2011 - And that's a wrap!

Just like last year, I decided to make a highlights video for us.  We watched it for FHE on January 2nd since it wasn't ready until then.  :-)

We also tried a new idea I got from my friend.  Every year, each memmber of her family comes up with a "Top 10" list.  You could do this however you want to, but we decided to just leave it open.  So we included personal accomplishments, favorite activities/hobbies/other interests, and specific memories or experiences.  I love this because it lets each person share the things that have been the most significant to him or her personally, and I'm sure that Ben and the kids will surprise me with the things they come up with for their lists.  I hope we continue this!

We actually came up with our lists during our drive home from Moab a few days before New Year's, but I think it would be a great FHE activity or New Year's Eve tradition.  Here goes--

Eliza (based on our conversation on her behalf)
- talking
-singing
-running
-dressing herself (beginning to, anyway)
-playing at the playground
-baby dolls
-eating
-yelling
-playing
-being with her family

Jack
-"tonadoes" (tomatoes)
-trains
-monster trucks
-the beach
-camping
-books
-preschool
-dinosaurs & dinosaur bones
-bananas
-riding his bike (tricycle)

Cat
-camping on Mt. Timpanogos
-Universal Studios
-being with our family in Moab
-graduating from Kindergarten
-new school
-new ward
-new friends
-flying to SC to see Grammy and other Fields
-learning to sew
-learning to do hair

Brett
-going to the beach all summer
-camping on Mt. Timpanogos
-St. George Island with the Millers
-Universal Studios with the Fields
-Arches National Park
-getting to spend time with friends and family in and around Utah (such a treat!!)
-hanging out in Salt Lake City
-making new friends in Utah
-running races
-rock climbing in St. George

Ben
-cross-country trip
-starting the MBA program and finishing the 1st semester
-Zion National Park
-coming to Utah
-seeing Liberty Jail
-St. George Island
-Universal Studios
-Tuacahn
-trip to Moab
-camping on Mt. Timpanogos

It was an exciting year, to say the least.  We had our stresses and difficulties, but in the end, I would say that 2011 was a great year, complete with lots of adventures and many opportunities to grow individually and as a family.  January of 2011 seems like such a long time ago after everything that has happened.  I don't think that 2012 will be the same kind of year, marked by change and adjustment, but even if it isn't, I'm sure we will grow and learn in many other ways.  Time has a way of making that happen.

And with that, my friends, our blogging for the year 2011 is officially COMPLETE!

Everyday Stuff - 2011 wrap-up

I'm not going to stress myself out by trying to put these in any kind of order, so.... they're not.  These are just the last of the EDS pictures I rounded up from the end of the year.  Enjoy!

Jack's race cars enjoy driving on Cat's My Little Pony "Butterfly Island."  

Yes, they were fighting over who got to use the Swiffer during a cleaning blitz.

Ready to take a bite out of our giant Christmas tree-shaped rice krispy treat Ben and the kids made for FHE treat one night before Christmas.

There's no stopping this girl when she decides she will have raisins for a snack.

Random, even for an EDS post, but I just like this picture.

I guess Jack didn't get the memo that boys are not supposed to choose Care Bear stickers at the doctor's office...

 

Hanging out in Jack's room at bedtime.  Cat has been bunking with Jack for the last few months, but E still sleeps in a crib in the (large) master closet.

Cat received this paddle ball (is that what it's called?) from a friend for Christmas and Jack was able to play with it pretty well.

She sees me stick pens in my hair once in a while, so naturally, she had to do it too.

This says "Dear Pops & Kelly, Thank you for the Hello Kitty things.  I love them.  I am working on the puzzle.  It has 100 pieces.  My sister stole 1.  Love, Cat"  (We later found the "stolen" piece in the bathroom.)

This says "Dear Colin, Thank you for the sidewalk chalk.  I tried it. I couldn't get it right.  But my Mom could.  I hope that you had a Merry Christmas.  Love, Cat" (She was referring to sidewalk chalk tattoos that worked for me, but not for her.)

Bedtime story with Dad. 

