The Year in Review 2012

Is it too late to do this?  It's my blog and I say it isn't!  So here we go, the year 2012 in review!

John, Michele, and Anna May

January:  My family has three birthday's in January.  Deedra is our first birthday and boy how I wish I could spend it with her.  It has been a few years since we were able to do that but I still love her all the same.  We went to Buca DiBeppo's for Marley and Sara's birthday and had a blast.  I was still living with Marie at the time and I am sure we ate lots at the Korean Place and watch movies.  I am pretty sure this was the month I got sat by myself at the single table at a family party.  This was also the month that I got to meet my favorite, Anna May.  All of Uncle Dean's family was in town and Ryan and Sam took their family pictures.  It was so fun to all be together!

Scott and Sara's Wedding

February: A month full of love and family.  Todd and Deedra came to town!  They sat in my drive way at 2 in the morning pondering on if they should wake me when they first pulled into town.  Hunter had arrived a few days before his parents and I got to babysit him for the weekend. We built a fort, played with Marley, and listened to Uncle Ryan's stories.  Hunter was my Valentine's date and the next guy has very big shoes to fill!  Marie and I had Korean with Todd and Deedra.  It was soooooo tasty.  They were here ultimately for Scott and Sara's wedding which was a beautiful day.  We all looked so lovely for the big day and we were thankful that all went as planned. I was also so happy to have family around at the wedding.  I went to two bridal showers this month including one that I was in charge of!

The family wishing U. Brent and A. Vicki well!

March: Happy Golden Birthday to Me!!!  This is what was shouted to me as I walked into my surprise birthday party.  Marie and Sam planned it all out and it was a lot of fun.  It was my golden birthday because I turned 25 on the 25th!  The party was decked in gold and so was some of the food.  This was also the year I pierced my ears.  And let me tell you, I thought it was the most painful thing I have yet to do.  Kirstee held my hand though and I love having them pierced now.  Uncle Brent and Aunt Vicki were in town this month because they left for their mission to Canada!  It was so fun to have a get together with everyone.

Matching Easter dresses

 April: The biggest thing I can think of that happened in April was visiting Michele and Anna.  We got to see each other quite a bit.  I bought Anna and Marley matching Easter dresses.  And now a picture of Anna in her dress sits on my desk.  I went to Wyoming to see Michele one last time before she left to go be with John again.

At the zoo with Hunter

May: I took a surprise trip out to see Todd and Deedra.  I don't know who was more excited as I think most of us were crying when we saw each other.  S'mores every night, hammock swinging, reading Harry Potter,  going to the zoo and to museums, and playing games with the family pretty much sums up my whole trip.  It was a dream.  Todd and Deedra also came to Utah for another wedding.  It was fun to celebrate Todd's birthday together.

My trip to Hoover Dam with my companions

June: I went to St. George to see some of my mission companions.  It was fun but I remembered why I don't like Vegas at night!  We went to Tuacahn and saw Hairspray!

Michele and I at MAT camp

July: MAT camp!!!  I love camp so much and each year I am more excited for it.  I did an awesome dance with Marley for the talent show, played with Anna, went on an accidental date, laughed with Michele, made ice cream, of course made a million crafts, had long talks with Marie, made new friends, and cried when it was all over.

Payson Lake 

August: Uncle John and Aunt Cindy came for a visit!  They came to MAT camp first and then traveled down to Utah.  They stayed for a week and it was so fun!  I loved every minute especially taking all the kids, having them clean up my lawn, and then taking them for snow cones.  We went to Payson Lake with them and to the movies.  I miss them a ton and hope we get to see them again soon, maybe in Kansas this time!

Soaked at Lagoon

September: I started my last full semester at BYU.  I started student teaching in a second grade classroom where I loved my students very much! I planned lessons everyday and this blog kind of landed on the back burner.  I went to Lagoon with Malory Holman, Marie, and Emily. It was fun but we were so exhausted by the end of the day, I am surprised we made it home in one piece.

