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....
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| The Mom and Amric Oct 2012 |
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| Dad Sam, Cici and Firt |
