I wasn't going to do this because I'm tired in life and my brain doesn't work consistently anymore. But then I was looking back on the post I've done every January, reviewing the past year, and it was nice and I was glad I did it. So I better keep it up!
The thing is that the years are really starting to blend together and I'm not always sure what was what or when. Is this what getting old is like? Or is life just a blur as kids grow? Or both? Who knows. But let's see if I can remember this year. ;)
Okay. I'm starting to remember some things now. In January we took a big family trip with my parents and went to Florida and then off on a Disney cruise to a couple islands! It was such a fun time and so nice to escape the cold winter but also kind of made me extra depressed to go back to it! Haha We also did our traditional "Celebrate a Country day" and did Kazakhstan.
February the girls started horse riding lessons and Rose (and eventually June) started ice skating lessons also! Rose and Johnny also started swimming lessons. Winta and I crashed in a hot air balloon and we went sledding in the mountains and ice skating on the lake. I also went to a weekend retreat with my singing group friends! Winta and Hazel celebrated their birthdays this month also! And of course there was Valentine's day!
March was Buck's birthday. I also went on another girls weekend with neighbor friends and we nearly got snowed in! Hazel got to dance in a St. Patrick's day parade with her Irish dance studio. We also celebrated St. Patrick's day. Ben and Lauren had their first baby!
April spring performances for the Larks started picking up. We went on the best family road trip to Boise and Oregon. It was truly a magical week and I think back on it often! We did all the Easter things. Johnny started spring soccer. ("spring" but like, winter laster forever) Buck had sinus surgery. We went to a baby animal festival and tulip festival (except it was still too cold for tulips...) And June and Hazel were in the school play "Beauty and the Beast."
May was a little bit warmer, sometimes. We went to the new Saratoga Springs temple open house. Winta graduated from adult high school and moved back home with us for a few months. Hazel got braces. All the end of school year things happened and recitals and stuff and it was crazy. Johnny graduated preschool. June graduated elementary school. First hike and boating!
June was summer but sometimes it was still cold and there was a lot of damage to the mountains from the record snow. Started summer with the worst stomach virus, so that was fun. We took a break from all the dance classes, soccer, swimming, and ice skating for the summer but kept going with horse riding lessons. We went to the city carnival. Hazel got to go to Disneyland with my parents and she had a great time. I continued on with my new goal to go on a hike a week and it was a beautiful time every week that I went hiking with friends. I did an family portrait event for my non profit. More boating, hiking, exploring and bon fires with the kids. Went to the fairy tale festival and celebrated father's day. We also went to the water park. We went to our first family rodeo.
July we did some more boating but then sold the boat for financial reasons. I did more hikes including a super fun family hike with Buck and the kids. We celebrated the 4th of July and June's birthday. I got to sing the National Anthem with my singing group at the SLC Bee's baseball game. I had a cousin pass away and we went to his funeral and spent time with family in Logan. We did our big family camping trip in Wyoming, thanks to Buck's parents letting us use their camper! And we had the best time! We met up with my good friend and her family too and it was so great. I dressed up as a Barbie, along with 20 other friends, and went to the new Barbie movie like that. More swimming at various pools. Did I mention all the hikes? 😅
August was a family reunion with my Dad's family. Johnny celebrated his birthday. And he caught a fish! We went to the zoo. I did more hikes. And we had a fun family day at Lagoon amusement park and rode all sorts of fun rides. The kids started school again and that felt big because they are now in school all day. It has been a sad adjustment honestly, but it's good too. I also performed in a fun outdoor show, Big Band Tribute and got to sing and dance! Celebrated our anniversary by staying overnight at a nice hotel and getting pedicures. It was Buck's first time and our first time doing that together. One of my favorite hikes, going to some hot springs also happened. Also! I started working out twice a week with a personal trainer!
September we started out by visiting my family in Boise and spending a few days swimming in my parent's pool. Went on a chair lift and did a hike as a family one day. I did a couple more hikes. I went to a quilting festival and another day surprised the kids by checking them out of school and taking them to the aquarium. And then, you know, I went to ETHIOPIA. Spent 10 days there and did photography things for my non profit but also got to be in the culture and learn from the amazing people there and also spend a day with a tribe! It was a time I'll never forget! Alonab also celebrated his first birthday!
October started off with trips to the mountains to see the leaves change. And a mission reunion to see old friends! June got into the Shakespeare team at school and got to travel to Cedar City for the competitions. I did my last hike of the year, a beautiful one with so many fall colors. Went to a pumpkin patch and all sorts of fall festivals with the kids. My sister and I went to a concert together. And we drove south to see the annular solar eclipse! We spent fall break with Buck's family down in Zion National Park and surrounding areas and did some fun family hikes. I had a fall tea party in the mountains. Hazel competed in an Irish dance festival called a "Feis" and won a medal. And we did all the Halloween things.
November was my birthday which included outings with friends, a fancy dinner with Buck, a stained glass work shop, roller skating, and an art museum with the kids. Then of course there was Thanksgiving and we went to Boise for that this year. We also got to go to some nice hot springs. We also went to the Siberian orchestra concert as a family. And the festival of trees. Johnny also won a good student award at the school district! And then we ended things by celebrating Rose's birthday!
December was all the Christmas things like live nativity, Luminaria lights, gingerbread, school choir and orchestra concerts, breakfast with Santa, gingerbread houses, and lots of Christmas parties. Also lots of performances with my singing group. We also decided to share pink eye around the family with half of us (I don't recommend this) It was also Haben's birthday! And... we got a new puppy! We spent Christmas with Buck's family and then my parents also came to visit. Buck and I also zip-lined in the winter mountains. This December was warmer and dryer than normal.
And that brings us to this new year! Some other things this year were lots of plays that Buck and I saw on date nights to Hale Center theater and lots of plays with the kids at the Hale theater. I had many karaoke nights with friends at our house and lots of singing times with the Larks. I did some photo jobs too for friends and family and also some credit union summit, which was random. I did a few odd jobs for my non profit as well, aside from the event and trip to Africa. I made it to the temple every month and Buck started working in the temple once a week once the new one opened here in town.
We got to take the kids on some fun dates this summer. Hazel to a themed fantasy park called "evermore." Rose to a chocolate making work shop. June to an escape room and Johnny to a trampoline park. We took Winta to a movie and pizza. We didn't get to take Haben since we doesn't live at home. Oh, and speaking of that, Winta lived at home with us from May until end of August. She's now in an apartment in Provo with friends.
The various extra curricular activities the kids did this year were:
June: hip hop, theater, piano, ice skating, horses, orchestra
Hazel: Piano, horses, Irish dance, art, and choir
Rose: Swimming, ice skating, horses, dance, and art
Johnny: Soccer and swimming
It was a beautiful year over all. Of course there are always hard things between it all but I honestly feel like if nobody dies or we didn't lose any limbs or 5 senses then we had a good year! So all of this is just the extra bonuses of life! God is good and I am looking forward to a new year of more spiritual growth and a service mindset. This past year has further solidified that I want to be more focused on the right priorities. And that is to give love and have compassion for others and to help in all the ways that we can. Our relationships matter most in this life and most anything else doesn't.
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