Birthdays

I am looking at another birthday at the end of this week - I can honestly say that life has kicked into fast forward and time is speeding by at the speed of light! I look back over the past year and I can hardly believe all that I have packed into it.

Here are a few highlights -

I welcomed a new grandchild into the family just a few short months ago - our little Bracken Keith is adorable and he is already a huge blessing to our family. Being a grandma just gets better and better. I can hardly believe that I now have 7 grandchildren and that they are all so amazing and adorable. What did I do before I had them all in my life?

This past year I went on my first ever rifle elk hunt - I have hunted with Ray with a bow and arrow but I have never actually hunted with a rifle for elk. The jury is still out on the whole hunting experience. I have gone many times camping and stayed in camp while the guys went out hunting - I'm thinking that those experiences were very pleasant and happy. I had an interesting time on the actual hunt and I learned a lot about myself and just how far I could push the envelope. We had a little Jeep accident that hurt my back, we got lost, we experienced a huge winter storm (the wind was so loud it sounded like a jet was going to land on us), we hiked up and down a number of canyons until we finally found our camp, we lost Bryan, we got wet and cold, and on that trip we didn't get an elk. Ray and I went back a few weeks later and he got his elk - little did I know the work that started once the elk was down. I was very glad when we stopped at Little America and I got to shower and sleep in a real bed - I was so tired!

Of course the scenery was gorgeous, seeing those majestic animals so close and listening to them bugle is an amazing experience, feeling the satisfaction of doing something you never thought you could is breath taking, and then sharing the stories with family and friends is endearing. So although it was tough it was so great to look back on and the satisfaction was totally worth it.

We enjoyed some amazing holidays and shared some wonderful memories as a family.

Ray went through some difficulties at work and by pulling together, praying together, and trusting the Lord he was able to work them out and move forward. That was another scary experience that turned out great! I am so grateful for Ray and for the amazing person that he is!

I had some health problems and spent some time recovering from stomach surgery - I still think that even after almost a year I am still healing and learning more about my body and just how amazing it is.

I've watched my children face challenges that have stretched them to the limit, I have given advice and sometimes done everything I could not to give advice - I have watched my parents continue to struggle with health issues and growing older and I have learned a lot about grace and dignity from them. I have witnessed some big changes in the lives of my siblings as they have welcomed new grandchildren, sent their children to school and on missions, watched as their children have gotten married, and experienced many of the changes that life brings as we grow older and our children do too.

All in all it has been a very good year and I have learned some important lessons. What a blessing to have the opportunity to continue to learn and grow and experience this amazing world that we live on.

Hopefully the coming year will be just as wonderful!