Year In Review 2011

This is a post that helps me to quickly find what has happened in the year.  If you are a regular on this blog then just skip it because it is stuff you already know, if not read on.
January we spent Lucy's first birthday with her at mama and papa's house and also papa turned 59.  Elsie and Lucy just love each other to bits and pieces.  Elsie is now saying the cutest things and weirdest things.  Love her.  Megan and Chris get hitched.  This is Jeron's oldest and first niece to get married.  Grandma Jan and Grandpa Gene took the littles so that Jeron and I could have a weekend together.  We went up to Park City for the Sundance Film Festival.  We saw Ross the Intern from Jay Leno and he came out and took pictures with us.  I have experienced my first bought with winter blues.  The kids had crazy hair day and crazy they looked.
February  We moved our TV room into the room over the garage.  This turned into our family cave and we hardly every came out.  Elsie had her first Valentine Party.  She loved getting so much candy.  The kids all had excellent report cards and we found out that Krispy Kreme and Tasty's give away free donuts for every "A".  The good graded paid off.  The kids love spending time with daddy, especially when he is a hoarse of course.  Ellie can get through any child lock we put on our pantry and it is really causing havoc for me.  Especially when she spills the eggs or the butter.  Emma and JJ made Valentine boxes for their classes.  JJ's was a robot and Emma's was a mailbox.  They were darling.  On Valentine's we showered the kids with love and they got spoiled by grandparents.  We had heart shaped food all day long.  LOVE!  JJ lost two teeth in one night.  JJ turns the big 11 this year.  Crazy to think he will soon be a Deacon. JJ had a family party and had a blast.  Ellie decides to give me a heart attack and wonders off.  She was missing for about 20 mins. before I realized it.  Our wonderful neighber found her and brought her back.  PURE TERROR.
March We had the dreaded "talk" with JJ.  Afterwards he sat for a minute and said "Do you think they will find a cure for that."  hahahaha I sure hope not.  We let JJ babysit and the girls wanted makeovers while we were gone.  They looked pretty crazy.  Emma turns 9 and is turning into a lady.  Elsie loves to help with the dishes but only does it with all her clothes off, except her undies.  Silly girl.  We have a family party for Elsie and Emma.  Elsie turns three...our baby is three. We took her and Ellie to build a bear.  Elsie loved all of her presents so much she put them in a circle in our living room for everyone to see.  Ellie and Emma get their hair chopped off.  They both look darling.  JJ has the best birthday party ever with friends.  He did the Amazing Race and it really was a blast.  Poor Elsie had to get shots and they HURT.  Emma had her friend party.  It was a trip around the world.  It was so much fun and last 6 hours.  Woosh.  Thanks to all who helped out on both parties.  Ellie had a paint day at school to paint the sets for her Opera.  She had a blast.  Elsie got pictures taken by my cute neighbor and I love them.  JJ is now officially a boy scout.  Elsie had playgroup here and she just loves having all her friends here...except maybe the sharing part. 
April I took the kids to temple square to see all the sights down there.  It was a wonderful day.  The sun decided to peak out for a minute so we went to the Lagoon trail and rode bikes and walked around.  Loved it.  So, I still am in love with my feet and pictures still pop up now and then of just my feet.  This time I wrote about it on someones blog.  JJ and Emma went to BYU for a Spanish Competition and did excellent.  Their school took second place.  Ellie had her opera.  She was a mermaid in it.  She knew every word and sang out with all she had.  DARLING.  We colored eggs as a family.  There are getting to be a lot of eggs.  We had a wonderful Easter spent with family.  I took pictures of Elsie at the park and you can see her mood change from happy to sad throughout the time.  Many moods for that one.  Emma had her school program and did a great job in Dreams Take Flight.  Jeron and I went to a murder mystery dinner.  We had a great time playing Lei'd to Rest hosted by Misty Hales.
May   I had an ah ha moment and was reminded that Christ loves me no matter what.  It takes a few spills and tears to remember sometimes.  I started a blog of just the crafts that I do so I no longer will have to take posts out if I ever decide to make a book of my blog.  We celebrated Mother's and had a great day.  We even talked to Uncle Michael. We had our final playgroup at our home for the school year.  We played grocery store one last time.  The YW asked me to disguise myself and go to the mall for the YW.  I will have to say I look a lot like Marj in her wig.  Ellie had her end of year program for Kindergarten.  We went to Farmington Trail and had a blast hanging out.  JJ, Daddy, and Emma worked really hard to get our kite up in the wind.  It sure was fun to watch.  David and me took the littles to the Tree House Museum.  They loved it. 
