Self examination over the last two days: And I asked myself, "What did you do in 2012?"
I was more than a little disappointed when I found my 2012 New Years Resolutions, buried at the bottom of a stack of papers. I had accomplished nothing on my Resolution list. Nothing.
So I propelled upstairs to take a look at 2012 photos. Perhaps this activity would help me understand why.
What did I do in 2012? I decided to post an unedited smattering of photos that would make me feel so much better about a whole year that has come and gone in the blink of an eye.
Disclaimer: this is LONG. That is the point. I'm keeping my eye open (don't blink, or you'll miss something)
January
Meredith and George - officially engaged on New Years Eve
Ringing in the New Year with traditional goal-setting friends - Madsens, Martins, Williams all in SC - They did not come to UT this year, so we set our goals via Skype
They are listening to Meredith and George, making the big announcement - What?!
Dee and Dot come to visit - Dot flies in from Hawaii....to snow
Meredith and I search for a wedding venue - hard to picture a summer wedding
when there is snow all around
We liked this bridal room the best
Wedding Expo - Whoa!
We went to almost every booth - a lot of booths! We tried lots of wedding cake and
spoke to a lot of wedding photographers and generally overwhelmed ourselves with
all things wedding
Coming out of the wedding expo extravaganza, two tired sisters pose for a photo
with a monster - don't ask
Looked at millions of wedding dresses
Meredith looks good in almost any style - uncanny
Mother/Daughter trip to Santa Barbara for Meredith's birthday
Wedding workshop central - Meredith's bedroom - she decided to make her wedding dress
Experimenting with different types of fabric
Hannah came to visit from SC
We took her on a temple square tour
Wisdom teeth out - wedding plans still under way from the corner of the sectional - movies on the side
February
Temple trip with Mr B
Self...
A field trip to Randy's recording studio - his bathroom
New Years Resolution: sketchbook everyday
Valentine's date - To Midway - visited a Crater
Sports Mall with Meredith - yoga demonstration in the hallway
Sketchbook everyday - I kept this going until mid-June
Work, Work, Work...
Valentine's Day - Meredith always decorates and leaves little presents
Cousin Courtney's birthday celebration - pictured with Cousin Forester
my mom, Meredith
Us
March
Ruby - Lacrosse
Work, work, work.... This was a stressful work month
Randy's birthday
me and my bro, Randy
"Why does Jewie's house only have brown band-aids?" A favorite photo, to be sure
me and my dad
Fun day in Provo with the McCarty Family - my dad, Diana, Maggie, Caroline
Maggie and Caroline visiting Grandpie's bunnies and garden
My dad - this is how he gets around
Skype with Meredith and George - in Hawaii
Lynda.com classes - wish I had ALL day to learn and practice - Creative Suite
April
Spring Break - road trip
San Diego - evening at the beach
USS Midway - Navy ship tour - our brother-in-law/uncle Patrick served on this very ship!
San Diego restaurant - hungry faces - a view from the table
San Diego
Ruby sings - can you find her?
A visit and a spring walk with Meredith - snow turning to rain
We played LaCrosse for the 1st time, me and Mr. B - Ruby's team against the parents
Starting the long, long, long search for something to wear on Meredith's wedding day
Mother of the bride jitters
Mr. B service project - working with the kids from church
Visiting San Diego friends - meet the Nash Faces in their incredibly clean & organized garage
Visiting former college room mate - her kids play all kinds of instruments - and they sing!
Visit to Cyd-nut and company - hot tub
Loved our hotel - loved the pool
I jumped in the pool and actually went swimming with my girls
They were so amazed and impressed - they took a thousand photos
All photos.....major goofy, but I had to include one - momentous occasion. "The thing is...I like to be warm."
USS Midway - all aboard!
USS Midway field trip - old Navy ship, docked in San Diego, turned museum
San Diego Temple - family temple trip - So great!
