The longest relationship on earth...

...or anyway it's said that it's suppose to be the longest relationship on earth!    I say - Handle with Care!

Brothers and Sisters 

are as close as hands and feet.

If you want to know how your girl will treat you after marriage, 

just listen to her talking to her little brother.  - levenson

It was nice growing up with someone like you - 
someone to lean on, someone to count on...someone to tell on

The Mildest, drowsiest sister has been 
known to turn tiger if her sibling is in trouble
- clara Ortega

Help your brothers boat across and your own will reach the shore
-Hindu Proverb

Out with the Old and In with the New Year ... 2013!

Hardin Family Knows how to Have Fun!

I'm on this kick this year that I'm going to be fun! And together with my daughter we are learning to not be so intense.

On New Years Eve we just happen to have the perfect setting for learning this new skill!  It is a skill I've come to believe!!!  No tension in the room, No crying or pouting, No hovering over anyone, No yelling, No drinking, No WAIT there was indeed COMPETITION! YES!!! It can be done!!!  

And here as I sit blogging away I remember it and think about it 23 days later, it still makes me smile.  What a great night we had!  I love it when families invite us to their home and I can feel the spirit of love, harmony and Christ.  And When music is involved, cuz that for sure is one that was, is and will always be lacking in my home - cannot carry a tune nor read any music.  My kids will only know me for "Now the Day is Over", before family prayer!!!  Anyway I got lost there for a min, I was thinking about going to Teares at Christmas and singing, feeling love, harmony and the Christ also in their home I guess, Ben's on my mind today  :)  anyway ... moving on  ... I miss Amric ;)

 

Games are tuff, it seems it might create anxiety or some sort of tiff.  Someone might be mad they lost, feel insecure they aren't the best or sad to not be included.  But not here, not in this Hardin home not on New Years Eve 2012.  Tooooo Bad I pass my headaches on to my kids.  We lost Austin for awhile there!

As Amric was already set apart to go into the MTC we were really striving to "feel the Spirit" of the thing and not bring on negative vibes - so what to do for New Years Eve, he was Already missing a ton of Football - (that was a sour note already! - so many puns)!!!  Anyway we were grateful to be included in our "In-Laws" planned, organized and WAY FUN night.

Blowing up balloons, telling stories, stacking plastic cups, and werewolves are just a few of the CRAZY things that went on, not to mention that a meal in itself was served every hour after 6 o'clock. 

Secretly beforehand My thoughts we how could any of this be fun without the TV?  Really?? Without watching the ball drop at midnight?  TRADITION!

But look at me - 23 days later I'm still smiling...  Thank You Hardin/Sobczak Family.

OUT WITH 2012 and in with 2013

As I am writing this I'm reminded of that old saying "whatever you are doing at midnight you'll be doing all year'!  

Well, I was with family and I was having fun.  New starts were everywhere!

At one point in the night we wrote habits we wanted to break or "something we wanted to rid ourselves of" and then placed them on this pile of limbs.... we burned Out the Old Habits with fire and brought in new habits with smiles and hope.  So maybe that is why I keep subconsciously thinking this year that ... I AM DANG FUN and I WANNA BE WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE FUN TOO!  I'm gonna have some fun :) 

“You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write.” 

and that's how I felt at midnight 2012-2013

 and again now at midnight!!!!

31 Days of 31 Christmas' - 2012

What can I say about the year 2012?  

I can say this COUNT YOUR MANY BLESSINGS for they are MANY!

Merry Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

My first quote in my calendar for the year is this: “Any attempt to compel behavior is accompanied by withdrawl of the spirit and decreased effectiveness”.  –Merrill

Applicaable for the year ahead, little did I know what was ahead for us this year.  My “keyword” for the year that I had picked to focus on was “Perspective”, I have a whole knew perspective now of sooooo many things, even in my old age and 31 years of family life.  "We can learn to love again" pink, I "believe in the forgiveness of sin and redemption of ignorance" a. stevenson and "he that is without sin let him (or her) cast the first stone" Jesus Christ.

