Recap of 2012

2012 was one of the best years yet....And we can't wait for an even better 2013 to get going.  Here's just a quick recap of our Year.

January

• Spent New years with grandma in Gooding since we had just gotten back from New Mexico for Christmas.
• Got a family picture, last one before Livi came
• Allen went to Vegas for a conference....first time going to Vegas ever...and he came home 120 dollars richer!!!

February

• Mom and Dad came for a visit in Big Bird
• The weather was warmer than usual, hardly any snow but maybe it was because I was 8 months pregnant.
• Chick-fi-a opened up in Idaho fall so we made a few trips.  We're just glad we don't have to drive to Ogden anymore to satisfy a craving!!!
•  oh and don't forget that it was LEAP YEAR

March

• 1 month of pregnancy left...hallelujah (but we still don't have a name for this little girl)
• Had a visiting teaching brunch and it was warm enough to walk outside (it made me want summer to come so much)
• Went into labor the 31st

April

• Olivia Lee came into the world (we got our April fools baby even though this momma was trying for the night before)
• My parents were here to watch Addie and visit the hospital.
• Made a trip to Utah for my moms 50th birthday with a three week old.

May

• Planted our garden 
• This month I really was trying to get into a routine having 2 girls...
• Taylor left on his mission to Chile (Cousin on my moms side)
• Spent the weekend in Gooding for Memorial day

June

• Blessed Alivia on the 1st Sunday in June
• Livi started sleeping through the night (6pm to 5am)
• Went on a girls trip to New Mexico for a week with Camille (my sister-in-law)
• We love that the warm weather is here to stay.  We have been outside everyday multiple times a day

July

• Spent 4th of July in IF.  We had a picnic in the park, went to the zoo, shopping and played on Uncle Steve's blow up water park.
• Went to wolf creek with Sandra, Connie and DJ, and Brenda and Joe. Addie rode in the tube without me for just a few minutes.
• Headed home for Grandma Ferrell's funeral on the 14th with was Addie's second birthday.
• Had a shower for Misha (blakes wife)...had kabobs, fruit, raspberry sorbet in lemon slices and mango salad.
• Kami and Brynn visited us overnight.

August

• Headed home again for Grandpa Omer's funeral (unexpected) on the 4th. I gave the closing prayer in Spanish. 
• Had a baby to Bee shower for my neighbor Amber. The yellow, black and white them turned out really nice.
• Attended Blake's wedding in Salt Lake on the 18th. Took livi swimming for the first time at the hotel.  She loved the hot tub with Addie.
• Allen and I celebrated our 3rd year anniversary. (long story short...I was craving red lobster so we went there...crazy I know but you have to satisfy a craving)

September

• Addison attended her first birthday party for a friend, our neighbor across the street (journey). She had a good time in the bouncy house.
• Canned over 100 quarts of peaches in a day and a half with Sandra. It was really alot of fun for the second year in a row!!
• Started preschool within our ward. Addie is going with older kids because she has no one in her age group in our ward.
• Got a new calling teaching the 4th (teaching for our times) Sunday lesson in Relief Society. The 23rd was my first lesson, what thinks Christ of me.

October

• Allen went to New Orleans for the first time for a conference.
• Made freezer meals during conference this year...will never do that again!!
• Allen got a full mouth of braces on the 16th right before we took our yearly vacation. He didn't enjoy himself very much.
• Took the girls trick o treating by myself this year (allen didn't find it important to join us). Good thing it was a record warm day. Next year I'm taking the stroller.
• Taught my second lesson, Teaching our children to understand. 

November

• I'm so glad that we have slowed down a bit and can finally breath form our very busy summer extended till now. 
• The big highlight for me this month was watching the last twilight. It was bittersweet for me, but I loved every minute of it. I just wanted it to go on and on...I could've sat there for another hour...ha ha.
• This year I turned 31...it was much better than 30!!!
• Thanksgiving was casual again, just had afternoon dinner at Brenda's.Maybe next year we can do something...never going to happen if we keep having black friday

December

• Had our second annual Strickland Family Christmas party. It went pretty good, so next year should be even better
• This month has entailed many Christmas shopping trips, with Sandra to IF a few times.
• On the 14th headed to salt lake to take mom and dads Christmas present to Chads. Had Family pictures, and got pictures of the 4 grand daughters.
• Had Christmas in Gooding with Sandra and Steve's family. 
• Drove to mountain home to see Sister Yates
•  

Labor Day

Labor day was great this year.  All the peaches were ready to can, so we headed to Gooding to visit.  The weather was really nice and the wind hardly blew.  We put away 100 quarts and 50 pints of peaches in one day.  I was pretty proud of ourselves. We went boating, had a picnic and enjoyed the day. 

My smell of the Season

Making my home smell wonderful is so important to me especially this time of year.  The smells of the cinnamon, orange and spice all mean the Holidays are here.
A stove top potpourri mix is an easy inexpensive way to make your home smell wonderful.  Packaging the mix in a Holiday bag makes a wonderful gift for friends, neighbors, teachers and co-workers.
Here’s how I make my concoction:

Holiday Stove Top Potpourri Mix

• one whole orange or just the orange peel
  
• 1/2 cup cranberries
• 1 Tbsp. whole cloves
• 3 sticks of cinnamon or a small handful of small pieces of cinnamon
• a bit of grated nutmeg if desired

Quarter the orange.  Put all the ingredients into a saucepan.  Fill pan with water.  Place on the stove on the smallest burner, on the lowest setting.  Refill water as needed.

It’s just that easy.
I love to use an orange that is starting to get old… or just use the peel of an orange.
Another important tip is don’t allow the water to completely evaporate. I always refill the water when I turn it on.  One mix stays good for weeks.  With heating the mix does turn brown, but continues to smell wonderful, so I usually make only batch in a season.
It’s not the Holidays without the delicious scent… it makes me think of cranberry sauce or wassail.  Yum.

A stove top potpourri mix can make a perfect easy gift this season.  It is inexpensive, homemade and useful.

Jackson

Yesterday Allen and I decided to take a drive to Jackson to see all the colors and breath the mountain air.  It has snowed the two days before and had melted just for us.  It was still on the mountains and on the peak before coming down into Jackson Hole, but everything was so beautiful.  FALL Really is my Favorite time of year.  We ate lunch, walked through the shops, got a parking ticket...which we are not paying because we were not in the wrong, and had a treat at our favorite little bakery (cherry pie and Ice cream).  I was a very nice day and think we're going to make it a tradition to drive to Jackson every year to see all the fall colors!!!!!!  We might have to take a different car so not to be impounded or something like that...