Summer 2012

Great summer! Started out by going to Mexico, of course.

Next we went Munds Park, near Flagstaff to stay in a cabin.

We ate at our favorite diner.

Tanner and I look NOTHING alike, right? 

Cabin was great. Fireplace, basement with games for kids, and big patio deck. 

We rented a Rhino and drove up to Morman Lake.

We went to Bearizona in Williams, Arizona. It was amazing!

The animals come right up to your car.  These wolves were surrounding our truck.

This bear was making me nervous, coming right at our truck.

Then he walked right by my window.

We had to stop for this big guy to cross in front of us. Crazy! 

Had fun, but it tired us out (especially Paige)!

Jeff and I are heading to Mexico by ourselves in a couple days. Yeah summer! 

Christmas in Mexico

For the past three years we have gone to Mexico the day after Christmas. It's becoming one of my favorite family traditions.

Family "ties"

These two kids are my favorite things in the whole world. They are absolute perfection. I couldn’t ask for anything more.

That being said, I am officially done having kids. I am scheduled to get my “tubes tied” on Friday, December 30th.

I’m so excited to close the “baby” chapter of my life and move on to all the exciting (and even challenging) parenting events ahead. Babies are cute, of course, but, I’m much more excited about how my kids are growing up into people that I really like and enjoy being around.

We are exiting the fit-throwing, illogical and overemotional state of toddlerhood with Paige. She is turning into a fun-loving, joke-telling, pretty little girl who hates it when someone has hurt feelings and voices her ideas and opinions freely (but can now take feedback about how to do that without crying or yelling).

Tanner has become an amazingly talented boy who has lots of friends, is incredibly capable, and is comforting to people his loves in the most authentic of ways.

I love my family fiercely. It just keeps getting better. I'm ready to spend the rest of my life with these three people around to fill my heart. Onward to a New Year!

Best Books of 2011

Here are my favorite reads for 2011:

1. The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
2. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
3. How to be Happy All of the Time by Paramahansa Yogananda
4. The Essential Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire by Deepak Chopra
5. The Long Walk by Slavmir Rawicz
6. Illusions by Richard Bach