Michelle 2011

I've kept busy this year with everything going on in our house. It seems like we have something going on almost every night- and if we don't Larry is quick to think of something fun for us to do.

This past Spring we went to Disneyland. Luckily, my parents joined us for two days at Disney! It really helps to have some extra adults around! It was so nice to spend time as a whole family doing out-of-the-ordinary fun stuff. It was a major trip with two days of driving down, 7 days of play, and 2 more days back. That's the time when I really feel like having 6 kids is overwhelming! (And in the summer when they are all home). I LOVE the school year, the structure it gives the older kids, and being able to really enjoy my 3 little girls and manage the homefront better.

Speaking of summer, I tried to keep the kids entertained, even if it was just spending a couple hours at the park or going on a quick hike. I even dared take all the kids to the beach with a friend, and that was really fun.

As school started, I really got involved more in the school, and am on the school's parent board. (like PTA). It's been nice to be more involved in what is happening at the school. I was in charge of back-to-school night and a Skating party. I have one more big event in June-field day. I've also been able to go into each of the kids' classrooms once a week for about 30-45 minutes. I really like helping the teachers. I end up doing anything from grading papers, to making copies, to putting up displays, to helping kids with classwork.

In October, we did our Wolf Lodge trip that the kids ask about all year long. It was so fun- the perfect mini-vacation for us. It is also nice that the older kids just run around and enjoy themselves and Lindsey and Kara and Cassie were way more into the waterpark than last year.

This year I switched callings, from being a Beehive advisor to being a Bear Den Leader for Cubscouts. It has been a fun transition, and it's nice to be able to be with Derek, now that he's turned 9. I still play the Organ in Sacrament meeting about twice a month. I've also returned to Indexing, and Miranda and I like to work on them together. It's fun to spend 20 minutes that I could have just been surfing Yahoo News, and use it to Index a document!

Cassie has been my buddy this past year. She really loves her mama. She has shown her funny personality in her mannerisms, way of talking and making sounds, and the cute little things she does. She is such a sweet little girl! It's been really fun this past year to teach her new things and just watch her develop before my eyes.

In December, we went to Utah for Christmas and were able to go sledding. It was so fun! All of us had a blast! Cassie LOVED sledding and would just giggle! It was super-cute. It is always nice to go to Utah to see family, relax a little with a book or cross-stitch, and do a little shopping.