Top 10 of 2011

1. Kinlee turned one! She is growing like a weed. On Christmas day she got her first tooth and is talking like crazy, it makes me sad my baby is growing so fast! This year she experienced many firsts, like walking, running, dancing, and talking.

2. Kadence started Kindergarten. She is so smart and is doing so well. I really love her teacher, she makes learning so fun. Some of the fun things she has already done this year are: field trips, pretend airplane rides around the world, met Santa, made a candy Christmas train, Christopher Columbus came to visit, they got to meet a banker, a cop, and an ambulance driver, and I got to be the mystery reader in her classroom.

3. Connor started 1st grade. He also played baseball, flag football, and is in the school choir. He is a fantastic reader and loves to learn. He insists he is going to be a professional football or basketball player when he grows up and practices hard all year long.

4. We finished our family room in the basement. It is so nice to have a place for the kids toys, a fireplace, and somewhere Rory and Connor can watch all the sports they want.

5. Rory FINALLY put rock around my tub. It looks so nice and completes one of the major projects on my honey do list.

6. We accumulated a LOT of animals. We went from no pets to; 2 rabbits, 4 turkeys, a cat (who had kittens), and a dog. It had been so crazy but the kids love it. Our little puppy raider is my favorite addition, although the turkeys are so fun to watch. They follow us around and when Kinlee gobbles at them, they gobble back.

7. Rory got to go Elk hunting at the Mathis ranch. He shot a nice bull and of course had an amazing time. He got called into the Elder's Quorum Presidency and between his church calling and working 2 jobs he is staying super busy.

8. I took on a 3rd preschool class and got a job as the secretary at Price River Water Users. I am a little overwhelmed, but I know it will all work out for my family in the long run. Starting in January I won't be teaching the 3rd preschool class anymore, and the secretary job is only 2 days a week so I am slowly adjusting.

9. This past week we took our annual after Christmas trip to Salt Lake. We went on a carriage ride around temple square, walked through the temple grounds to look at the lights, visited with Wally & Kristene, went to the Children's museum, and swam until we were all worn out. It was such a fun getaway and I am so grateful for the time with my family. This summer we were able to go to Cherry Hill, Lagoon, and the Zoo. We were also able to go on a couple camping trips not too far from our house. Although most of our trips are in the state of Utah, we enjoy them nonetheless.

10. Rory won 2 Utah Jazz contests. This was a dream come true for him and we had so much fun meeting the players and dancers. The odds of winning were very slim, so the fact that he won 2 contests is crazy. I like that he is lucky, I get to reap the benefits. :)