COUNTING MY BLESSINGS OF 2011

I love looking back at the year and seeing what was accomplished.

2011 was full of fun and joy, heartbreak and sadness, stress, a bit of the bizarre, and through it all, blessings.

In January, we celebrated the new year, I learned how to make non-dairy cheese, we celebrated mom's birthday, we took the boys sledding, we stayed the weekend at the Gescher lake house, took the boys to the bottom of Detroit Lake, celebrated Tom Selleck's birthday, and started putting in a new tub and, much to our delight, Jill and John got married.

In February, we had our second annual 14 Days of Love countdown to Valentine's Day. Some of my favorites this year were our Crush Party, when Lily got red lips and heart attacking. Deb and Kevin helped us tile our bathroom and the bathroom got mostly finished (it still isn't finished!), we made fun valentine's for school, we celebrated Grandpa Joan and Maddie's birthday and I had a weekend getaway with my Soul Sisters.

In March, Mustache March began (so sad for me), Derek and Stephanie had a birthday, our family was shocked to lose one of our family members to an untimely death, we went to see the house my mom lived in as a child and the remains of the Provo Tabernacle, Wil and Phylicia got married, we celebrated Landon's birthday, we celebrated St. Patrick's Day, I took a quilting class with my father, Steve surprised the boys with a visit and we celebrated Sarah's birthday.

In April, Stephanie and I did a U.S. and Scotland Here and There Photo Challenge, my parents moved, I took a two art classes, Larry and I avoided an accident but were run off the road, we celebrated Steve's birthday and my sister came home from Scotland, these were hand delivered and I took a flower design class.

In May, the wee ones made a backyard zipline, we had a hot dog potluck, took Lily to the coast for the first time, we took the boys to Eastern Oregon for Larry's birthday, celebrated Alivia's birthday and Landon had his first (and hopefully only) toothache.

In June, Lily met Captain, my man clan became bull frog hunters, my dad and I had another quilting class, participated in the Jeff Young Fun Run, saw my aunt and uncle on their mission, Landon graduated from Kindergarten, we had lots of outdoor summer fun, the boys invented the jump board of doom, we started working on our backyard deck and I transformed a picnic table.

In July, we went to the paddle boats, saw a diner dwelling monkey named Elvis, LongBoardLarry was in Concrete Wave's Reader's Choice Award in 4 categories, we took the older boys for a weekend trip to Southern Oregon to zipline and see the vortex, I took the wee ones to visit my brother in Seattle where we went to the zoo, played hide and seek and swam, I painted our shed door, we made a homemade slip and slide, my man clan got a little boat to help with bull frog hunting, we went to farmer's markets galore, Larry and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary, we took the boys to the beach and spent Independence Day with grandma and grandpa Joan.

In August, Larry and I went to Bend and saw Ben Harper in concert with Paul and Cassie, and we saw the Go-Go's in concert in Portland with Deb and Kevin. I took the boys headstone hunting, we took the man clan to a super cool Renaissance Faire in Washington and we met my second cousin, who is a magician.

In September, the LongBoardLarry mobile was loaded up with me, Lach and my parents. We drove to Arizona for 10 days, where we did a lot of sight seeing and some family history, including finding our family homestead and visiting Globe, where we found information about my third great-grandfather. We celebrated Lach's birthday, took the boys to the Field of Flags and celebrated Laird's birthday.
In October, I ran my first half-marathon, we had a lot of fun with autumn and Halloween celebrations, including carving pumpkins, eating a lot of theme food, taking the older boys to the Nightmare Factory, taking all the boys to a fun pumpkin patch and going trick or treating. I started taking screen printing classes and we celebrated the third year of the kidney transplant.

In November, Larry and I went whale watching with Stephanie in Anacortes, and Steve joined us on that weekend getaway. We celebrated Larry J's 16th birthday, celebrated Thanksgiving, started the 30 Days Until Christmas Countdown and we cut down our Christmas tree.

In December, we continued our Christmas Countdown, where we made gingerbread house, wrote letters to Santa, made snowflakes, made Christmas cookies and ate a lot of holiday food. We made ornaments and snowglobes and saw an incredible live nativity. We celebrated Grandma Joan's birthday, had an awesome Christmas Eve and Christmas day with our families, saw the Zoo Lights and Miriam came to help celebrate New Year's weekend.

I don't know about you, but I'm really looking forward to 2012 and what it has to offer.

Wishing you all the best for you and your family in 2012.