I have started taking Photo's of the Day.  It is 365 days in pictures of everyday things.  So far I love doing it.  The treadmill crashed down on Elsie and JJ.  It was so scary but everyone is okay.  POTD still going strong.  Elsie fell off of the bar stool in the kitchen and got a horrible black eye.  She still has a dimple from the trauma to her face.  JJ had a field trip to the Zoo with his 5th grade class and the little girls and I tagged along.  Emma was also their with her 3rd grade class.  We had a lot of fun.
June  Maren and Lucy are in town so we did a lot of fun things.  The first was Wheeler Farm.  The kids loved it but it was so windy.  Next we headed to Thanksgiving Point Gardens.  It was beautiful.  Then we went to the children's garden their.  It was a lot of fun for the kiddos.  Elsie loves to color the sidewalks.  Jeron and I took our kids to Ponds Park for some fishing.  It was quite and experience.  Paige and Elsie decided to put makeup ALL over their faces making them purple people eaters.  Elsie and Lucy put on lip gloss. It looks like they both share a love of "lips".  We took all the kiddos to Castle Park.  It was a bit hard with three littles.  I bought a swimming pool and the little girls including Lucy had a blast.  We did that a lot and the girls loved it.  The Clark's let us come and swim at their house.  It was really nice.  We threw a surprise shower for Maren while she was here with the Monson side.  We headed up to the Cabin and had an open cabin party.  You should have seen the creek.  It was crazy wicked.   Father's day was great.  Daddy got a candy gram.  Maren and I took the kids to Cherry Hill.  Mini golfing is not for the Meads' family.  The kids wanted a sleepover.  Where better than the cabin.  Daddy turns the big 3-5.  Emma keeps getting bloody noses.  For Jeron's birthday we played tennis at the park.  Ellie is going to summer school and gets to ride the bus.
July Grandma Jan and Grandpa Gene got a boat this year.  It felt so good to get back on the water.  We had a neighborhood get together shooting off fireworks.  It was a BLAST.  We had a great 4th of July with family.  We did the usual parade and Davis Fireworks. Baby Mac was born.  Wonderful addition to our family.   If you see Elsie you most likely will see Paige.  They are always together.  I had a night of dancing in the rain.  On 7-11 we went to 7-11 and got free Slurpee's.  Mmmmm.  Elsie loves to do my hair.  She is often found with a brush or comb coming towards my long mane.  JJ headed to DC with my parents to visit the Vogels.  We went to Harry Potter premier with miss Emma.  The little ladies, Brynn, and me went to the Drive in.  We went boating at Rockport.  It was a blast.  I turned 35...ouch.  We celebrate pioneer day and went to the cabin with family and friends.  We took the kids on a mini vacation to Lava Hot Springs and Park City.  It was great to get away. 
August  The little ladies made caterpillars with pom poms and played forever with them. We love heading up to Pineview.  We love just hanging out.  Ellie had to get her warts removed and it hurt her pretty bad.  Poor baby.  We made a slip 'n' slide with painters plastic.  The whole neighborhood had a blast.  We went to Pineview with our neighborhood friends.  Elsie and Ellie got new beds.  I just love the way their room looks now.  JJ is such an artist.  He did his first portrait and did amazing.  All during the summer Grandpa Gene would stop by and visit the kids on his way home from work.  They loved this.  The school posted up teachers and the kids got to find out who they had in their class.  Emma was so excited.  She was finally with Baylee again.  We received an unexpected surprise in the mail.  One of Uncle Carl's friends sent Ellie and the rest of the kids a package.  They were overjoyed.  We got the slip 'n' slide out so dad could see how fun it was.  It ended up calling all the BIG boys over to play.  Jeron and the neighborhood men had a blast.  We had our second annual back to school fashion show for the kids.  School is in session.  It is just Boo and me home now.  I miss my kiddos.  They are getting so old.  6th, 4th, and 1st.  Where has the time gone?  Our neighbors the Ottesons had us go with them Girls only to a Tea Party at Gardner Village.  It was a lot of fun for the little ladies. 