Little Red Riding Hood

October: I moved to Ryan and Sam's, we had many a trip to the hospital thinking we were going to have a baby, I was Red Riding Hood for Halloween, I switched student teaching assignments and was put into Kindergarten!

Nolan Max

November: The baby finally came!!  Nolan Max Comte was born on the sixth of the month.  He was cute and little and we were all so excited.  Mom, Dad, and I went to Todd and Deedra's for Thanksgiving.  It was nice.  I got really sick and missed some student teaching.  But after my ear drum ruptured we were finally on the mend! Kirstee's birthday was also this month and I got to go to her birthday party.
December: It came and went so fast I don't know how much I can remember.  I finished up student teaching, which was all solo the last month of it. I went and saw Scott and Sara in Washington and then drove home with them.  I held Nolan a lot and played with Marley every second that I could.  I got and gave Christmas presents.  I went sledding with Marley, Scott, Sara, and Malory.  I did crafts, cleaned my room, did more crafts, and haven't quite cleaned up from the aftermath!
 All in all, 2012 was a great year.  I am so glad I lived it!

My BFF's Birthday!

I wanted to scan all the picture I have of Kirstee 

but can't figure out my scanner.  So this will have to do!

Yesterday as I drove my sweet little friends home from a big sleepover, Kirstee told me that she invited her best friend to her birthday party.  I said "You already told me about the girl across the street that has the same birthday as you."  She looked at me funny and said "You are my best friend Jody!"  I almost cried.  She is such a sweetheart.  As her friends arrived, they all knew me as Kirstee's best friend.
Kirstee is my cousins little girl.  Since she was little we have always been tight.  I remember her whispering secrets to me under the cover of her bed when she was 2 or 3 years old.  I remember her riding in my car since she was that little or even smaller.  I can still remember taking her out camping with all the Bowen family at the reunion.  And I can still see her smiling face at the bottom of the escalator when I got home from my mission.  I remember the tea parties at every photo shoot we went to.  I have pictures of her from a small baby to now. (By the way, your picture and Makadee's are the only pictures in my wallet right now!)  I remember donuts, cookies, cupcakes, and now junk food from her 10th birthday party.  I can't believe it's been 10 years because I swear that yesterday I remember holding her in my arms for the very first time. I am so glad that she calls me her best friend, because she is my best friend as well.  I love my Kirstee Mae more than words can say!  

A Visit to Seattle

The week before Christmas, I went to see Scott and Sara's.  I was their first visitor they have had since being married.  It was so nice to see their cute little house and do so many fun things with them.  They were so good to me while I was there.  Scott picked me up for the airport in his awesomely cool chef outfit because he had just gotten off of school.  Then he took me back to his school to get the full tour.  I felt like I was behind the scenes of Master Chef or something.  It was really cool.  We then drove to downton Seattle, which was beautiful, to pick up Sara.  Little did I know that Sara works in the mall:)

Sara in a parking garage.  Seattle has many of them.

Snowy Seattle

Space Needle at night

Shopping

All of us in front of some awesome globe light tree

Looking straight up at the Space Needle

All of us on the carousal

Scott and Sara riding a bear

Real gingerbread house.  My favorite part was the mailbox.

We made gingerbread houses, watched Christmas movies, ate artichokes with mayonaise, saw the Space Needle, feed the homeless, visited some of Scott and Sara's friends, rode the tram, finally got to ride a carousal, saw the zoo lights, learned that Santa's reindeer really are women, drove to Utah, and ate super good food at pretty much every meal.  It was so fun, every minute of it!  Scott and Sara know how to show you the high life.  Thanks for being such a gracious host and hostess.  Summer in Seattle, I think so!

