Happy Birthday to my Blog!!!

It was one year ago today that I blogged for the very first time.  Gerilyn encouraged me to do it, and oh am I ever grateful that she did.  It has become quite a hobby for me seeing that I have 3 blogs.  Thanks Geri!

So, as a tribute I suppose I could touch on some of the highlights of the preceding 366 days. (It was a leap year, right?)

A year ago, I posted that we were only able to make boys.  Well, things have changed!  Thankfully!  As you all know, J.R. successfully made a girl this time. My e-mail will have to change soon.

I celebrated my 31st birthday, which was almost as difficult as celebrating my 30th birthday, especially since J.R. was still 29.

I started negotiating and begging J.R. to have one more baby around this time last year. It only took me until May to come to a compromise.

February marked a year of weight loss and 6 months of maintenance.  I never did reach my goal, but I came pretty close.  Maintaining was a huge feat, and really quite easy. Boy do things come full circle sometimes. :-(

BEFORE

AFTER - 35 lbs. down

I experienced the true meaning of Soccer Mom, but add to that Baseball Mom, Wrestling Mom and Basketball Mom. It was better than I ever could have imagined.

I watched my second son make the most important decision of his life - to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

I watched two of my brothers graduate from college. Well, one I was actually there and the other, I was there in spirit.

Hmmm....I can't find the pics of Kurt's graduation.  Maybe they got lost in the November computer fiasco. :-(

I got pregnant in May and experienced my first and only miscarriage.  It gave me a whole different perception of how fragile life can be and of loss in general.  More than anything, it taught me great compassion for others who have experienced the same or similar losses.

We doubled our square footage when we finished our 2000 square foot walk-out basement.  Definitely one of the greatest feats of the year - this has been 4 years in the making.

My children grew many inches taller, cut many inches off their hair, and reached the magical ages of 10, 8 and 4.

I got pregnant again, for the final time.  And am still celebrating my "compromise" with J.R. and his uncanny ability to produce the little girl I have always dreamed about, even if in the final hour.

We experienced many mini vacations thanks to the deep devotion and dedication J.R. has to his boys and their baseball tournaments and camps.  This was very refreshing for us homebodies.

Attended my Grandma Avarell's final Gingerbread Day - a family tradition since, well, since I can remember.

Was blessed and blessed and blessed over and over again.  And I hope I remember to read this post many times to remind me of my wonderful family, my wonderful year and my countless blessings.

And lucky me - I fell in love for the 12th year in a row and celebrated 11 years of marriage!