Looking Back to 2008

I should be going to bed. I know tomorrow morning will come all to early. However, sleeping all the way home tonight from spending New Year's with my parents and sister in Burley over the weekend (the kids were content in the back watching a video) and a little catnap on the couch tonight has provided me with a second wind. I have been trying to figure out how to recap the past year and found the perfect quetionnaire. So here goes our year in review. . .

LOOKING BACK

1. What did you do in 2008 that you have never done before? I drove a spud truck during spud harvest. For the past couple of years I have always worked spud harvest. Bryon is out of school and so it made sense for me to work spud harvest and make some Christmas money. It is always freezing cold and it makes for long days after being on your feet for 12+ hours. This year I decided to try something different and asked the farmer I have worked for the past couple of years if I could drive instead of work in the pit. He decided to let me try it. I HATED IT! I spent a couple of hours training for harvest but nothing prepared me for the real thing. First of all the heater in the truck I drove was out and so I still froze. Like my sister Lori later told me. I hate to drive and don't do it if I can get out of it. So she was surprised that as much as I hate driving that I would volunteer to drive a huge truck full of potatoes. She was absolutely right. I don't like driving (I am okay driving around town but I don't usually drive when we have to spend more than 30 minutes in the car.) so why I ever volunteered to sit behind the wheel of a large truck for 12+ hours is far beyond me. Every day was a new adventure to say the least. The first day I couldn't figure out how to shift the truck at all so you could hear me grinding my gears all the way down the road. The second day I managed to run over a whole row of undug potatoes. The third day I managed to run over some sprinkler pipe. The fourth day I managed to get lost on my way back to the cellar after starting in a new potato field. Next year I will gladly go back to working in the pit.

This year I also signed up to sell Scentsy. I have been to more home parties than I care to count. I have never had the desire to sign up to be a consultant for any of them. I am not a huge sales person and I don't like being pushy. However, I got in it to simply pay for what I use. I actually signed up without ever having been to a Scentsy party or having tried any of their products. I am sold on the product and have enjoyed all the people I am meeting in the process.

2. Did you keep your New Year's Resolutions and will you make more for next year? I am not big on New Year's Resolutions. I always feel like a huge failure when by January 10th I have already ate way more than I should if I am going to loose weight like I wanted to, when I have lost my cool one too many times with my children after resolving to be a more patient mother, and then cussing up a storm because I have fallen short on my other resolutions now breaking my last resolution to quit cussing! I do prefer to have some goals. Some goals I would like to accomplish this year are: 1. To be more consistent about holding Family Home Evening 2. To finish reading The Book of Mormon as a family (we have only been working on this one for about three years) 3. To be more healthy in 2009

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? A couple. My sister Lori gave birth to a beautiful baby boy Carson in July. He is truly a miracle after much heartache over a couple of years of them trying to add to their family. Also my sister-in-law Michele gave birth to a little boy, Kyle in March.

4. Did anyone close to you die? Bryon and I have been very blessed to not loose someone close to us recently. However, it was definitely an interesting year in dealing with death with those around us. This fall a co-worker of Bryon's had a son involved in a tragic car accident that took the life of another co-worker's spouse. Our hearts went out to both of these families going through a very difficult time in their lives. Then right around the holidays a former ward member of ours died suddenly. Just as we were leaving town last Wednesday morning, we got a phone call that another co-worker of Bryon's passed away unexpectedly. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of these that hav lost loved ones. It made me think a lot about life and to be thankful for every moment that we have on this earth.

5. What places have you visited? We didn't travel anywhere huge during 2008. Logan goes down to Primary Children's once a year and we always make it a fun family event and leave the day before, stay in a hotel and do something fun after his appointment. This year we took the kids to The Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point. In August we traveled to Randolph, Utah for the three-day Kennedy Reunion. We were able to go to Burley several times this past year. We also traveled Twin Falls to attend the Open House of the Twin Falls Temple. We also traveled to Idaho Falls more times than we can count.

6.What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? I really can't think of a single thing. Okay I'll be honest, money. Who wouldn't want more of that?!? However, I really feel like I have a blessed life and there isn't anything that I wish for more of in 2009, just more of the same.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched in your memory and why?

January 27, 2008 -- President Hinckley passing away.

Saturday, February 9, 2008 -- The Youth Celebration for the Rexburg Temple. We were actually just going to go watch it from the stake center. My friend called that afternoon and told us they were saving us a place in line hoping to get in on standby tickets. We hurried down and ended up getting in. It was an awesome experience.

Sunday, February 10, 2008 -- The dedication of the Rexburg Temple

Friday, June 6, 2008 -- This was the day that Conner's birthparents Brenda and Steve went to the temple to be sealed. It has been five long years of waiting for this day and we wish them and their cute little family all the happiness in the world.

