I am back in the Saddle!

I promised when I sent out our Christmas Cards that I would update this little ol’ blog once in awhile.

I would like to start with a recap of 2011, but it is somewhat of a blur, but still beware it is kind of a long pos. . I have asked everyone to tell me what they would like me to write about them and received nothing in my inbox so .. I tried…….maybe on a later post.

Family Travels

We went to Williamsburg and Bush Gardens Amusement park during Spring break – had a great time but it was a little warm.

Family Vacation to Bar Harbor, Maine in July- posted about that trip

Family Beach Trip to Holden Beach, NC where we experienced an earthquake and a hurricane. Neither ended up being that severe or much damage where we live. I did have to cry and plead with John to live the island before the storm started. They kept tell us that the power and water would be turned off but it never went off as long as we were there. We only had to leave one day earlier.

Visitors

Chris and Brett Braday (John’s sister) was here for Easter with us

Deanna(my sister) drove across country with Heidi and spent a week. Heidi was coming home for the summer after being at USU for a year. (May)

Logan and Abby moved back East in June. They are living in Raleigh, NC at the present time. Enjoying those living 4 hours away instead of 36 hours so now we get to visit more often and see that cute baby.

Mom and Dad came out and spent 10 glorious days with us. We took them up to NYC for a quick trip and out to the Manassas Battle Field.

A surprise drop-in, Carol Dawn and Alan Moser from Preston Idaho. They were in my ward in Blackfoot growing up and Carol Dawn was the YW President when I was a Laurel. Those were the days! They were just driving by Manassas on their road trip to the East. If she is home we will stop if not we will keep driving is what they told me, I was home, bonus.

We had a full house for Thanksgiving. Donnarae(my niece), Jon and Anne Phillip came to visit for the weekend. Chris, Brett and Jaimen Brady were with us again for the holiday and Logan, Abby and Hudson were also in town. We invited Abby’s parents, sister and brother to join us for dinner. The only problem was that Logan’s car broke down about an hour away so it was getting fixed all weekend. It was an axle that broke so we are grateful it got them that far and it broke in a parking lot picking up Abby’s brother and not out on the road at 70 mph. All and all it was a great weekend!!!

John

Traveled along the border of US and Canada for work. They are building new border ports and he is helping manage those projects. Not many big cities to fly into up North, so he also did a good bit of driving for hours to get to this out-in-the-middle of no-where places.

He is a Grandpa and is so darling with Hudson, which always has big smiles for Grandpa.

Called into the Bishopric as 2^nd counselor. (June)

Find free wood where ever he can.

Still working in the yard but has slowed down his relationship with Rhoda the tiller and Leah the Lawn mower, thank goodness. His new relationship, he got for Christmas last year, is with Chanda the Chainsaw. (I named the other equipment but he named the chainsaw because he likes it the best, lol). We have plans to redo some of the bushes and flower beds in the front yard in 2012.

Delilas

Still working at the best Physical Therapy Office as a front desk sub(official title- PRN). I really love working because I work as they need me, about 4-6 times a month. I am not sure if I can really call that working.

Released as Relief Society President (bitter/sweet, more sweet than bitter) I was put right into Primary, teaching the BEST Class of 9 year olds and now loving being a Sunbeam co-teacher to 10 – 3 year olds, so Party in the Sunbeam class.

Painted almost all the main floor of our house. The den and powder room still needs to be painted but the wallpaper is all down. I still love the blue, yellow, tan colors I choose.

I became a Grandma! I still can’t believe I am in that stage of my life. Hudson is a delight and such a good happy baby.

Solo trip, sort of, back to Arizona. Why I say sort-of is because Heidi was with me. She was living at G-ma and G-pa Corbett’s house at the time I went back. I escorted G-ma and G-pa Corbett back to St George and then we drove her car down to AZ. I loved every minute of being back in the desert. I know that may sound weird after being out here in the beautiful green trees of the East, but I don’t have a Leslie and Bekki out here.

Ran a 5K race, it was so fun and I want to do it again and again and maybe longer ones too. I ran for “Chocolate” at the National Harbor in Dec. It was a cool but beautiful day. I guess the race was poorly organized but since it was my first one I didn’t know any different. I think it was just too small of a venue for the amount of people that participated. It was fun to have two girls from my ward run also, we didn’t run together since they are much faster and one ran the 15k. In my defense they are 19 years younger than me, lol.

Logan, Abby and Hudson

See their blog at http://abbyandlogan.blogspot.com/

Heidi

Anxious to be done - Senior in College

Figuring out her life – I think she has it almost figured out.

“A” student

Carson

Happy Missionary in Peru Lima West Mission

1 year down

2 areas

4 companions

Never been transferred at regular transfer time always an emergency transfer, but not his fault.

He sounded so good when we talked to him on Christmas Day, we miss him but he is doing good things and working hard.

Kate

Seriously fun Senior in High School – Really, is it possible that she can be that old.

Applying and hoping to get into BYU to study Engineering

Homework, Homework, Homework

Babysits

Hangs out with friends

Mariah

Social 8^th grader

In 7^th grade she performed in the middle school production of “Beauty and the Beast”. She was a villager and a Silly Girl. The cast was really good and so fun for all those kids. I worked back stage the last two performances and those kids took this production seriously and got along so well. It truly was a joy watching them perform and rock the stage

Loves church dances

Show Choir

Austin

Funny/akward 5^th grader

Smart

Cellist in training

Piano practice fighter

Lego playing maniac

That’s all I can think of right now. We are all happy and healthy, which we are grateful for every single day.