"Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes. Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear. Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes. How do you measure, measure a year? In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee. In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife. In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes - how do you measure a year in the life? How about love? How about love? How about love? Measure in love... " from Rent So many minutes in a year, so many moments, so many memories! And each one filled with its own brand of crazy! I always like to do a "year in review" so let's do the short version! January 2011 WE MOVED! Talk about crazy! However it was fun and exciting and liberating and I LOVE my new place. We plan on staying forever! Thanks Goodness because over Christmas I realized we have filled our attic up and I am NOT moving that stuff! LOL February 2011 February we spent time still settling in to our house (especially since we only moved on January 27th) but we did have a snow day in February and it was so much fun!!!!! I LOVE snow days! March 2011 I turned 35!!!! UGH! But the real kicker is that I got laid off from my job of 18 plus years! I had that job since I was 17!!! Such a tough, tough month! We did take a fun Spring Break trip so that was fun! April 2011 April was spent worrying non-stop about my job status and what to do with my life!!! it was a hot month too so that didn't help! May 2011 Riley turned 10! We took Bryson on our boat for the first time! That was well....um.....fun??? LOL! That month I made the big and terrifying decision to go back to school to become a teacher! EKKK!!!! June 2011 School for me!!!!! and the hottest summer on record (at least it felt like it!) July 2011 Bad, bad, bad month! I didn't post it but I failed my teaching test by one point and lost a really, really good position at the school I wanted to be at. July was one of the roughest months of the year. Finished school and then was again, stuck in the throes of "what" to do for my job!! August 2011 Kory started HIGH SCHOOL! Riley started PUBLIC SCHOOL! I got offered a JOB! Crazy stuff! But all good too! :) September 2011 Started my new job and sweet baby Bryson turned TWO! Things are really starting to look up! October 2011 Things are REALLY starting to look up now! This month I passed my teaching exam!!!!!!!! WOO HOO!!!! So great! Bryson was the Grand Marshall for the Odessa Heart Walk too, which was such an honor! Kory turned 16 and started driving!!!! WOW! What a crazy month! November 2011 Lots of hunting on my boy's part! Lots of quiet time for me and sweet Bryson! Thanksgiving was so quiet and calm and it was exactly what I needed!!! December 2011 December was.....well....uneventful. And boy was I ever glad for that! We had a great Christmas...and a WHITE CHRISTMAS! NOW!!!!!!!!!!!! It is officially 2012! That is hard to believe! So far, I have started my weight watchers and even though it hasn't been a full week, it has been good and I feel proud of myself for the first time in a long time. I went to church on Sunday with my mom and it felt great! I forgot how much I missed it. Sunday was a good day all around because I let my self "chill". Me and Riley played in the backyard with Bryson and the dogs and really enjoyed it. I guess in all my OCD planning and New Years Resolutions I failed to see the pure simplicity of it all. I don't have to write down all these crazy resolutions. I don't have to plan every minute and worry and be crazy. The truth is that I need to just simply live. I may want to live a little better (i.e. watch my weight, go to church, chill out more) but the simple version is just that. I too, need to measure my year in love! Pure, simple, crazy, in-your-face LOVE! And that is precisely what I plan to do!
I wish you all a wonderful new year!!!! Enjoy the following video!

here is a funny video of Bryson outside. His fake laugh is hysterical!!!