End Of Year Review

Last year in my year end review I wrote this: "I can't decide the word I want to be able to describe 2012. Maybe I just want 2012 to be a surprise. Okay, 2012: surprise me."

And it did. In the very last few days of December 2011 we were in a car accident that totaled out car: Surprise! So we bought another car that I LOVE. Getting a new car was something I didn't expect.


The last few months of 2011 I was hit by severe depression. In January, I was told what would fix it: a diet of no milk, no cheese, and no sugar. So I tried a vegan diet and was surprised by how much I loved it. Also, that it worked. That was also a surprise.

I surprised myself by becoming a beekeeper. I was surprised to discover I have sea legs and that I LOVE being out on the ocean (at least in a cruise boat, that's my only experience thus far) but I'm not really a fan of snorkeling.  I surprised Drek by getting a job.

I read a lot of surprisingly good books this year. I fell in love with Shannon Hale's writing and her series Books of Bayern. I loved Scaramouch, Unbroken, the Poisonwood Bible and David Copperfield.

Hopefully someone coming to our house will be surprised by how much we've fixed it up this year: Painting, new windows, new shutters, new trees, a garden, and such.

I threw a surprising amount of parties this year: A surprise birthday/princess/limo/makeover party, Pi Day, Passover, several Halloween parties, a Saboteur party, an end-of-the world party and a New-Year's party.

I was surprised by how many trips to hometown we took this year: Four. Goodness gracious. We've done a heck of a lot of traveling this year and it's been to the same place. Must branch out more in 2013. Well, not all to the same place. Drek and I went on a cruise, we took a family trip up north to my twin cousin's wedding and we went down south for Thanksgiving. That is a surprising amount of travel.

I was surprised by my little sister going on a mission and my older sister having a little baby boy! My dad surprised us when he announced he has been cured of his incurable cancer. I gained a sister-in-law (finally!) a niece, and a darling little nephew. The best surprise was having my mom, my dad, and my sisters all in the temple together. That was wonderful.


Drek and I didn't ever really expect to raise an only child. And yet,at the beginning of this year, we were facing that very real possibility. In March we finally accepted it: Surprise! We can't have any more kids. Let's just focus on the benefits of having one. And then, in July, Surprise! We are pregnant. That was a shocker.

Once again this year I was surprised by how awesome by husband is, how wonderful family is, and the love God has for me.

In 2013 I want the motto to be: cut the excess.

 Happy New Year!