Saturday, June 21, 2008 -- Sam's baseball won the championship game.

July 26 - August 3 -- Our family hosted two dancers from Mexico (okay it ended up being the bus drivers) for the Rexburg International Dance Festival. It was an awesome experience.

8.What was your biggest achievement this past year? I can't come up with any great achievement of this past year.

9. Did you suffer illness or injury? Our family has been very blessed with good health. I would have to say the biggest injury was Bryon's chipping out his front teeth on his new bike. You can read all about his accident by clicking on the Bryon link on the right hand side of this blog. It seems like every fall and winter Natalie and Logan miss a bunch of church and school for green snotty noses and rattely chests. This year was no exception. I have also been able to brag until recently that for the nine years I have been a mom, my kids haven't puked. My kids just don't do it. Thank heavens because I don't do puke! My mom keeps telling me I am living on borrowed time. Well this fall I have had my fair share of cleaning up puke! Also the year ended with both Sam and Natalie having strep throat.

10. What was the best thing you bought? Does buying your house a second time count?!? Bryon and I figured with the economy the way it is it was a great time to have it work in our favor. We refinanced our house at the end of 2008. We got a great interest rate and a mortgage that is $250 less each month! We are just hoping we didn't jump too soon.

11. Where did most of your money go? Life, kids, and GAS! A Ballroom dance camp for Sam, baseball for Sam, T-Ball for Conner, soccer for both of them, gymnastics for Conner, some remodeling (new doors, chair rail, etc.), and money to fix Bryon's front teeth from his biking accident.

12. What song will always remind you of 2008? Although I constantly have the radio going or am listening to my I-Pod, I wouldn't say that one song has stuck out in my mind to represent 2008.

13. What do you wish you would have done more of? I wish I would have just taken more time to live. I want to enjoy my children more. Often times if it doesn't fit in the schedule, we don't do it. I need to let go of the schedule or routine and just live. I have a friend that every January chooses a single word to live by for the coming new year. A single word can be a powerful thing. It can be the ripple in the pond that changes everything. It can be sharp and biting or rich and soft and slow. This past year her word was live and I watched her as she really did try to "Live" each day to the fullest. So this year I am going to focus on the word Live and truly live each day to the fullest. The reason being that with my busy chaotic life I forget to stop and really enjoy life. I have waited all this time to be a mom and I often worry that it is passing me up. So this year I am going to Live. I am going to play doll house with Natalie, I am going to go out in the yard to kick a ball around with Sam & Conner, and play cars with Logan. I am going to enjoy every moment that I get to spend with Bryon. I am going to stop being so busy and focus on what matters most to me: my family and just live in the moment.

14. What do you wish you would have done less of? Probably of getting mad and frustrated at the little things that don't really matter and focus more on the overall picture. And if the truth be told less computer and television time and focusing more on building relationships.

15. What was your favorite TV program? I have a few of them. I am a sucker for reality shows. I love Survivor and the Amazing Race. I also have to admit I enjoy watching The Bachelor/The Bachelorette. I know pathetic!

16. What was the best book you read this year? I would have to say the best book I read this past year was "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch. I loved this book. I think he had some great lessons in his book that we can all learn from.

17. What was your favorite film of the year? My very favorite film of 2008 would have to have been Momma Mia. I went with two friends to watch it and can't remember the last time I laughed that hard!

18. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you? This year I turned 34. I am finding out the older you get the more your birthday is just another day. This year was no exception. I watched a friends kids that day because she was in Oregon with her mom who was in the hospital. I took her kids and mine to a circus here in town that afternoon. Sam had baseball practice so he left the circus early so Bryon could take him to baseball. It was late by the time my friends husband came and got the kids and Bryon and Sam made it home from baseball. We went out to Applebee's (one of my favorite restaurants) for a late dinner. Bryon did make me a cake but we were so full after dinner that we had to wait until the next night to have cake and ice cream.

19. What political issue stirred you the most? Definitely Proposition 8. I don't get involved in politics usually and I definitely didn't do as much as some of my friends but I watched Proposition 8 closely. I also followed the presidential election closely.

20. Who was the best new person you met? This past year I have had the opportunity to serve in the Rexburg Temple a couple of times a month on Saturdays answering the phones. I have loved serving the Lord. This has allowed me to meet a couple of new people. The one that stands out in my mind is the temple recorder. He is always so positive and always takes the time to greet me and thanks me for serving in the temple. He always makes the time to answer my questions. He is so knowledgeable about the Gospel and about temple work. He is one of the kindest, most gentle, most humble man I have met. I know he would be so embarrassed about me saying this about him so I have chosen not to use his name. I learn something new from him almost every time I serve there and have been so thankful for having this opportunity to serve.