me. This month we did a lot of Christmas activities and it was a lot of fun! Nana and Papa and Avery came for Christmas. For Christmas the boys got the Scorpion Pyramid lego set (their favorite toy) and the girls got a play kitchen. Katherine got a horse and doll rider (instead of a real pony in her stocking:)). Abbie got her own ballet shoes and ballet tutu. The boys also got lots of games and each a model to build. My parents got all the kids presents, and for us we all went skiing the day after Christmas. We've also gone with my parents and Avery horseback riding and ice skating while they've been here.

My new years resolution: more outside time this summer and less schedule. Last summer I wanted to go camping every weekend, but because we had something scheduled every weekend, we never went! This summer I want to spend all day camping, hiking, gardening, and just being outside.