January 4, 2013

Wow, I can't believe that another year is come and gone and here we are at the beginning of yet another year. I love the new year... new starts, new goals, new experienices and memories. I hope this year to record the little, everyday moments, that are so easily forgotten as we go day to day. Those quiet, small little experiences, or feelings, or cute little things that the kids say. Like this morning, when TylerKate jumped in bed to snuggle this morning...wrapped her arms around me, and said.... "You are the best mommy in the whole world!".... nothing melts your heart like that. I also want to keep this blog as a journal, and a remembrance of our year. As usual, I am a little behind... I had planned to start on the 1st...so I have a little catch-up to do already! We celebrated the New Year up in Idaho, going to see Uncle David for the first time in 3 years while he was home visiting Grandma and Grandpa. The two older kid... Samantha and Bret came with me and had so much fun hanging out with their cousins. They love to be together. We also were able to be there when Sterling came home from his mission which was a neat experience. Bret served as his first companion two years ago, and the time has flown by, and he served a wonderful mission. We are looking forward to what the future brings to him. Tanner celebrated his 7th birthday on January 2nd. He is already starting to count down until he is 8 and gets to be baptized. Oh how I love that cute boy! We went to McDonalds for dinner and came home and had presents and root beer floats. We had a lot of fun playing with his new "Connect Four" game, which he loved! TylerKate had her first violin lesson yesterday and she was so excited, she danced through the whole thing! She learned all of the parts of the violin, how to care for it, the names of the strings, and learned to clap out some rythyms. Bretty as usual, can't stop reading. He is a great kid. He loves school and likes to go to bed early so that he can have more time to read each night. Samantha is growing up so fast... she lets us know often her latest mission countdown... Just over 6 years and she can turn in her papers. She has wanted to go on a mission since she was very little, so she was more than thrilled to hear that girls could go at a younger age! I am so grateful for friends and family and the gospel. I feel that more and more each day. What great blessings they are! I am still working to set my new years goals... but I liked the goals that Elder Uchtdorf had listed in his conference talk... "Of Regrets and Resolutions".. 1) Resolve to spend more time with those we love 2) Resolve to strive more earnestly to become the person God wants us to be. 3) Resolve to find happiness, regardless of our circumstances. I also have a favorite quote from ELder Eyring that I am continually trying to make a part of each day.... "There is not a day that goes by, that I do not take time to write a iine or two ... someway that I have seen the hand of the Lord in my life or the life of someone I love each day."..... I believe that it is through these goals and that statement that we can find the everyday miracles that are just waiting to be discovered. I am so excited for a New Year! Welcome 2013!! :)