Wow where did the last year go??

I cannot believe it has been over a year since my last post.  Speaking of that last post...yea I was overly ambitious.  I did do several things on the list but there are some that got removed and some that are still there over a year later!!  I did have a lot of fun doing the craft days with the girls from work...in fact we did them again this summer.  I read a couple of the books.  Finished the quilt top for James (who was born last September and is such a doll), I did not get it sent off and quilted until this last April however (time just seems to get away from me sometimes).

Here is a picture of James this July (at 10 months)

And the quilt I made him...

In December 2011, our family had a family reunion trip to Florida and Disney World.  It was awesome!!  33 of us stayed in 2 houses that were next door to each other and had a blast.  My family is so cool and we have such a blast together, in fact we marveled at how well everyone got along the WHOLE time, you would think that with that many different personalities there would sure be a few disagreements or hard times...but no not really we just had a great time.

Here is the WHOLE gang at Epcot with our matching t-shirts!!

Then in February, my Bishop asked if I would be willing to be an Ordinance Worker at the Temple.  This would require 1 shift a week (usually about 6 hours).  I said yes, I was not sure how it was all going to work with working in YW and having a full time job...but I have had enough experiences in my life to know that if the Lord calls you, he will provide a way.  (To this day I am not sure how I made it when I was the Young Women's President, working full-time and getting my masters degree...but it worked and the Lord had a huge hand in that.)  So in March I got a letter from the Temple Presidency and went to the Temple to have my interview with President Pugh, the Temple President.  That was an awesome experience and I was given an awesome blessing when he set me apart that evening.  I started the following Saturday evening (the shift starts at 3 and I get done any where between 8:30 and 10 pm depending on my assignments that evening.  I have been so blessed in this experience!!  

I will give you just one example: Starting with a little background...as most of you know I purchased a Condo about 7 years ago...I love having my own place and being independent.  Well for the 2 years after I purchased it the housing market was still growing and 1 1/2 years after buying I refinanced to help pay off some other debt, etc.  Then as we all know the market crashed and unfortunately about the same time it was found that the contractor that had remodeled the condo's had left some structural things undone/ignored.  The condo association opted to sue the contractor and unfortunately that meant the value of my place not only decreased but went so far in the toilet that I could not sell even if I wanted to (We are talking I owe about 3 times as much as the county says the place is worth.)  We were able to get about $500,000 from the settlement.  All of that money stays with the association for use on the repairs.  

Anyway, after several inspections of the property and bids from contractors is was found that in order to repair EVERYTHING that needed to be fixed (some more urgent safety issues, other more cosmetic or to bring us up to current codes) it was going to cost the association (us homeowners) about $3-4 million dollars, that worked out to about $16000 per homeowner.  But rather than charge us all at once they opted to create a payment plan of about $330 a month.  OK so that is all devestating and stressful...but now for the blessing part!!  

One week after that interview with Pres. Pugh I got a letter from my mortgage company that my Mortgage had reached the time it was going to convert to variable interest (which I know is not normally something to be excited about) so my rate was changing from around 6.5% to 3.2% and my monthly payment was lowered by about $400...enough to make up for that extra fee I was now paying to the HOA!!  Not to mention that time wise things did work out, I was able to do Young Women's, work and go to the temple.  But by the end of the year it was getting to be to much, so through prayer and faith...I finally had to ask to be released from YW (I never do that...but I think it was a lesson I had to learn...I would pray and kept getting the feeling that the Lord was saying..."you can choose" and "what do you think is best for you?") I ALWAYS rely on faith in these matters and in the past when I have started feeling overwhelmed or in need of change the Lord has seen fit to inspire my leaders to make a change, but this time He was leaving it up to me.  So I guess that is really 2 blessings I am sharing...but there are definitely more!!

OK now for funner things...this summer was great, crazy and not nearly long enough.  Here is what I did:

June 21 - School finally got out.

June 22 - Danielle (my friend) and I when Quilt Shop Hopping as part of the Western Washington Quilt Shop Hop...good times!!

June 23-July 5 home, craft days with friends, planning crafts for camp, camp kick off, 4th of July

July 6 - Drive to Canada (Waterton, Alberta) to meet up with Annie and her family at her In-laws place. Annie had flown to Great Falls, Montana with Scott and the kids, then they had spent about a week in Waterton with Scott's family.  It was cheaper for them to rent my a big car (a Crown Victoria as it turns out) and have my drive up to Canada and back with Annie and the 3 kids rather than buying them airplane tickets to Seattle.

July 8th - Annie, I and the 3 kids drive back to Washington. It was a great trip, the kids did awesome.  

July 10th - I flew to San Antonio, Texas for a curriculum training for work.  After the training ended on July 13th, Dustin, Wendy Jean, and Max picked me up, we went to the Temple in San Antonio and then to their home in Cedar Park (Near Austin).  I stayed there for 5 days and had a blast with their family.

Fun at the park with bikes and scooters. (Zach and Hunter)

 Heidi racing away from her dad!!

 Cutey Heidi!!

 Picture one of the kids took of me!

July 18th - Returned to Washington

July 19 - 30 - at home, craft day, prepping for camp
July 29 - Went to the Jessee's ward...it was Niko's B-day and he was being ordained a Teacher...man they grow up so fast!!

July 31 to August 4 - Girl's Camp (I had a lot of fun leading the crafts this year and helping with our service project to sew pillowcase style dresses for girls in orphanages in Africa...we ended up exceeding our goal of 100 and making 131!!)

August 4 - home...with Regis and Izzy...mom and dad left for Utah on the 4th so I watched Regis for the next week.

August 6 - Russel William Wells was born...my newest nephew

August 12 - I fly to Utah, dad flies home, we cross paths in the Salt Lake Airport, dad now is home to get back to work and has the two dogs. I stay with Nathan and Jessica to help out. Mom is there until August 15th after dinner, then heads back up to Evanston to spend a couple more days with Grandma Joyce.

Me and the kids having fun while mom took Russell to his Dr. Appointment.

Sweet little Ellie!!

Kaymbri loves "playing" with Russell!!

 

Blanket I made Russell

Sign I bought in Utah to put on my Desk at work next to my cauldron from Harry Potter World!!

August 18 - mom and I drive back to Washington.

August 19 to 26 - I am trying to get back in a routine...and prepare for school to start.

August 27 - back to school for meetings all week, then students come on September 5th.

September 2 - my last hurrah of the summer...going up to Crescent Lake to meet up with the Jessee's who are camping, swimming, boating up there this weekend.  Can't wait!!

Crescent Lake...So beautiful

Izzy spent the night roaming from one bed to the other, this was early in the morning and she was laying on top of a sleeping Brooklyn!!