I notice in my journal that one of my goals for the year was to loose 40 pounds by April!  I’m sure I gained 40+ pounds by April!!!  A very stressful 4 months.  Reading thru my journals is interesting, I pray my kids are writing – keeping records – for it is very insightful looking back definitely a learning tool.  As I have been reading and posting 31 Days of 31 Christmas’ I have struggled with how much I “posted” in each years Christmas letter telling people stuff they didn’t need to know or maybe even should know.  Because I did it though, I have it, I have the history (which is a blessing) plus My kids have it and I am indeed sharing it - a marriage and family evolving into what we have become, (I’m still not sure what that is, even today)!  I do know though that from it I see struggles, triumphants, failures, joy, mistakes, love, hurt, religion, lack of religion, testimony, vacations, money, "causes", the world around us, relatives, growth (we are slow learners, lots of growth!), friends, callings, and what I see today is SURVIVAL, ENDURANCE a family fighting to be a FAMILY TOGETHER FOR ETERNITY!  For that I can be grateful, count my blessings and move forward - not embarrassed for sharing as many details as I have, hoping that someone learns something and maybe grows too.

One of the things I was enlightened to from reading the scriptures this year came from King Solomon and it was that we were “moved from house to house to be where the LORD needed us to be, some moves might have been us counseling the Lord, but most were for our benefit and in the end were Joyful to the purpose”.  Somewhere along the year I was taught this “ETTE” Enjoy to the End! and that I hope my friends and family that we apply all the days of our lives...

To begin the year we were stuck in Wyoming and didn’t get home for a proper New Years Eve… that should have been a clue to the year ahead!!!  I want to preface this year with the resolve that we had made to NOT GO ANYWHERE THIS YEAR – for the sake of the budget (that didn’t really work out!).

•          We spent the first recovering from a trip home from Utah stuck in Wyoming for many many hours due to semi crash and bad weather.
•      Richard and I flew to Washington for the weekend in Jan. – during a snow/ice storm – I do love it in Washington.  I was ever so happy to go to church and see friends that I love dearly. And go to Jack in the Box both in Vancouver and in Chehalis!!!  Yippee!!!
•        We spent the next 4 months planning a wedding.
•       Ayris and Tyler moved to Utah
•       Apryl and her family struggled with unemployment for months. They came to the house just about daily up until August ;) love spending time with them and enjoying the boats, the beach and the time doing YOGA!!!!
•      Amric Graduated 4 years of seminary
•           Amric Graduated from Burke High School
• Ashlee and Dillon move to Omaha - fun to have her her, sorry we weren't better company!
•      Amric, Richard and I were blessed to travel with a “Youth Group” to Nauvoo, it was beautiful, wonderful fun experience.  Made knew friends, got to know the youth better.  The Temple is beautiful and the stories of the settlement are tremendous and tragic at the same time.  The spirit that is there is peaceful, the work and the effort, the suffering and hardship it left an undeniable mark that will imprint Testimony of a Prophet, a People and reminds us that Jesus Christ still lives.  Carthage is the saddest place ever, I felt like I was suffocating being there, seeing and hearing how he was treated.
•      I spent 6 months working on and planning “Girls Camp”. It went off without a hitch except that silly weather!!! Rains and wind, but I loved it and I believe (as I must) that the girls had a great time!!!  Soon after it was over I was released.
•       The A. Sobczaks came to visit and we got to go to Chicago with them.  Richard and I went for walks and we all enjoyed the sites, the food the hospitality of Chicago! 
•       Richard travels LOTS and LOTS doing his Appraisal Work - which by the way he still loves!
•      Amric starts his “paperwork” online to serve a Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
•       Apryl and Sean, Pax, Gage and Vaughn moved to Vermont.  Sean had 3 jobs this year! with prayer and the Lord's blessing (not mine!! hehe!) they moved to Vermont :(
• Ayris gets a job working for EFY in the office scheduling teachers and such!!  loves it too by the way!!!
• Amric still working at Fuddruckers and gets a second job at Best Buy!
•       Sudden trip to Utah - Ayris and Tyler Separated.
•          Tender Mercy that the Wares  (thank you Steve and Jake) were in Salt Lake too!  "Tender Mercies" all around,  let me count the ways!!  Jenni we love you and are so grateful for your influence, sacrifice and friendship to all of us but especially to Ayris at this time.  When Austin and Anona moved to Utah they had a family emergency, but I still believe it also had to do with Ayris I've been so grateful they lived close by as she has attended school at both SUU & BYU.
• We've been blessed to attend Nauvoo, Oquirrh, Salt Lake, Draper and Winter Quarters Temples this year.
•        Draper Temple - beautiful.  Very spiritual experience there.  I know that I totally felt and heard the presence of my mom and Aunt El, I can say this - I know they are watchful for and after Ayris Joan
•        Kelly called to teach Seminary – AGAIN!
•        BYU Parents Week-End!!  The Mom (that's me!) loves being with Ayris at BYU we went on tours, went to Womens Conf. with Anona and we were Blessed to attend the Salt Lake Temple (it has definetly been a year of "the Temple" for our family and we are all grateful for that blessing).
• Austin and Amric go to Washington D.C. - Amric sneaks in a trip on his own to New York City!
•       Sammy and Felicity came to visit for 3 weeks!!!  It was wonderful.  Austin and Anona went on a cruise!  But we got to keep the kids, it was so fun.  We sang, played games, went for walks, baked - celebrated Halloween – much JOY!
•        Amric Received his mission call – Carlsbad California Mission – He reports Jan. 2, 2013.
•       Amric went to the Winter Quarters Temple Nov. 3rd – Count our blessings!
•       The family gathered for Faux Thanksgiving and to support Amric leaving for mission we were sad that everyone couldn't be here, we missed Sean and the kids! L
•   An Annulment was granted :(  But, A fresh knew start, a wonderful positive future ahead for them both.  
•       Amric gave his talk in church (see highlights and follow his blog Storminmormonazsobczak.blogspot.com for the next 2 (count 'em - TWO) years!
• Leaving to take Ayris back to school and Amric to the MTC getting in a little time with Noyes Family and Sobczaks in the process!  YAY I’m so excited!!!  
• I am sure I will cry all the way home!  I'll tell you abou that in the Jan 2nd blog!!! Stay Tune!

