2011 In Review

At some point, I'm gonna print this sucker into a book for the family archives.  The goal is to have a book for every year.  So, I thought I'd jot down some thoughts about the year and each one of us.  This little post will most likely bore the general public, so all my fans will have to wait with bated breath for my next entertaining blog post.  (Or, if you're bored, scroll down and review some of the previous posts.  Of course, you'd have to be pretty bored...)

Handsome Prince felt that he just didn't have his finger on the pulse of the company he was working for, so he'd been looking for a new opportunity for a while.  Some of the companies he'd applied to took FOREVER to go through the hiring process, so we were really surprised when the O.co thing happened.  It seemed like he interviewed one day and then started the next.
He left me with the kids and lived with his sister Claudia.  For the first few months he had to drive into SLC every day--not a fun commuting game.  He was still working part-time for the old company, and looking for a new home, AND trying to problem-solve long distance so that I could remain functional with the kids in Boise.  Fun times were had by all.
We moved in April.  He now continues to work a little for the old company, and the new Overstock office in Provo is close enough that he rides his bike to work almost every day.  He has to drive to SLC about once a week or less to work in that office.  His bike collects "goat-heads" and he's continually patching his tires.
The company had a bike sale, so we're all equipped and have had some fun adventures.  He continues to find great scenic adventures, and we've been hiking and exploring.  He's currently working as a Scout Committee Chairman.

Mama  supervised and painted the entire inside of the house, staged it, packed it and sold it.  (With a lot of help!)  The Boise part, even with all the chaos,  without the husband, and with the whole Eagle Project thing, was SO MUCH EASIER than moving in.  I didn't realize just how much help I had from friends and family until it ended.
But first--finding the house.  The Prince had been looking at homes and sending me info online.  Prince's older sister kept talking about this house in her neighborhood, but I was a little reluctant to be so close to any family.  I didn't want her to feel like we were in her back pocket, and I had come to value our privacy, also.  He finally went to see it, and liked it.  It was smaller, with less land, and cost a lot more than we were selling ours for.  After looking at all the homes online that Handsome had seen that day, I knelt to pray before going to bed.  As I prayed, I knew this was our house.  I also felt impressed to offer a specific sum (long story, but we ended up paying a little less.)
I was finally able to see it, but was willing to buy it having only seen some of it online.  We were so blessed and carried by the Lord!
Moving in was one of the hardest times of my life.  We ended up with the stomach flu, and I was SO SICK and SO TIRED.   Everyone was ill and whiny and in upheaval and emotional angst and messy and disorganized and laundry and no one could help because we were SICK and obviously very contagious and homesick and OH!  It was so hard!!!  Getting everyone in school and established and happy and well and clean and everything organized and...Happy to be settled!
I was called to be the Sunday School teacher for Mr. Cool, which I really enjoyed, and then only a few months later, called to be 1st counselor in the Primary.  Went in kicking and screaming, but LOVE it now.
I'm half-way through the 3-year-plan now, and am more organized and healthy (mostly).  I hope to continue to organize the home, stay on top, volunteer more and get more physically fit.
This has been my year for migraines.  Since Caboose came I've had about one every two weeks, but when I weaned her last June, they stepped it up a notch and for the last month or two it's been out of control.  Hope to get that taken care of here shortly.  Also, quite a few "female troubles."
My spiritual retreat and the Mother/Daughter Boise trip with Lil' Mama are the beginning of my new life NOT PREGNANT!  Love it!  I've been writing more and catching up on pictures, etc...
I earned the YW medallion with L Nellie (it was the 2nd time for both of us) and started the program again with Lil' Mama.
L Nellie was on top of the world with friends, school and activities before we moved.  The move was very difficult for her and she worked really hard to get established here.  She was helpful and determined and lonely.  It's been slow going, but she's finally established and happy.
Over the summer she played for a week at Park City with a best buddy, went on a Pioneer Trek and to part of Girls' Camp.
L is mature and graceful and a righteous Daughter of God.  It's weird to think that she's 17.  It's been fun watching her grow and progress and I'm so proud of her and all that she has overcome and accomplished.  She has a great talent for empathy and knows when and how to help others.  She's a good student and is taking several honors classes and an AP class this year as a Junior.
She's still nutty about animals and has started babysitting for the Guide Dogs for the Blind Puppies-In-Training.  I'm trying to pressure her into finding a JOB. 
She still gets lost on her way to the kitchen, and we're in a new town, so it's been difficult to get her to drive anywhere.  Also, Mr. Cool flushed her new UT driver's license down the master bathroom toilet.  Grrr...
Mr. Cool completed his Eagle project and has earned 1 palm.  He made balancing stools for a classroom of Special Needs students.  He an L Nellie and Lil' Mama went on the Pioneer Trek for about 4 days, and then he turned around and went on a Boy Scout 50 Miler.  It was crazy weather the entire time, and they were soaking and lost for a great part of the trip.
Mr. Cool took on the role of "Man of the House" during the move, and it was awesome to see him slip out of the role of "Chief Tormentor" and into a more mature one.  He has worked hard to grow in self-control and is an honorable priesthood holder.  He'll always be a turkey I'm afraid, but it's nice to know that he can step up and be a man when called upon.  (I don't want him to lose all the ding-bat.  He's a lot of fun and very entertaining.  Of course, I'm not his sister...)
Lil' Mama Finally became a teenager.  She was demoted from Middle School back to Elementary School when we moved.  We almost skipped her up a grade during the move, because her grades were so good, and we were afraid she would have to retake some of the same classes in Jr. High.  Half way through the winter term last year, when Lil' Mama's grades were posted, she was missing exactly 3 total points--and they were from Home Ec!  After teasing our Home-Ec flunkie for a few weeks, she finally confessed that the three missing points were from a self-graded assignment.  What!!!  In my book, self-graded means I just got an A.  Whatever.  (Freak!)  She even qualified for the GT program.  So.  I didn't want to hear about how bored she was for the next year as she repeated pre-algebra. (Plus, really, one who had a grade of 107% should not have to repeat.  Sheesh!  How can one have 107%?  Isnt' that mathematically impossible?  Hmmm...)  Her early birthday made her one of the oldest in her class, anyway.
It goes without saying that the idea of her skipping freaked Mr. Cool completely out.  In the end, we decided that she would end up missing some important classes, and they offered Algebra for 7th graders, so it was all good, and she got to just coast through the end of 6th grade for a month in Elementary School, making friends and surviving the move. 
She has made new friends and seems to be doing well.  For her birthday she decided that a Mother/Daughter trip to Boise was in order.  Oh, LOVE that kid.  Funnest time EVER!  We hoteled it one night with a best buddy and then stayed with another best buddy--her friends' moms are some of my favorite people--had the most enjoyable time.

Side note:  L Nellie decided that she wanted a Mother/Daughter horseback riding session for her birthday.  I am having the best birthday year EVER!

Lil' Mama had a hard time getting settled in her 6th grade class at first.  She's such a joyful, free-spirited person, and there was a lot of "I'm too cool for this" going on in her class.  We talked a lot about being yourself even if it's not cool.  They were doing some little class plays, and she was so frusterated about the cool lack of participation.  She decided to do it her way anyway, and had a lot of fun.  Then, one of the teachers who just happens to own a local theatre called and offered her a scholarship to one of the summer drama programs.  What a hoot!  She had so much fun, did so well, and got a lot of positive feedback from a lot of sources.  Hooray for exceptional teachers!  It was such a great answer to a lot of prayers.  BE YOURSELF!
Well, this is the first installment.  Stay tuned for updates from the rest of the crew.