2010 IN REVIEW

It's that time of year again. Time for resolutions, goal setting and for reflection.
This past year has been full of ups and downs, smiles and frowns, tears and laughter, stress and joy. Looking at 2010, I see our blessings and I don't want to take them for granted. We had a wonderful year!


In January we welcomed the year with open arms, I painted the inside of the front door, made curtains for the bedrooms, won a giveaway to Alice Lane Home Collection, Larry and I found out we are related to two of our friends, I finally got my baseboards - yay me!, Josh came to visit us, I captured a common sight at our house, I accidentally glued my fingers together, I started to learn to knit (I have a confession - I still need to finish that project!), had some glow stick fun with the man clan, Landon wrote a story in preschool, I was thrilled to receive a blog comment from Eddie Ross, I made a fun apron, celebrated mom's birthday in Portland, had a giveaway, saw my first silent film, did the Love Dare Challenge and went on a super fun girl's weekend at the coast with Steph, Kim and Sarah.

In February we did a countdown to Valentine's Day with the 14 Days of Love, I went on a photo walk at Deepwood Estates, did a 6 week fitness challenge, watched the Winter Olympics, I got an awesome steam mop, we celebrated Valentine's Day, Larry and I had a super fun bowling date, I hosted Yaya's, we flew kites, we celebrated Ivon's birthday, attended a black and white movie series at a historical theater, did a photo shoot with Maddie, Lach had need for speed and celebrated Grandpa Joan and Maddie's birthday.

In March we saw the gorgeous cherry blossoms downtown, celebrated Stephanie's birthday, had an impromptu putty party, celebrated Derek's birthday, Larry grew a stache for Mustache March, we celebrated Landon's birthday, made a fondant Mario cake, decorated for Stake Women's Conference, did a virtual talent show, LongBoardLarry boards were part of the gift baskets to the actors of the movie - Straw Dogs, we celebrated St. Patrick's Day with a green gala, Larry J got his Life and Laird got his First Class, I went to a midnight dvd movie release party, the MTV Spring Product Guide featured LongBoardLarry boards, we went to the Tulip Festival, completed the living room photo wall, I learned to make chocolate covered marshmallow eggs and we celebrated Sarah's birthday.

In April Mustache March ended (yay!), we celebrated Easter, I completed my first 5K, we celebrated Mary's birthday, I visited Sherri and Kimberly in Pella, did a photo walk at the Portland Temple, made Steve wildlife sugar cookies, went to a Devotchka concert with Larry, Larry was a speaker at the National High School Journalism Convention, we got a carpet for our dining room, I received my grandfather's family bible, we celebrated Steve's birthday and celebrated Kim's 40th.

In May we celebrated May Day, had a family outing at a farm, we celebrated Larry's 40th with a fondant LongBoardLarry Humu cake, we celebrated Mother's Day at home and at Sarah's, completed a fun custom sign, we celebrated Alivia's birthday, had an awesome water fight, I had a sister weekend in San Francisco and our family had a blast in visiting San Clemente.

In June I celebrated my birthday with the Yayas, with friends, more friends, with the family and I even got kidnapped, Derek and Erica got engaged, we celebrated Michael & Michael's birthday, went to Utah and visited my grandmother and stayed with my awesome cousin, ran a 5k with family, had a mini reunion, I took Derek and Erica's engagement photos, we celebrated Father's Day, we celebrated my dad's birthday, pulled out bushes in the backyard, had a sleep over with 7 excited cousins, had lots of trampoline fun, Larry ran his first 5K and we planted our first garden.

In July Larry and I celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary, we celebrated Independence Day with family, the newest family and fireworks, the Yaya's had our 10 year anniversary, we painted our house and trim, I love my robin's egg blue front door!, the garage door windows got a facelift, Landon had the shopping cart incident, we started harvesting our garden, my man clan beat the heat, we had a lot of dinners at the park, I participated in fun and exciting wedding planning, Erica had a Broadway themed bridal shower, Larry was quoted in The New York Times, LongBoardLarry moved locations and Landon planned a kid party.

In August Laird's face met pain, the kids had a bachelor party, we ate lots of roadside fruit stand deliciousness, Larry surprised me with a unicycle, we saw a meteor shower, celebrated Dennis' birthday, Steve came to visit, I went to the temple with Stephanie, we had our noses waxed, Derek and Erica got married, Miriam came to visit, Laird got braces, Stephanie-Palooza began, I hiked the Trail of Ten Falls and Landon lost his first tooth.