The Following is a collage of pictures in remembrance of 2012....

The Mom and Amric Oct 2012

Dad Sam, Cici and Firt

Samantha in Gretna

Dad and Daughter Provo Ut Aug 2012

Austin and Cici Valley Oct 2012

Pax and Apryl Valley

Cici in Draper on Parents Weekend

The Mom and The daughter on Parents Weekend BYU Sept. 2012

Matthew and Matteo

The Bean

CHicago

Sean and Vaughn in the back yard!

Vaughn and Pax back to school only this time in Vermont!

Ayris at Jenni's Aug 2012

Ayris and Mom Salt Lake City Sept 2012

Ayris gets a new phone for her birthday!

Calvin!  visits -- What a Surprise!!! 

The Ren's where else? Baseball!!!

The Cousins at Amrics Graduation

Apryl, Ayris come home for Amric Nov 2012

Faux Thanksgiving Nov 2012

Anona helps mom Landscape this is my little bit of the southwest here in Nebraska

Fall here in Valley

Felicity 

Ashley and her Family 2012 (Timmy's Grandaughter and My Great Niece!)

Tim the third! with his family! (Timmys grandson and name sake)

Nikki and her family (Timmys grandaughter)

Olaf and Dania (Judyanns beautiful baby son)

RIchard and I  at Sioux falls  March 2012

Amric Graduates!  His parents tag along for the ride!!

Bianca Ren

Ayris and Tyler go to Seattle

My little runner - GO APRYL!

Apryl Ann I miss you so much!!!

When I grow up I hope they call me on a mission!

Richard finally gets his boat!

Winter Quarters Temple .... What a blessing to have our kids there together.

Anona and Austin with Sammy and Cici

Tyler and Dad

Oquirrh Temple

Matthew and Marcella (Judyanns Oldest Son)

Amric is fulfilling Uncle Tom's prophecies with Girls and Blackeyes!
 (see his christmas card quote in 1999 letter)

Ayris goes to the Oquirrah Temple Parkers and Noyes came in support

Apryl and The Dad as she left for vermont

Oquirrh Temple

Ayris and Dad

Zane instructs Austin in Utah at lunch!

Gage - isn't he cute!

Apryl and Pax

Just love the shoes

Apryl and The Mom Love the shoes!

Matteo is blessed in Mexico

Vaughn so somber

Amric in the back yard! with his graduation present!!

The family comes together to support Amric as he goes to the Temple and
Prepares to serve the LORD on a 2 year mission.

Count your blessings - 

I know I am counting mine, as this years perspective seems to be how blessed we are.

"Count your blessings.  Once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play and you will finally be able to move forward the life that God intended for you with grace strength, courage and confidence."  Og Mandino

Hugs to all and to all a Good night and Great New Year 
Please, bless us all with a even better than 2012 - 2013!!!