Ruby and Zach - Jr. Prom
May
Max called on his birthday to set-up the Mother's Day Skype session (we only get to talk 2x per year)
I missed his call and sat on the couch and bawled for a while
Then he called back
Still trying to keep my goal of sketchbook everyday
Mr. B and I sign up for Ballroom dance classes - Learning to dance properly for Meredith's wedding
Bride and Father of the Bride dance - be prepared in all things
Patrick shares information and personal stories about the USS Midway - his Navy days - fascinating
So interesting and fun to hear! Diana, supportive wife, listens attentively
Best Mother's Day treat - Skype session with Max in Vina Del Mar Chile
me and my mom 1967ish?
A Sunday in May - why did we take these photos? - must've been our outfits
I'm thinking of starting a mid-life fashion blog ...... kidding
Mother's tea at Nanette's - A-M-A-Z-I-N-G - see
A Garnished Life
My mother's birthday - She's a trooper, as she navigates around many health frustrations
I am proud of my mother
Mother's day flowers - Mr. B at the sink (not me)
Mr. B loves yoga
Mother's Day - Meredith made Frittata for breakfast - Super Yummy!
Message to Max (Elder Matesen) - Signage for our Skype session
Farewell to Meredith and George - going back to school at BYUi
June
At printers, picking paper for wedding invites and announcements
Designing and overseeing the printing of wedding invitations - which yellow is best?!!
Annual road trip - so familiar - the trek to Santa Cruz, but this time... no Jr. Guards
Feels like home
Favorite beach for a long walk in the morning fog
Pleasure Point House arts and crafts - Ella, Kendall, Makena, Emmett
All wedding announcements addressed, stamped, assembled, waiting for the final engagement photo
Babysitting the Martins in SC
Ruby arrives - Oakland
At the end of June, Meredith and George decided mutually to call off the wedding
This was a very difficult time for all of us, but especially for Meredith
Meredith arrives on an early morning flight - SFO
Warm healing sun for Meredith - not in the forecast, but much needed - babysitting Malia
While talking on my cell phone at the beach; long conversation, I arranged the dried kelp bulbs
Ruby, Ella, me - Love the SC vibe at the Pleasure Point House
Mr. B skateboards in SC
Ella's graduation party at the Pleasure Point House in Santa Cruz
Ella - graduate
Jesse and Makena
Charlotte came to Santa Cruz for a weekend - wish I had a better pic of the two of us in SC
We had a very good time, but it was too short
Having to replace the car battery bought us another day
Char is a very nice driving companion - 12 hours of talk time
July
Traditional Family 4th of July Picnic - best games ever!
Ruby gets a job - Fruit Stand at the Farmer's Market - SLC Farmer's Market is amazing!
Ruby leaves for a humanitarian trip to Fiji - Life-changing experience!
There are a million amazing photos of Ruby's Fiji trip on Facebook
In Idaho for Meredith's fashion show
Yoga - these two are VERY much alike - doing yoga in hotel lobby?
Preparing for Max's homecoming
Max gets the guest bedroom
Max bedroom signage
Cleaning up his room, hanging up his clothes, and putting out his things
Max's life came out of storage - We were so happy & excited to put everything out
4th of July games
4th of July enthusiasts - my dad, my mom, Aunt Janet, Uncle Jon, Aunt Linda
me and Mr. B
McCarty Visit - Maggie and Caroline - crack-ups
Randy, Charlotte, Patrick - singing Happy Birthday to Dad
Happy Birthday to my dad - pictured with Cousin Andrew
Meredith's fabric designs - Fashion Show at BYU Idaho
Cousin Courtney in navy blue
Madi, 2nd from right
Meredith and friends in Idaho, with Cousin Courtney and Madi
Birthday dinner
Celebrated Mr. B's birthday - Ruby brought a turtle from Fiji
August
Max's return - we see him on the escalator - SLC Airport
We are held back from attacking him because of an airport blockade
SO close - walking...to US - "He's back!"
Finally, my boy - in my arms again - but not a boy anymore
I cry every time I see these photos - big, gushy tears of happiness
Welcome home Bud
[does my neck really look like that?]
