2013 Year in Review

I guess New Year's Eve is a good time to for a post of what happened to our family this year.  I wish I had a better memory so I could be more specific, but these are the milestones.

• Cliff starts his job as Stay-At-Home Dad.  This makes things less chaotic for me since I don’t have to get children ready in the morning or worry about Elizabeth’s lunch or homework.
• I get my third calling as the assistant ward chorister/choir director.  It makes Sundays even more hectic until Wilma and Cliff start coming to church with us.  Wilma takes Lexa to Nursery so one of us can teach and the other can take care of Ellowyn.
• Cliff and I have a staycation holiday for Valentine’s Day.  We are upgraded to the top floor suite at the Mandalay Bay.  The suite is as big as our house but way cleaner and less glittery.
• We decide that it is time for us to move.  Almost simultaneously, Dad and Mom offer to let us stay in their house while they are on a mission.
• Lexa finally turns two.  She has been going through the terrible twos for several months already.
• Elizabeth turns 8 and has a roller skating party.  She and I did more skating than everyone else combined.  She utters the timeless phrase, “I was born for this!”
• Elizabeth gets baptized on Marianne’s birthday!  Her cousins sing during the baptism and Lexa goes up to “shush” them.
• We begin the house-selling process and immediately have a buyer.  It takes several more months for everyone else involved to agree.
• We cram into Mom & Dad’s house and slowly take over.
• Catherine has her 5^th birthday at Chuck E. Cheese.  She hates it and loves it depending on whether she’s the center of attention (hates it) or playing the games (loves it.)
• Our last Sunday in the Meadow’s 11^th ward we are released from all our callings, but I still direct the congregation and choir and Cliff teaches Sunday School.  Several people comment that they will miss us and did we really have that many callings?
• I turn 38.  Meh.
• The week after our records arrive in the Mountain Crest Ward, Cliff and I are each given 2 callings.
• Ellowyn’s 1^st birthday almost snuck by us, but we really did have a party.  With cake!  And presents!
• We dress up as the Aquabats for Halloween.  We wear the costumes to a total of 6 events.
• Cliff’s parents park their RV home in the side yard for 2 weeks. (Actual time: 2 months)
• We found out we are expecting baby #5!  Cliff is able to keep it a secret for 5 whole days!
• Cliff’s sister gets married.  Lexa sings the ABCs during the ceremony. 
• Cliff turns 41 and it’s the worst birthday ever.  No more baby #5.
• I learn the true meaning of Christmas (see previous post) without the assistance of ghosts.
• After Christmas, we make a quick trip to Salt Lake City to visit Marianne’s family and see the lights at Temple Square thinking that the crowds will be less since Christmas is over.  (They’re not.)

Hopefully 2014 will be just as eventful and at the same time uneventful!