12-31-10 New Year's Eve

Happy New Year!

Our stake celebrated the New Year by holding a bash at our YMCA - swimming, classes, climbing wall, volleyball, gymnastics, hot dogs, nachos, fruit. It was really nice to spend time with all the members of the Tacoma Stake. Sam hung out in the pool, Carly hung out with her friends doing everything, and Gabe paced himself on a treadmill in front of a TV. Daniel and I basically socialized with our friends. We really enjoyed being there.

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My New Year's Resolutions -- I say Resolution very loosely. Nothing is typed out and pasted to the refrigerator, or anything like that. But, I do think on the past year and resolve (maybe that's a better word) to do better in the coming year: Lose weight, become physically fit and be a more physically active mother, keep a clean house -- organized and purged!, show love more easily to my husband, pay off debts and spend money wisely, hold regular Family Home Evening, read scriptures as a family.

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Who knows? Maybe 2011 will the year for me to transform -- into MagnificentMom, WonderousWoman, and SuperSpouse. One can only dream.

Christmas Photos

So happy I didn't procrastinate taking the Christmas photos this year (well, I didn't wait until Christmas Eve Day, so that was an improvement over last year!).

Carly wanted to have a couple of Christmas Cards printed up just for her friends.

Here are her poses. She had to include her little sister and best friend, Rainbow!

Merry Christmas!

12-02-10 Sam's Band Concert

Sam plays drums in the NVI Band. We went to his holiday concert tonight. He really enjoyed having his family and Grandma Martinez there.

Harry Potter Fever!

After spending a lovely day at Aunt Linda & Uncle Jeff's house for Thanksgiving dinner, we headed of to the Pacific Science Center to see the latest Harry Potter Film in IMAX!
Gabe, Carly, Sam, Daniel

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows - Part 1

Back To School - Ricks College/BYUI

It's been a few months since I decided to finish my degree at Ricks College (Now BYU-Idaho), and many years that I've been thinking about it! I went through the application process and finally received my e-mail of acceptance yesterday. I was all excited to get going, but I'm required to complete an online orientation, and the first one available isn't until January 2012. So, now I need to wait.

I look back at my college years with fondness. At the time, it was all about dating, not really about education. I was there to just pass the time until I found a husband! Sad, huh? Oh, what I could have accomplished if I would have had a plan! Here is a picture of me with my roommates my first year of college (1984!):

Karen, Jan, Me, Sandi, Michelle

Here are current pictures of BYUI. It's so much bigger and modern than when I was last there. I still have sleepy dreams about attending college-- not reality, just imagined college life where I don't know where I'm supposed to be, missing classes, getting lost, not remembering a locker combination. It's very stressful in my dreams!

Although I have anxiety about taking classes (specifically, Math!), I'm excited to get going! I don't want those two years of college to be wasted. They need to matter! I'm so close.