September   We spent labor day weekend up at the cabin with mama and papa.  It was a great time.  We headed to Park City for our Anniversary.  This year is lucky 13 and lucky it was.  Little did we know a new addition to our family  began that weekend.  It really was a great weekend.  Emma and I went to see Mary Poppins.  It was practically perfect in every way.  We had a wonderful time.  Jana and I realized we could actually get together this year because for the first time we don't have conflicting schedules due to weird school issues.  Plus, I get to spend one on one time with boo which I love.  We made our first outing to Gardner Village.  We lucked out because the witches were out.  This was the first byu vs UTAH game that was played in September in my lifetime.  It felt very weird.  I felt like I should be getting Christmas out soon.  Yet it was only September.  Utah slaughtered byu to put it mildly.  JJ has been taking Ellie to school in the bike trailer.  He is such a good big brother.  In 6th grade the kids get to launch rockets.  This year JJ did his.  It was pretty spectacular.  We all went to watch.  It was an awesome show.  JJ's even hit a house. 
October  Miss Ellie turns 7.  She is getting so old.  The Vogel's and us welcomed a new little baby boy into the family.  I flew out to meet my nephew Benjamin.  He is a cutie.  I was so sick though I wasn't much use to Maren.  I have horrible morning sickness.  The school finally did a parade at school for Halloween.  We took the kids to Pack's Pumpkin Patch.  Then we created our amazing Jack-o-lanterns.  Halloween was a blast.  JJ was a mad scientist.  Emma was Mary Poppins.  Ellie was a witch.  Elsie was a cheerleader.  Cute kiddos.  Mama and papa had amazing costumes again.  They looked great as Little Red Riding Hood and The big bad wolf.
November  Emma and JJ brought home perfect report cards again.  They really do excel in school.  Jeron and I are very fortunate to have such smarty pants.  My friend and I are doing personal year books in Ellie's class.  They are turning out so cute.  The problem is I am so sick it is hard to want to go and do them.  Emma's bestest friend in this world Baylee Bouck is moving to Idaho.  It is a sad day for our little miss.  Ellie burned her arm trying to get dinner out of the oven.  That was a close call.  Elsie and Paige are so cute to see together.  I did my annual Thanksgiving post and Diet Coke was replaced by glorious MILK.  We had a very small gathering but delicious meal at Mama and Papa's for Thanksgiving.  It was a great time.  We took the kids to see a movie and when we came out we headed to Santa's village to see Santa.  We got our Christmas tree up.  This year I don't have a lot in me so the family did it without me moving off the couch.  Ellie decided to walk home from school during the middle of the day.  Scared me too death. 
December  We survived our first natural disaster.  A wicked hurricane type wind wiped through Davis County at 100+mph.  It tore up trees, broke homes, ripped down fences, bent basketball stands in half.  It was insane.  The little girls could often be found under the tree playing with the nativity.  We had our cookie party with Mama and Papa and made awesome ginger bread houses.  The guilt has set in on how much TV poor boo is watching due to me being so sick.  JJ did his play DIG IT and did a great job.  I threw my back out lifting Ellie.  Miserable.  We went and saw A Christmas Carol with mama and papa.  It was amazing.  We had our first baking party with The Snow women.  It was really fun.  Grandpa John turns 69 and we have a party for him at Julie's.  The extended Meads family had our annual Christmas get together.  It was nice to see everyone.  We have been doing A Christ Centered Christmas in our home and love the difference it makes in December.  We went and saw the temple square lights. We did our first Minivan Express and it was a ton of fun.  The kids loved it.  We did a baking night also.  We had a lot of family fun.  On Christmas Eve we talked to Uncle MIchael and then David came over.  Then Grandpa and Tara, Jeff, and Mac came over.  We had our Christmas party with all of them.  Christmas was wonderful.  The kids were so excited.  They loved it all.  We spent time with Mama and Papa and with Grandma and Grandpa.  It was all magical.  We just love Christmas time.

We have had an amazing year.  We kept things a little more low key but it was still filled with so many wonderful memories.  Here's to 2012.  May it bring us all much happiness.