Lessons of 2011 and What's Ahead in 2012

I missed what was to be my last post of 2011 and it is time for my first post of 2012 and so I will combine them both today. It is amazing to me how time has begun to go so much faster. The first twenty years of my life seemed so S..L..O..W.  Even looking back on memories now everything seems to be in slow-motion. The next twenty plus years has whizzed by so fast that it is just a blur. I'll sometimes be reminded of events that happened and think "wasn't that just four years ago?" only to find it it was more like fifteen years. I don't know if it's because I am getting older or if its because I'm getting busier. And speaking of busier, I always thought that when your children outgrew the little stage then life would slow down a bit. Oh, I was so wrong. Nothing is going slowly at this point. Anyway, in honor of the past year I present the Lessons of 2011 (in no particular order).

1.  Teenagers are hard and I can do hard things!

2.  South Fremont will always have a disadvantage when it comes to softball because all practices are held in the gym or the parking lot until three-fourths of the season is over. Then, practices will be held on the field but only if the players have gone out to shovel the remaining snow away.

3.  Raising a boy is probably less mentally exhausting than raising girls.

4.  Speaking in church and other meetings isn't all that bad.

5.  I LOVE Girls Camp! (Even in snow and rain.)

6.  Even if it's time for the chickadees to leave the nest, the momma is still going to cry.

7.  Old-ladies still need BFFs.

8.  I truly have the best husband in the whole-wide world - probably in the universe. You can all be jealous.

9.  Sundays are my favorite days of the week.

10.  Trent and I were both very blessed to be raised in "normal" families.

11.  I love my wild, crazy, busy, often loud, sometimes frustrating, happy, chaotic wonderful life.

Now for 2012. Here are Twelve Things I Plan to Do. I don't want to call them resolutions. These are just things I'm going to get done.

1.  I'm going to ENJOY the RIDE.

2.  I'm going to go on another epic hike somewhere. Amethyst Lake was so beautiful that I want to find another place just like it.

3.  I will read the Book of Mormon at least 5 minutes each day. Some days it will be more but any spotted dog can read five minutes.

4.  I will become a wonderful bread maker. I've always wanted to be one but I kept telling myself that my mixer wasn't big enough and I didn't have the patience to knead by hand. Well, now I have a BOSCH mixer and can't use that excuse anymore and I won't!

5.  I'm going to deactivate my FACEBOOK account. I don't have time for that. Besides, I found PINTEREST and that is taking up my FACEBOOK time. (Just did this today.)

6.  I'll become a bit more of a crafter. Trent's totally all over this. hahaha

7.  I'm going to increase in patience. This will make everyone around me happier.

8.  I want to learn about Family History and get involved in it. This is so overwhelming that just thinking of it makes me begin to sweat. We have a great Family History Center here in town with wonderfully kind people ready to help me. I'll go visit there.

9.  I'll attend the temple at least once a month. In the summer it becomes once a week with my lady friends.

10.  I will repaint all the trim in our house. Every wall has been repainted, at least once, but because I hate painting trim I just haven't done it. We have lived here for nearly twelve years and it is WAY overdue.

11. Though I plant a garden every year, nothing really comes out of it. I'm going to study about gardening and become a better gardener.

12.  I'm going to kayak a TON more than I did in 2011.

I'm so excited for what lies ahead in this year. We have some big changes coming in our family - mission, dating girls, high school only kids, etc. Sounds like fun!!!

Life is Good - and I'm happy to be riding into another year.