Superstar

Kris and I are very proud of Nate. He is working very hard at his job and Kris had to go over to the support dept last Friday. Nate's boss, Thomas, told Kris that Nate is the top tech for the month of January. He went on and on about what a hard worker he is and how great he is doing, even mentioning that  if they are able to hire someone full time this year that Nate is at the top of the list,even over the seasoned tech people that come back every year. That is TOTALLY COOL!!
Nate is really a hard worker (when he wants to be) and we are grateful for him. I have to say, as the mom, I am grateful for his willingness to do the little things around the house, laundry, dishes, taking garbage out etc. It makes my job so much easier!!
Thanks NATE for being amazing!

It just occured to me that this is our family blog

You know....I am one of those people that just blurts out whats on MY mind when I blog. I have lost sight of the fact that this is a blog for our FAMILY..not just me. So I am going to try to do more family blogging...starting today
KRIS: Kris is knee deep in tax season at work which means longer hours, more stress, more tired. But it is not forever and usually by February they are starting to see a bit of a reprieve. Kris is also writing a musical which just amazes me. He has had some really cool spiritual experiences while working on this project and I have a feeling it may grow into something pretty amazing! We all auditioned for the musical "Annie" and Kris will be "Daddy Warbucks" which he has played before, so that is kindof fun. I am hoping for him, that our Annie this time is just as adorable as our Annie was last time.
NATE: Nate is working doing tech support for Petz Ent (where Kris works) He seems to be enjoying it and is definitely enjoying the paycheck. He is saving up for a car and that will ease stress on just about everyone!! He is also thinking that he wants to go to school to get his teaching degree in Math. More power to him!! I commend him for following something he loves. Nate has a real talent for teaching and I would love to see him fulfill that!
NICK: Finishing up Senior year. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? His schedule is fairly easy this year and that is nice as a Senior. Although it seems that most around him are doing all the IB classes and are completely stressed out...not Nick..lol. He had to have another fine arts credit so he is doing art and let me tell you...HE IS AMAZING!! Some of the work he has done is just remarkable!!
CAITLYN: Busy being a junior. She has auditions for Madrigals again next week. She is singing an Italian Aria to audition with. Her voice has really developed a lot this year. I think the opportunity to sing Alto has really added a richness to her voice that is beautiful.
So thats life in a nutshell. Now I can go forward and blog about the comings and goings of our gang!

Strength Training

I have to say I am really loving Strength Training. It is one of those really cool things where you get started and don't realize the impact that it will have. I have been working on the P90X dvds and I love it. I feel strong, I feel my core muscles, I am noticing a difference already!! It even helped me on the treadmill today. I was able to do more running today and went a mile without dying or totally dreading it. It was fantastic. I can see why people love marathons (not that I am pushing to that...Yet) There is something so empowering about becoming strong. I love it.
My favorite things is the looks and comments when people here I am doing P90X. It is a TOUGH work out...especially the plyometrics and the stretch and yoga. Tough for me, mainly because my knees are toast and there is a greater amount of high impact exercise going on in these, so I just modify, wrap my knees and go for it.
So am I going to continue..YES! I think the other thing I have learned is that it is Ok to NOT do the P90X if I don't want to that day, I just doing something else.
I have been doing push ups and can't wait to start on pull ups..(they are going to kick my butt) But I started at about `12 girl style push ups and I am up to 25 girl style this week. I am trying to increase each time. It is cool. I am using resistant bands instead of free weights for now. I am going to purchase those soon. I think I also want to get a free standing punching bag. I think it sounds invigorating. I think I also want to get Zumba dance dvd and have that too. It is just fun to try so many different things.
Ok, more power to us that are trying to increase strength and fitness. I am grateful to find something in my life right now to really focus on that is making me feel so great!!!

Goodbye 2011........... HELLO 2012

Goodbye 2011

Highlights of 2011

Kris being made a High Priest

Nate turned 19

Nick turned 18

Caitlyn turned 16

Kris called to serve in the High Priest Group

Cheryl called to serve as YW Pres

Many productive trips to Utah

Going into Muir Woods to see the Giant Redwoods

The Ocean

Having James come down and stay a while

Many opportunities to serve my mom and family

The love of two big adorable dogs

Reading the Book of Mormon

Young Women's Camp

Successful Thanksgivinng and Christmas

Writing an original song complete with lyrics and music

Medical technology and amazing health care professionals

Lowlights of 2011

My Mom diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer 

My mom passing away in September

Does anything else even compare to that?

It has been interesting this week to be back in Utah, back in moms house, handling her things, talking as siblings about what means something to each of us, what we could benefit from and use. It borders trivial and emotional with a very fine, thin line. I find myself looking around at the really beautiful things that my mother and father had from all around the world, things they purchased that may have worldly value but hold no comparison to finding very sentimental things like my parents scriptures or a worn and tattered pair of little baby shoes or my dads old leather wallet or their drivers licensees. Things that would have no worth to an outside but that invoke deep emotions in their children. 

I think 2011 was very much a year of breaking through, breaking through the emotions of talking to a parent who knows their time on earth is very limited, breaking through into new eternal growth experiences, breaking through emotions of learning to love through dissapointments.

I hope and desire 2012 to be a year of new beginnings. Of new understandings within the gospel, within family relationships, within personally growth. To understand that making a New Beginning and establishing or strengthening relationships and seeing people in a new light, a new understanding and with an eternal perspective will cause greater joy and progression. 

I hope that in 2012 I will discover some new things about myself . Something I have already discovered is that I REALLY like strength training, it totally rocks. I am a cardio wimp, but give me strength training...I am all over that. It is like a huge high! Something else I discovered, but I think I already knew this, it is just hard to get back there, is that I need to treat myself better and if that means buying the more expensive hair care product and make up, then so be it. I can treat myself the way my Father in Heaven would. Its ok! :D

Perhaps even an opportunity to blog monthly about a new discovery. I think that is called goal setting. Hmmm, maybe that can be tied into my personal progress somehow. 

I always LOVE starting a new year and pondering about the passing of of the old year. How did I improve from the year before.

In 2011 I improved on my site reading skills on the piano (just a bit, thanks to Caitlyn and her difficult choir music) I improved on personal prayer and personal listening and I improved on inviting people to hear the missionaries. I had 5 invites last year. And guess what? I have already had one really awesome invite in 2012

(I mean, what good is improving if you don't carry that into the new year with you)

Some goals for this year? 

1. improve body strength

2. Rely on the spirit in all things

3. continue to learn about loving my husband and children in a capacity like my Father in Heaven

4. delegate *sometimes I think I have to do it all

So HELLO 2012....WELCOME to my life!