Smith Highlights of 2011
(and the pictures we used for our Christmas card this year)
(and the pictures we used for our Christmas card this year)
1. We visited the Children’s Museum in Denver as an entire family for the 1st time when a friend from out of town came to visit.
2. Michelle had her first birthday in March and I (Sarah) was a total wreck. I just couldn’t believe my baby was now a 1-year-old.
3. My best friend got married and I was delighted to throw her a bridal shower. Her sisters even drove in from out-of-state for it!
4. We had a joyful trip to Utah to see Dan’s older sister get sealed (married) to her wonderful husband. It was one of my favorite moments of the entire year!
5. My dad turned the big 65 and we took him to a Nascar race track that was established in ’65. It was so fun to see how the stereotypes about those events are true.
6. My friend Lisa & I bought a family+ membership to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and have loved all the opportunities to go there this year.
7. Danny turned 2 in June. People had been assuming he was 2 already for months because he’s so independent. He has the perfect personality to be a middle child and hasn’t started actually acting like the terrible twos until a month before he was 2.5. I think we’re lucky with that!
8. The 5 of us went camping for the 1st time together at Rocky Mountain National Park over Father’s Day weekend. We all love the outdoors & had a great time. Two nights is the perfect length for camping with this age group I think.
9. Over the 4th of July Dan & Kaelah drove to Utah for a family reunion while I flew to Wisconsin with Danny & Michelle for a reunion on my mother’s side. My mother drove up so we wouldn’t have to rent a car & then we all drove back together. Each of us had a wonderful time & decided maybe Danny & Kaelah should get time away from each other more often.
10. Kaelah turned 4! 3 children ages 4 & under is way easier than 3 under 3. Kaelah can be very helpful when she wishes to be & is the best big sister in the world to Michelle. She attends preschool 2 mornings a week now.
11. We discovered Lakeside Amusement Park thanks to the local library’s summer reading program prizes. That place is incredible! Kaelah & Danny have already requested several times to go back on their birthdays.
12. This one is huge: we finally finished off our basement and we simply adore it! Now that winter weather has hit, simply having a completely different area to play has helped keep the cabin fever away.
13. In August we drove to Grand Teton National Park to go camping with Dan’s family. What an adventure! Kaelah’s cousins taught her how to ride a 16” bike and helped her fall in love with Disney princesses and Tinkerbell and Barbies. Danny & Michelle’s favorite part was going for a pony ride & simply watching the horses at the stables.
14. In September and October Dan’s parents came out for a week & spoiled us, Dan’s older sister came out for Labor Day weekend, and Dan’s little brother & his family visited us. It was a blast to have 4 adults against 4 toddlers. lol.
15. We were able to attend General Conference & Dan’s 10-year mission reunion. It was wonderful! We’re so glad one of Dan’s sisters moved to Daybreak so we could take the Trax in & that she was willing to babysit.
16. Halloween time was a blast: Danny & Michelle’s first snow man, dressing the whole family up as characters from the Toy Story movies, and playing in the leaves.
17. For Thanksgiving we did something we’ve never done before and flew to Florida to hang onto the nice fall weather a week longer. We enjoyed Cocoa Beach but spent most of our time at Disneyworld. Dan & my favorite part was Epcot with all the lands to visit but of course the children loved the Magic Kingdom, so that’s where we spent most of our time. We’re very grateful we were able to go.
3. My best friend got married and I was delighted to throw her a bridal shower. Her sisters even drove in from out-of-state for it!
4. We had a joyful trip to Utah to see Dan’s older sister get sealed (married) to her wonderful husband. It was one of my favorite moments of the entire year!
5. My dad turned the big 65 and we took him to a Nascar race track that was established in ’65. It was so fun to see how the stereotypes about those events are true.
6. My friend Lisa & I bought a family+ membership to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and have loved all the opportunities to go there this year.
7. Danny turned 2 in June. People had been assuming he was 2 already for months because he’s so independent. He has the perfect personality to be a middle child and hasn’t started actually acting like the terrible twos until a month before he was 2.5. I think we’re lucky with that!
8. The 5 of us went camping for the 1st time together at Rocky Mountain National Park over Father’s Day weekend. We all love the outdoors & had a great time. Two nights is the perfect length for camping with this age group I think.
9. Over the 4th of July Dan & Kaelah drove to Utah for a family reunion while I flew to Wisconsin with Danny & Michelle for a reunion on my mother’s side. My mother drove up so we wouldn’t have to rent a car & then we all drove back together. Each of us had a wonderful time & decided maybe Danny & Kaelah should get time away from each other more often.
11. We discovered Lakeside Amusement Park thanks to the local library’s summer reading program prizes. That place is incredible! Kaelah & Danny have already requested several times to go back on their birthdays.
12. This one is huge: we finally finished off our basement and we simply adore it! Now that winter weather has hit, simply having a completely different area to play has helped keep the cabin fever away.
13. In August we drove to Grand Teton National Park to go camping with Dan’s family. What an adventure! Kaelah’s cousins taught her how to ride a 16” bike and helped her fall in love with Disney princesses and Tinkerbell and Barbies. Danny & Michelle’s favorite part was going for a pony ride & simply watching the horses at the stables.
14. In September and October Dan’s parents came out for a week & spoiled us, Dan’s older sister came out for Labor Day weekend, and Dan’s little brother & his family visited us. It was a blast to have 4 adults against 4 toddlers. lol.
15. We were able to attend General Conference & Dan’s 10-year mission reunion. It was wonderful! We’re so glad one of Dan’s sisters moved to Daybreak so we could take the Trax in & that she was willing to babysit.
16. Halloween time was a blast: Danny & Michelle’s first snow man, dressing the whole family up as characters from the Toy Story movies, and playing in the leaves.
17. For Thanksgiving we did something we’ve never done before and flew to Florida to hang onto the nice fall weather a week longer. We enjoyed Cocoa Beach but spent most of our time at Disneyworld. Dan & my favorite part was Epcot with all the lands to visit but of course the children loved the Magic Kingdom, so that’s where we spent most of our time. We’re very grateful we were able to go.
Well, I had wanted to do the “top 11 of 2011” but I just don’t know which 6 items to cut out, so we’ll just call this highlights instead. Wishing you & yours a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year!
"Born in a stable, cradled in a manger, He came forth from heaven to live on earth as mortal man and to establish the kingdom of God. During His earthly ministry, He taught men the higher law. His glorious gospel reshaped the thinking of the world. He blessed the sick. He caused the lame to walk, the blind to see, the deaf to hear. He even raised the dead to life. To us He has said, 'Come, follow me.'
"As we seek Christ, as we find Him, as we follow Him, we shall have the Christmas spirit, not for one fleeting day each year, but as a companion always. We shall learn to forget ourselves. We shall turn our thoughts to the greater benefit of others" (Thomas S. Monson, "In Search of the Christmas Spirit," Ensign, Dec 1987, 3).
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