It's been a year... where to start?

Really?? Am I really this bad of a blogger? Wow.. It has been an entire year.. Not much has changed. Our kids are getting bigger and they sure do keep us busy. We just enjoyed a beautiful Christmas season and I am sorry to see it all end. We probably had one of the busier Christmas holiday breaks ever. Christmas Eve was spent with my parents and my brother Henry's family. My brother DeJay and his family came for a week after Christmas. It was sooo fun! We got to go ice skating, hang out and play games, visit and sing around the guitar and piano. We spent New Years in with Richard's family. Richard was able to go to a Broncos game with his brother and had so much fun. We enjoyed bowling and games and shopping with his family and we miss everyone already. I think I am still in shock that it is all over. I absolutely love the Christmas season and I am always so sad when it is over.. but, I am looking forward to the new year. Does anyone else think that each passing year keeps going faster and faster? Isn't there a pause button I can push somewhere? Matt is in High School and I can't imagine him growing any bigger and growing up. All of the kids are doing wonderfully. We are grateful for such sweet kids.

NEW MEMBER OF THE FAMILY......

No, we didn't have another child.. BUT, we have a Golden Retriever named Daisy. I swore forever I would never have a dog.. Too much work and the pee and poop everywhere. But, when I met this 4 1/2 year old dog I knew that she belonged to our family. Our wonderful friends the Pattersons moved to Valentine, Ne where they adopted this sweet doggy. She was having a hard time staying in their yard and kept wondering off (the previous owner allowed her a lot of freedom).. so they asked if we would want her. Long story short, we adopted her in September and we have all fell in love. She has totally captured my heart. She is the most exceptional dog. Really and truly the most sweet and wonderfully well behaved animal. She never makes a peep.. she has never had an accident in our house and is so gentle. The moment I saw her I knew that she had a gentle and sweet spirit. Her favorite thing to do is to go "bye, bye" with me in the car. We are so grateful for our sweet girl Daisy.

Here is some of the highlights from 2011:

Matthew: Sang solo in the Choir concert, plays the trumpet awesome,played football, bowls for the High School bowling league, went to Youth Conference and is old enough to go to church dances. He got braces. LOVEs to play Call of Duty on the PS3. He looks forward to turning 15 this spring and getting a permit.. (YIKES)

Shelley: Played a lot of Volleyball, plays the piano and flute. She is a beautiful 5' 10" young woman and enjoys to listen to music and have fun with her friends. She loves YW and went to Girls camp this year. She also got braces and is enjoying 7th grade.

Nicholas: Got baptized last January.. (what a special day). He played flag football and played basketball. loves to play the piano and practices all the time. He got eye glasses and spent his summer doing daring tricks on his bike. (scaring his mother all the time). He is so sweet and made sure that Santa got a special letter just from him.

Holly Anne: Holly started Kindergarten and mom has missed her so much! She is a big girl who sings and dances and cracks us up all the time. She is a bit of a drama queen.. but she is hilarious. She loves her friends and loves to play. She is a pro at riding a two wheel bike (been doing it since she was 4) She can beat me at a game of Checkers and loves to play "Go fishing" with cards. She looks so grown up holding her cards in her hands and being silly.

Mom and dad: Richard got a promotion this year he is a manager at Signal Design at the UPRR. He is busy working and being an awesome dad and hubby. I love him so much! We love watching our Huskers play football and Broncos too! I still teach piano lessons and I still love it. We love our membership in the LDS church and we are so thankful for the peace and happiness it brings us each day. A highlight of our year was when we went to Nauvoo. It was so wonderful to be with our children in such sacred places.We know that we are so blessed by our Heavenly Father and our Saviour.

2012..We look forward to the new year and hope that we are able to reach the goals we have set for ourselves.