2011

My New Years Resolution for 2011 was to have a baby.  With that said, I'm proud to announce it was a successful year!!  When it came time to make my New Years Resolution a year ago (with pregnancy hormones in place), all I felt I could focus on was bringing another member to our family.  However, much more was accomplished! 

As I reflect over the events which took place in 2011, I feel overwhelmed with gratitude!!  I have gained a greater appreciation for my boys (and girl), my family, my friends, myself, my temporal comforts and most of all my sweet husband.  My appreciation stems from struggles, triumphs, hard work, LOTS of thought and good time spent in good company! 

Here are our family's top 10 highlights of 2011 (listed in a timeline order but numbered from best to bestest - 10 being best and 1 being bestest):

3 - Grandma and Grandpa Ringel came home from their mission

 11 - Hyrum Turned 10!  Our first preteen!!  They grow WAY too fast!

 10 - This momma kept teaching fitness classes and working out through pregnancy (an accomplishment, right?)

1 - Had a baby GIRL!!! How did WE get the prettiest, sweetest baby from Heaven??!!

4 - Our family was graced by Grammy Kiefer's visit when she came to meet her newest granddaughter

12 - Hyrum and Austin entered their first Salem Days duck tape, cardboard boat regatta and landed a spot on the front page of the Daily Herald.

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6 - Began building a weight room so daddy could continue having his WELL- deserved man time...and then FINISHED it so baby girl could have her own, pretty room

5 - Mommy and baby visited Texas!! 'nuff said, YALL!!

8 - Taught Aqua fitness classes.  BOY, that was fun!!!!!!! 

2 - Grandpa Holleman beat cancer!

9 - Participated in the "30 Days of Gratitude" posting party on Facebook.  Grateful to have had the opportunity to think about all the things I was grateful for as I contemplated just what I should post on Facebook everyday during the month of November.

7 - UMMM...squeezed back into prepregnancy jeans, YO!! 

13 - Mommy and kids made, and became closer to, AMAZING friends!!  You know who you are ;)

Ok, so I couldn't list JUST 10 and it was hard putting number on them because they were all so great.  So, there are the top highlights of 2011. 

Here are a few tragedies:

We sadly lost our beautiful, big willow tree to a spring snow storm.  Thank goodness for AMAZING neighbors who came to our rescue that Conference Sunday morning. 

McKenna fell off the bed onto the sleeping, unsuspecting dog.   A lasceration from doggy teeth, 27 stitches, meningitis, a week at Primary Children's Hospital, and 2 months of IV antibiotics later, she's fine and the dog now lives outside. 

Hyrum jumped into a the end of a spring on the trampoline.  Poor guy and his friends almost passed out a few times. 

Our first broken bone in the family.  Austin crashed on his scooter on his way home from school and broke his clavicle. 

And so, we end another great year.  A special thanks to my sweet family, modern medicine and our Gracious God!!