2012 Year in Review

Everybody does these things so I thought I’d join in on the fun. Except, it’s really hard to try and remember things from a whole year! I’ll try my best.

Favorite movies of the year: The Avengers and Les Miserables. I’m no movie expert and I don’t even watch very many, but when I saw both of these I just wanted to sit back down and watch it again. {Also those may be the only 2 movies in the history of my life where that has happened.}

Favorite TV show this year: Bones. Still the only show I’ve ever followed.

Favorite Book: I can’t even remember the books that I’ve read… but 2 of the books I read last semester for school were muy excellente! The Sociological Imagination by C. Wright Mills and the Anatomy of Peace by the Arbinger Institute. {Might I say that one of my favorite parts about 2012 is that I actually really enjoyed the books that I needed to read for school... we’re on the right track, folks!}

Ok that’s enough of those…

hmm 2012.
You rocked.

At the beginning of the year I just lived at home and worked. I thought I was going to hate it, but turns out it wasn’t bad at all. I ran in the color run which made me sick for 2 months, In March I switched last minute from running another half marathon to running a 10k (because I couldn’t breathe) and loved it! Such a great distance for people like me who hate training. I was a cast missionary for the Mesa Easter Pageant, went to Diamondbacks Fan Fest and got bumped into by Justin Upton in the clubhouse (he’s a big fella) and was actually pretty busy with all sorts of who-knows-what. In April I went up to Rexburg for school. But first drove through Colorado and went to a Dbacks-Rockies game at Coors Field. I was in school from April to the end of July. School is my favorite - 95% of the time I love everything that comes with it (especially in retrospect)! The learning, the friends, the roommates, the independence, the adventures and all that jazz. I got to come home one weekend for one of my best friend’s wedding receptions. Then I had a 7 week break where I came back home and worked, went to some Diamondbacks games, decorated Harry Potter cupcakes (that was a highlight of the year fo sho) and went to the 2012 edition of the Cousins Weekend in Mesquite, Nevada. Then back to school it was from September to December. I had the best apartment of roommates I have had thus far and loved and learned so much from all of them. I also had the hardest semester of school thus far – my classes seemed to be in beast mode. I really learned what I was made of and prioritized my life and realized school had to come before fun and I needed to take it more seriously. And I enjoyed almost every minute of that ;)! I also lived in snow for the first time – it’s not so bad. The semester flew by at lightning speed and when it was over I spent a few days in Utah with the cousins. Then came home to a new house and spent Christmas eve and Christmas morning at the cabin. And to end the year with a bang, today Mariah and I made superhero skirts! 

Color Run and Phoenix Marathon 10k

Kymber and Michael's Wedding

Fall Semester 2012

Harry Potter cupcakes, Diamondbacks game, Superhero skirts

2012 you were good to me and taught me a lot. I thank you for your time.

Dear 2013, I’m ready for you! I have a good feeling about you – and it’s not just because I’ll be graduating with my Bachelor’s degree!  Show me what you’re made of  and I’ll show you what I’m made of! Bring it! :) 

A little change of perspective never hurt anyone...

My family moved last weekend. Weird, right? We lived on good'ol 25th street for 15 years! It's kinda sad... I mean... we made a whiffle ball stadium in our backyard. And we had an NCAA tournament bracket made out of duct tape on an entire wall in our basement. Those right there are just sad to leave. And raise your hand if you ever played lava monster with us downstairs in the pit. Or slid down our stairs with pillows and sleeping bags. Or took part in an epic nerf gun fight with dozens of nerf guns and hundreds of darts over the entire basement floor. Or were chased down the long wood floor with a tailless scorpion from a mean older brother. Or ever walked into our house on a Saturday morning to hear Disney music blasting to every square inch of the house thanks to a very loud, centrally located stereo. Or ever simply walked across the street to our house for lunch (or to miss seminary) in the Poston days. Or ever walked into our laundry room in utter amazement at all the random crafting things and odds and ends my mom had hoarded over the past few decades. Let's just say, lots of good memories were had in that warm little home.

But alas, it is no more.

Over the past few weeks I've been thinking about how weird it's going to be to go home at Christmas to a different house, to one i've never even seen. Will it be home?

Yesterday I went to the temple and as I was waiting in the chapel (I live in Rexburg, you have to wait at least an hour no matter what time of day you go) I opened up the Bible Dictionary to the word temple and started reading. As I read "...Only the home can compare to the temple in sacredness" my whole perspective changed. It just hit me that it doesn't really matter where home is, the size or location of the four walls that surround you aren't what matters. To me home isn't a place, it's a feeling. It's the warm, comfortable, welcoming atmosphere of being with your family. I was reminded that our homes can be a house of the Lord wherever they may be. Memories and good times will come no matter what - they don't depend on the place, but the people and the spirit.

It was a very comforting reminder and change of perspective. I'm grateful for those moments. 

When I get home, instead of thinking of all the changes because we no longer have room for half of our Christmas decorations, i'll just be grateful we have the opportunity of being together this Christmas. We have truly been blessed. (And probably the fact that this whole moving mess has been longer and more stressful than we anticipated has made us more welcome to the fact that it finally happened.) Who knew good things come from stress, uncertainty, and change of plans? (Easy for me to say, I wasn't home for all of it... bahahaha).

See you next week new house!