In September Larry J's first year of high school football began, we celebrated Lach's birthday, I became allergic to animal protein and was forced to become vegan, I went whale watching and had a fun sister's weekend at the beach, we celebrated Laird's birthday, made him a fondant ipod birthday cake, went to a Pirate Festival, Jill and John became engaged, we made flubber, Stephanie started saying her goodbyes and dyed her hair purple.

In October I went to Utah with Stephanie to see her off for her Scotland adventures. While I was there I saw some Monterey friends, hiked the "Y", saw my grandmother and aunts, rented a party mobile, went to the Bonniville Salt Flats, met up with an Oregon friend, attended the morning session of General Conference, visited Hatch Family Chocolates, we had a fun going away party for Steph and then I said goodbye to her at the airport. Once home the month long Halloween fun began with spooky food, pumpkins, ghostly shenanigans, hayrides and field trips and costumes. Gaylene visited from Hawaii and Dennis and I celebrated our two year anniversary.

In November we visited Erica and Derek in Idaho, while we were on our way to Utah to pick up Lily. Larry participated in No Shave November (uggg), he made me an awesome coffee table, we celebrated Erica's birthday, Larry took me to a Brandon Flower's concert (I'm still swooning!), we celebrated Larry's birthday, we celebrated Thanksgiving, dad and I decorated his tree, Adam Colton and Adam Stokowski came to visit and there was a lot of wrestling, yoga, a voodoo challenge, biore strips, skating and snow.

In December No Shave November was over (yippee kai yay!), we had our annual peanut butter ball making, I received the coolest ornament, our community had a live nativity, I made a fondant birthday cake, we had an employee Christmas dinner, got an awesome Christmas tree at Brent and Juli's, I had the worst day ever of 2010, we celebrated Grandma Joan's birthday, my father made incredibly beautiful handcrafted pens, I had an attitude adjustment, we celebrated Christmas Eve with Papa Ivon and Mama Nanny and celebrated Christmas Day with Grandma and Grandpa Joan.

What a wonderful, wonderful year!

COUNTING MY BLESSINGS

and not coveting others, is a goal for this New Year.
I thought to jump start my counting blessings goal, I'd look back at some of my favorites of 2009...

January - Larry went to San Diego, I went to a rock 'n roll dinner, Larry J went to his first snow campout, I made my first t-shirt quilt, did glowstick photography with the boys and took a bookmaking class with the two older boys...

February - I did a 26 day self portrait challenge, had a wonderful Valentines Day, reconnected with amazing friends from my Boston days, had fun with latex gloves and Larry and I went away for the weekend...

March - I went to New Orleans for Steph's 30th birthday, took a cake decorating class, the older boys took a pottery class, I made my first apron, went to the Twilight dvd release party, got to ride my motorcycle again, Larry and I took a gun class and saw Wicked...

April - went on a Twilight movie tour girls weekend, had a wonderful Easter weekend and took a calligraphy class...

May - We went camping in the Redwoods, I took the wee ones to Alaska to visit Steve, had a Scarface moment, went to the Wolverine premier and Larry got his best ever birthday present...

June - Larry and I to Rent, we went to a book signing, there was an incredible Enrichment night, and I received one my my best ever birthday presents...

July - Larry and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary, Derek came to visit, we had an awesome 4th of July, went marionberry picking and we made jam, donuts, scones, oh my!, went to a Robin Hood festival, Harry Potter premier, went to the Bastille Day festival, met all the actors at a Leverage screening and then saw Christian Kane's band play and had a mini reunion with far away friends...

August - we bought our first house, went to my grandfather's funeral and made pickles for the first time with my Yaya sisters...

September - I went on a girls weekend to Forks, we had house guests from France and then Germany and I did a stranger photography challenge...

October - we had a night club race, Larry played football, took a screenprinting class, the boys made an ate chocolate covered crickets and mealworms, did an A-Z photography challenge, had ghosts in the house, had a spooktacular Halloween and celebrated the one year anniversary of our kidney transplant....

November - we tried a detox, had fun at the New Moon premier,much to my dismay, Larry participated in No Shave November, Adam came to visit, had a wonderfully delicious Thanksgiving and a awesome Black Friday...

December - I did a color photography challenge, Adam came to visit, we had a learning experience and had a wonderful Christmas celebrating with family and friends.

We have wonderful family and friends and we are very blessed and I'm thankful.
"Count your blessings, name them one by one"...