The Best of Starts

I wrote this in my journal a few days ago and wanted to write it down here.  The lessons I have learned in the last week are so important, I wanted this to be my first post of the new year.  Here is what I wrote:
Right now I am sitting next to a warm fireplace in Idaho Falls.  I was invited by a very dear friend to come visit her and her family.  This dear friend has been a blessing in my life for several years now.  I met her at BYU while I was working with the volleyball team.  After I had finished my first year of college, I moved in with Ashton.  I learned quite a bit about life and the way I wanted to live.  Ashton was creative, organized, and productive with her time.  She didn't waste a moment of her time because she was using it wisely to study both secular and spiritual things, giving, and improving herself.  I will never forget the spirit that encompassed Ashton.  And the first memory I have of her and her husband as a newly married couple is one that I have always dreamed would be my own.  I wasn't able to go to their reception and so delivered their gift late.  I had set up to drop the present off at their apartment.  I remember walking into the small space and feeling the spirit immediately.  After about a week of marriage, Ashton and her husband, Drew, had the spirit in their home.  It has been a few years and Ashton now has two beautiful children.  We talk every once in awhile.  She has a real natural ability to always come when I need her the most.  A month or so ago she called and asked if I would like to come visit her as she was visiting her family in Idaho.  I won't lie, I was nervous to go visit a family that I didn't really know.  But I knew if they were anything like Ashton I would be comfortable.  Once again I walked into a home filled with the spirit.  I have been watching throughout my visit and although it hasn't been a long visit I have noticed, once again, quite a bit about life and the way I want to live my life.  As I walked into the Hansen home, love and laughter enveloped me.  Many people were gathered at their house even though many had left before I even arrived.  Everyone was laughing and having the time of their lives.  With this atmosphere, peace and security were felt.  No one was loud or boisterous but all were softly concerned for one another.  I told Ashton that I just wanted to take notes on her family because they seemed like the heaven on earth that we are promised by the Savior himself.
I soon began asking myself the question of how has this family accomplished this feeling of love and heaven. I saw a mother who knew her calling as a mother was more than performing motherly duties but as an extension of the Savior's mission on earth.  I saw children that love the gospel and say personal prayers everyday. I saw siblings that truly enjoyed each other's company.  I saw a father who took his priesthoods duties farther than his Sunday worship.  I saw a house of love.  This family has striven to act as the Savior would in every situation.  I loved seeing the pictures of their family and friends that had been over to celebrate the holidays with them, on their cupboards.  I was inspired as every time we walked out the door we were told we were beautiful, smart, and that we could do anything we wanted to do.  After we would say prayers with the family every night we were reminded that we were loved.  This house was not all talk though, as almost every decoration in the home reminded me of our Heavenly Father and our divine purpose here on earth.
I was so deeply touched by my visit and felt so strengthened by the spirit.  I hope next time I will have more time with this amazing family.  Thanks to the Hansens for a great start to the new year!

Brooklyn (Ashton's little girl)

At the Idaho Falls Temple with Ashton and her brother

Poison

Alma 55:32

 32 And they were thus cautious that no poison should be administered among them; for if their wine would poison a Lamanite it would also poison a Nephite; and thus they did try all their liquors.

I remember a companion reading this to a family as a spiritual thought at the end of a dinner we had had.  I thought it was so very random, but decided to wait and hear what she had to say about the scripture.  After reading the scripture she explained that the Lamanites and Nephites were at war at this time.  Both sides had taken prisoners.  The Lamanites wanted to exchange prisoners but were unwilling to let them go after the Nephite ruler put forth some restrictions.  So they decided to go about getting the Nephite prisoners another way.  They decide to poison the Lamanite guards and get them drunk all at the same time.  Then they would sneak out their prisoners from the Lamanites.  They succeeded.  Soon the Lamanites thought they would try the same tactic on the Nephites.  But the Nephites were smart and didn't partake of the wine the Lamanites were trying to poison them with.  

After sharing an explanation of the story, my companion finished with these words.  She said that the Nephites knew the wine was bad for both sides of the war.  What are some things that are bad for all of us?  If we are ever caught saying, "Well, I would watch it but I would never let my children watch it," we probably shouldn't watch it ourselves.  If it is bad for our children, then isn't it bad for us as well.  

I thought this was so interesting and I hope to live more by this principle.  I want to do only what is good for all!