Very happy family of 5 - FIVE!
Road trip
Back to skateboarding
My birthday: ate at my favorite restaurant and went to a movie
This is a typical photo of me on my birthday - I take
the photo of myself, blurry, with bathroom stalls in the background
Arcade games anyone?
Ru and 007
Hotel in Vegas
Grandma Val's house - Fresno
Pleasure Point House - Santa Cruz
The men around the fire pit at Pleasure Point House - Welcome Home Max Open House
Thanks to the Pleasure Point House Family
Bike ride in San Francisco and across the Golden Gate
Stop for photo op - my 3 gorgeous kids
On the ferry - Meredith heading to SF from Sauslatio
Sunday "homecoming talk" at church - open house afterward
Max with Cousins Sierra, Olivia, Andrew, and Audrey
Cousin Isaac and Max
Crazy busy, me and Ru
First day for the Senior at OHS - Last year of high school
25th wedding anniversary for me and Mr. B - these photos taken the summer of 1987
September
Mr. B and I have been meeting at 3:30 - If the weather is nice, we go for a walk
Ruby is sad because we are in Idaho; dropping off the college kids - She will miss them!
We were all kind-of sad to say good-bye again
Max and Mr. B hug in Idaho hotel
Sisters in Idaho hotel
My shoes - Meredith's shoes
On our way to the Idaho grocery store to stock up the cupboards for the college kids
Shopping as a family - hilarious!
Family photo in Meredith's college apartment
We bought a used Subaru for the college kids - purchased from a pirate - Jack Sparrow impersonator
Taco Bus lunch in Rexburg, Idaho
Ruby did a 5K fundraiser on .... roller blades?! Was she the last one to finish?
Homecoming dance cuteness
October
Ruby's 18th birthday
Beautiful girl becomes a beautiful woman....overnight
Her Birthday wish is sure to come true
I carved these pumpkins in the warm sun - soaking in the warmth
LOVE a warm Halloween!
Aunt Janet. Oh Aunt Janet.
I had the honor of putting together a printable funeral program
See front and back cover (in reverse) above
The
funeral was perfect - a lasting tribute; a mix of tears & laughter
November
We had a photo shoot with Ruby's giant teddy bear
Grandpa Larry models Mr. B's muskrat hat from Russia
Happy Thanksgiving from me
Mr. B, Max, Ruby, Meredith, me, my dad, my mom
Randy sang several songs, and they were awesome
Pie-makers/Pie-servers - Layton and Meredith
Thanksgiving tradition - puzzling
Skype session with the
McCarty's - Madge (Maggie) and Caroline were big hits
This grand-ma-ma was quite delighted with the Skype session
December
Penny Ann's Cafe - Elder Wentworth's last breakfast before entering the Missionary Training Center
Farewell to Elder Wentworth - from Santa Cruz to Salt Lake
New haircut for Max
Nativity with the cousins - we had a spontaneous
get-together on Christmas eve. An unexpected, but meant-to-be celebration. We hoped to ease the loss of one very special person - the first Christmas without Aunt Janet.
Cousin SJ
Shepherd, Mr. B, and Max
Cousin Isaac and Meredith
Family tradition: collect all the Baby Jesus' - sing Happy Birthday to Him - eat Gingerbread cake with applesauce and fresh whipped cream on top. Sometimes we talk about the gifts we gave to Jesus, as we place painted wooden block presents around the nativity collection. And, of course, our favorite Christmas cookies -
Aunt Ethel's recipe.
My beautiful children
Max: the most wild thing of all, celebrates his namesake with parents - "I'll eat you up I love you so."
Forget me not - Meredith
He always asks for socks for Christmas - a very handsome Mr. B pic
GoPro WOW! Is Max covering the price tag?
This camera will be put to use at BYU Hawaii
Max is headed there for winter semester
Note: first Christmas with a fake tree - $39 at Home Depot
Ruby was not happy about the fake
I loved it