Jack & Eliza had a blast pushing as many of the buttons as they could on these little toys.   We were at Target early in the morning, so there weren't too many people around for us to annoy.  The toys played different songs.  My favorites were "The Only Girl (In the World)" and "DJ Got Us Falling in Love" - not exactly kid songs, huh?    :-)

Double trouble, these two.

Again.  Double trouble.

This paper toque we got for free from our all-time favorite grocery store, Publix, in Georgia, has seen a lot of wear in our kitchen.  And I hope it sees a lot more!

I'm so lucky to have my pick of sous chefs.

Don't do it, Jack!

Cat has been somewhat obsessed with jump roping lately.  Here she is trying to get Jack and Eliza to join in the fun, using a belt I bought in Guatemala 11 years ago as the rope.

LOVE this Little People Nativity Set!

You know you have a toddler in the house when you find (broken) kitchen items on the floor, and random other things in the drawer where the kitchen items should be.

Our trip to the grocery store turned into an exercise in bumper-car-prevention for Mommy.  But they had fun!

Do these things work?  I can't hear anything.

We saw this picture at the doctor's office and Jack immediately pointed to the boy and said, "That's me!"

Jack tried to use this basket, turned upside down, as a stool so that he could play the piano more easily, which he's not supposed to play at all.  I didn't contrive the basket breaking, but maybe it was a good tactic to try to teach him to leave the piano alone?

Jack happily entertained himself with clearance stamps at Michaels while I shopped.  He said it's a temple.

Construction crew & pilot.

Jack chose this gigantic carrot in the grocery store because he thought it would make a good snowman nose.  Too bad we still haven't had enough snow to make a snowman.  (I'm kidding.  I DON'T MIND the lack of snow one little bit.)

Baskethead.

This isn't very representative, but I wanted to include this picture because I took it on the day I took several packages to the post office to mail shortly before Christmas and they had ONE person working.  Jack, Eliza, and I waited in line for 40 minutes.  But the time went pretty quickly because Jack entertained me, and everyone else in line, by singing Rudolph the Nose-Red Reindeer.  Over and over again.  The first time he sang it, many of the people in line clapped for him, and he bowed.  The second time, I think one person clapped.  After that, nobody clapped.  I tried to encourage him to sing another song, but he only wanted to sing Rudolph.  I didn't stop him because... at least he was happy!  A miserable, crying, destructive child is much worse than a happy singing child.  Even if he sings the same song (with the same wrong words) for 40 minutes straight.

What you see on the floor is the contents of a brand-new container of nutmeg I bought in December.   She emptied it before I even had everything put away from our trip to the store.  I think I was being incredibly negligent when it happened; I was either using the bathroom or putting a load of laundry in the washing machine.  I wonder if anything will be "child-proof" around Eliza by the time she's Jack's age.

Jack still loves him some trains.  I'm curious as to how much longer this phase will last?

Yes, he is using her bum as a pillow.

A friend gave Cat this enormous flower clip recently and, of course, she loves it.

Ben bought this pineapple and Jack kept asking me when we could eat it, and I told him we needed to wait for Daddy before we cut it.  So he took matters into his own hands by finding a dinner knife and stabbing the pineapple.

Who says real men don't wear pink cowboy hats?  While doing trunk twisters.

The kids found some of my old HS stuff and got dressed in the cheerleading uniforms.  Jack said he was a robot.

Because Cat also donned the mortar board, she said that she just graduated from cheerleading school.

Working on the wooden nativity puzzle when we pulled out the Christmas decorations on Thanksgiving weekend.

The Triplets

I recently received these pictures from my sister from my trip to SC at the beginning of December.  I didn't bring my good camera with me - I only had my phone, so I didn't even try to take these kinds of pictures.  

Each of Megan's kids "has" a baby -
Drew & Dylan (sisters), Colin & Courteney, Will & Weston

The babies weren't really in a picture-taking mood this afternoon, unfortunately.

My Dad and sister Riley came to town for the baby blessings.  It was such a fun surprise to see them for a few hours!

It doesn't get much cuter than little baby feet...

Sisters

Riley, Megan (mom of triplets), Dad, Suz, Me, Andy, Mom

Sisters + Eliza


Thanks for sharing your pictures, Suz!