2013 Whew! Now on to other adventures!

This last year has been a doozy.  The year of 2013 is the first year in our marriage (of 14 years) that we (the family) did not go camping. Seriously. I know.

 L is quite possibly the most amazing 10 year old on the planet.  No, his mother is not biased.  ;)  He is in the 5^th grade now and doing really well. He loves to play soccer or football or anything-ball with whoever is willing to play with him.  He is a great friend. He loves to read and is devouring book series like crazy.  He has the most tender heart ever. EVER.  He is a great help around the house and yard, and keeps his room clean and organized. He regularly beats us in the card game Dominion. He is also becoming a wonderful pianist, and accompanied the primary children in their annual program this year, as well as played prelude for sacrament meeting (on the piano). He has decided he loves to play the organ, and has convinced his Grandma to give him organ lessons. He still loves to snuggle, and I take advantage of that whenever I can. He has a list of things to do and places to go for when his dad is FINALLY done with school. 

O:  I can’t believe I have a teenager—and yet…O is an old soul…and I often feel as though she is more of a peer, rather than a child. At 13, she is quite emotionally mature, yet so innocent.  She is simply wonderful.  She enjoys school…mostly. She has learned this year that not all teachers are created equally, and that she can learn to get along with (tolerate) all of them.  O also loves to play the piano, and is diligently progressing.  She still loves to go to the barn and hang out with her horse, Rio. It is often the first place she goes after school.  Middle school has not been her favorite…she is frequently frustrated with the maturity level of her peers.  She loves her mentoring responsibilities in school, and she is wonderful at helping to teach and guide other younger students.  O enjoys playing games with her little brother, particularly Minecraft. We are SO
grateful for our own angel.

A:  still chipping away on his Master’s Degree in Mental  Health Counseling.  He traveled to Florida for a week this last spring for his colloquia, and just started his 6 months of Internship at Bear River Substance Abuse.  He will graduate in June…having accomplished getting straight A’s for 4 years—which is really saying something, considering he was working full time, school full time, taking care of his dad, and hoping his looney wife continued feeding the kids. Though the stress and load has taken its toll…he is amazing. He stands a good chance of being hired on at Bear River when he graduates.   Through the summer and fall, he played Saturday morning soccer every chance he got…and in September he hiked the Wellsvilles (15-ish miles) with a friend for the first time.  He also spent some time this year as the Ward’s Cub Master, which L loved.  He is now the Stake Sunday School Secretary.

T:  This year has been full of growth. I completed my Bodhi Yoga Teacher Training, while helping film classes and seminars for Bodhi Yoga. I have been teaching yoga since June, and really enjoy my wonderful students. I have enjoyed trail riding with my parents and was able to explore some new country from the back of my beloved horses.  I spent 3 months of the summer training Kachina, my parents 3 yr old foxtrotter filly—and learned some great things.  After Kachina went back home, it wasn’t long before I brought home a weanling Morgan colt, to eventually fulfill my childhood dream of endurance racing. The horses are what have kept me remotely sane and functioning over the last few years, and I am ever so grateful for the chance to keep them.  They are truly therapy. I am still the ward choir director, and love it.  Best calling ever.

Last Fall, A and I presented the story of my horse accident to an audience of nearly 900 people at USU. It was a terrifying and awesome experience--and not just for me.  We had one guy in the audience pass out and have to be carried out. So cool.  I am still working on my book (memoir), and hope to finish it this year. We have spent a year having our harder edges chipped off, and the refining process has not always been…fun. Or easy. Or even pleasant.  Yet we have all grown so much through our experiences, and have become better for them.  We love and trust the Lord to guide us and help us in all we do. We hope this year is full of wonderful adventures, and we look forward to creating some of the those with you! 

Love, The “Wilds”  ;)