2008 at a glance

It's interesting when you've come to the end of a year and you start looking back on all the ups and downs and what you learned from it all.

2008 was good.

We had a lot of adventures as a family. We had a lot of firsts - mostly good things.... some not so jolly.

My emotions were on a rollercoaster especially last winter and spring. It was a hard time for me.  I had no reason - only that it was.  Not that I fully realized it at the time, but now looking back I see I wasn't my perkiest self ever.

But summertime bloomed and my spirits picked up. It must take me a long time to adjust to change.

I looked through all the photos from 2008 and I think this one is my favorite and explains the year. Here we are on a family walk on the trail by our house ... not perfectly posed ... no makeup ... being goofy ... but attempting joy in the journey.

Here's the rundown of what we learned from 2008:

moving with a 2-week-old babe is hard on mom

there is lots of snow and ice in utah

we really like hot chocolate

sledding for the first time is awesome (yet cold)

kids can be so creative with lots of indoor play

the rexburg temple is beautiful even in the winter

hunting for a home with 3 kids in winter is an adventure

a 4-year-old with a broken arm was braver than we thought

10+ attempts to make bread is just the beginning

moving in the summer is much better than the winter

babe #3 will spit-up just as much as #1 and #2

a sad memorial for an uncle

a lovely wedding for a sis

a byu graduation for an auntie

6-year-olds are so fun to watch jumprope

trenching in utah is quite a chore

rocks multiply when you start to try to get rid of them

installing sprinklers takes a long time

green heavenly sod is installed much quicker with help from siblings

hikes with tots are short but usually good

painting is easier with 2 or 3 or 4

it's good to let the babe cry it out at night

going to the E.R. for a kidney infection can turn out okay in the end

Hannah loves kindergarten

it couldn't get much better than lunch with dad in the church cafeteria and frozen yogurt

a babe who decides to walk everywhere produces many smiles
we like living closer to family

In 2008 my word to focus on was {SIMPLIFY}. I think it turned more into SURVIVE.  But we feel blessed in all that we've learned and look forward to 2009 with all the possibilities it brings to our family.