As I have been reflecting on the year and all that my family has been through and accomplished I came to the conclusion that simply spelling them out in a tiresome list format does not provide adequate entertainment to my meager fan base (I can refer to you guys as fans ,right? If you're still there?). I thought it would be more fun and intriguing to list them as brief "This I believe" statements. So here's to a recap and a happy new year filled with more adventures!
I believe that Disneyland really is the happiest place on earth...as long as you have a Disneyland pass! Apart from being insanely expensive and downright crowded at times, our family has made so many wonderful memories there this year. Nothing heals your soul like a good Disneyland churro and a ride on Autopia with Andrew or Mikayla at the wheel. Seriously though, look how happy Andrew is in this picture. He met his hero and his hero hugged him. How many other places can offer stuff like that while simultaneously making it snow in Southern California?
I believe in celebrating all birthdays with gusto. I mean we're talking streamers, balloons, some crazy theme, a chair of honor, a homemade crown that gives you license to act like a diva all day, I mean really, who could ask for more? My favorite is picking out all this stuff for Jon. That dollar store is a treasure trove of awesomely craptastic birthday ideas that are both thoroughly embarrassing and thoroughly amusing. While it may seem lame to an outsider, our family all expects it now and I know deep down each of us would be bitterly disappointed if we awoke on our birthday without the house decorated so cheesily.
I believe in Fairies. Is this not the cutest picture of Mikayla ever? I adore her. She is so smart and spunky. She came up with this pose all by herself. She has never taken a bad picture and grows prettier every day, yet she is a tomboy to boot. Throw any ball at her and she will not only hit it, she will knock it out of the park. She hates fluffy dresses and wants me to spend 2 minutes or less on her hair every morning. She is kind and attentive and wants nothing more than to nurture Andrew and carry him around like a big fat cat. (Except Andrew is the feisty kind of cat that bites and screams when touched, much to Mikayla's dismay!) She is smarter than smart and has already passed off all her Kindergarten requirements and is now working on 1st grade work. You think she would just get bored at school but instead she spends most of her day helping the kids around her with their math and reading. She still loves to help ALL THE TIME and when you deny her the chance it usually results in a major meltdown complete with diva-like stormouts. Oh how we love and adore our Mikayla.
I believe that Andrew really can fly, but not that he ever would consider trying. Indeed, while he spends a lot of his time discussing the fact that he doesn't have wings and therefore cannot fly, Jon and I know it wouldn't matter anyway. If you so much as lift him onto your shoulders he cringes and yells "I DON'T LIKE THIS! I DON'T LIKE THIS!" as frantically as possible. Andrew is our sweet, temperamental, and surprisingly odd child. He is very aware of other people's moods and emotions and is constantly trying to make sure everyone around him is happy, most importantly himself. When Andrew is not happy he makes a production out of it. I don't think he is any louder than Mikayla ever was at this age, but because he is usually so sweet and level-headed when he lashes out irrationally it seems crazy and hilarious at the same time. He is a very eloquent speaker and takes special care to pronounce all words correctly. He enunciates his words so specifically that it can be quite hilarious to listen to. Sometimes I catch him pretending that he is blind which usually results in him running into walls much like ET. He also loves to pretend to be almost anything super masculine like starwars characters or monsters. Whenever I ask him what he is he always replies that he is "just Andrew" pretending to be something else. Indeed, if I refer to him as the character he is role playing he gets quite irate and insists that he is "just Andrew." He loves just being him and has no desire to impress anyone with his special talents or accomplishments. We can learn a lot from this little boy.
I believe in pushing ourselves to the limit, but not over the edge. Notice Andrew's expression in this picture. We were up at Oak Glenn's apple picking festival this October and they had a large bounce house that little kids love to play in. But Andrew is not most kids. Andrew liked the "idea" of the bounce house much like most of us like the "idea" of daring to jump in an ice cold pool mid-winter. Sounds like fun on the surface until you are out there in your swimsuit. Andrew is the type of kid you have to push a little to try new things. However if you push too hard he not only will never try it again he will resent you for days to come. My mother's intuition told me that the only way he would ever dare to try it was with his sister's encouragement alone. Mikayla was so patient with him. She has no fear and it would have been so easy for her to ditch him and run off with all the other kids, but she stayed by his side and kindly beckoned him into the tent. She gently pulled him up and took everything really slow with him like a pro big sister. After little more than 20 minutes not only was Andrew enjoying himself, he was climbing up a monster slide and belly flopping down it with the best of the daredevils. Mikayla pushed him in but not over the edge; a very difficult thing to do, yet she handled like a pro.
I believe in making memories. I have learned that memories can be made anywhere, anytime, and on any budget. While we have had our fair share of fun family trips to Disneyland, the mountains, Utah, the beach, parks, scenic drives, etc. the best memories we made this year took place in our own home or in the homes of friends and family. It taught me that it's not the money that makes the memories it's the people. As long as there are other people in your life and you try your best to spend time with them, memories will be made and they will most likely be the best kind.
I believe in us. So cheesy, I know. The blogosphere is ideal for talking up marriage and spouses and I hate that I am contributing to the sappy TMI cycle, but I can't help it. It's not any huge thing that Jonathan has done for me (and he has done lots of huge things for me this year). It's all the little things put together that make me know that we were meant for each other and that we still have "it." After 7 years of marriage it is important to still have "it;" that little spark or twinkle in each others' eyes that lets them both know each other is still in it 150 %. A few Sundays ago while Jon and I were at church, I was crossing through the chapel on my way to Relief Society and my eyes caught a glimpse of Jon on the other side of the room. In that fraction of a second I saw his eyes literally light up when he saw me. It was no special occasion. I had not done anything beautiful with my hair or done anything particularly nice for him that day, but in that second I knew he was still crazy about me. He gave me that same look the first time I saw him before I even knew his name. He gave me that same look when I noticed he had seen me first in my wedding dress on our wedding day. He gave me that same look when I told him about being pregnant with Mikayla, Andrew, and our new little one on the way. Seeing that look on his face was beautiful but expected on those kind of days. But seeing it on a regular, ordinary day was the best gift he gave me thus far. I believe in looking for that look in your spouse's eye and striving to maintain it in yours.
Happy 2011
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