This new year

And finally I have a chance to sit down and read all my friends blogs and updates from their holidays and it is so fun to see what everyone did! It's been crazy for us as well, getting back from our trip and all the unpacking, laundry and cleaning to do and then the kids started school again today! What a whirlwind!

I have decided this year to get back into scrapbooking. I took a long break from lack of space to store all my supplies. Now that I have a whole room and time in the afternoon to myself I decided to make a big 2011 album. I want to do a big album at the end of every year. So excited to start that! As I went through the pictures I wanted to use I found some awesome milestones that happened this year!
*Took the kids to their first trip to the San Diego Zoo
* My baby Olivia had her first birthday!
* I trained for and ran my first half marathon!
* Trained harder and beat my first time in my SENCOND half marathon!
* We moved for the 7th time in our married life to a new condo in American Fork
* My oldest graduated from kindergarten and started in 1st grade!!
* Michael and I celebrated our 7th anniversary in Salt Lake at the Anniversary Inn
* I started working for Usborne Childrens Books
* Went to see the play Les Mererables
* Our dog had puppies, aaaand we made bank
* Discovered Pintrest, and my house hasn't been the same since
* Rylie started piano lessons
* Took a massive trip to California for Christmas and had a total blast!

See, this year had lots of good highlights. But it was also very tough. With Michael losing his job and our other crazy personal trials we had, we needed some good highlights to balance it out. :)

Don't mind if I get a little personal for a minute. You can skip this paragraph cuz it's really just for me. :)This last year has been one for the books. Well, not really for the books because I didn't really write about anything that happened to our family. I'll be real for a second, it's hard to decide what should be shared and what shouldn't on a blog. I know its a place to share feelings and personal opinions, and some days I wanted to shout to the world what I was thinking. But that's not always the best idea. :) And to be honest I don't really want to remember how or what I was feeling so I didn't write it down. But I do want to remember what I learned because that is all that matters. When I'm 50 years old and I read back on my blog my about my life, I want to read about what I learned. I learned that I am strong, I can do and say really hard things when I need to only because it's the right thing to do. I can stand up for myself and what I know is right. And I will never let anyone question my integrity. Ever. I learned never to judge and never to gossip. I learned compassion and forgiveness, both receiving and giving. I learned what type of people I don't want in my life. I learned what real friends are and what it's like to have them stand up for you when you think you don't deserve it, because they love you. I learned to let people love me. :) I will say how grateful we are for the trials we experienced this last year. You really find out what your made of when you are faced with incredible opposition. We relied solely on the Lord and our faith to get through some days. With the help from Him and our amazing friends we were able to come out on top and stronger than we've ever been. You don't really know true happiness until you know the opposite. I am so thankful for my amazing husband for staying by my side and being there the whole way. He is a blessing to me and a strength I could not live without. This year was hard, I mean hard, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Okay now on to our goals for this year!!! We discussed them on our long drive home so here they are.
Family Goals
#1. Have family home evening every week, or at least 3 times a month
#2. Read scriptures together as a couple every day
#3. (if babysitting permits) Go to the temple every month
#4. Pay off last credit card
#5. Potty train Olivia

 Personal Goals
Michael
#1. Get more dogs to breed more puppies
#2. Find a good job
#3. Get good grades this semester

Andrea
#1. Read 10 new books
#2. Complete P90X
#3. Finish the Bof M

Well folks that should do it! That sums up our year! Hoping this year brings lots of happiness to everyone!