It was an AWESOME year....

Guest post by Mommy:

As I sit to write my typical year end round out, two things come to mind.  First, this is our blog's 600th post!  Holy cow!  I have NEVER kept a great journal before.  This whole internet thing works for me.  Plus it's a scrapbook at the same time!

The second thing that comes to mind is just how BLESSED my little family is.  My thoughts are with friends and family that have not had a great year.  I have people in my life that were happy to see 2013 kicked out the door.  I send them all the prayers and good energy that I can so that 2014 brings them more joy than heartache.

January brought for us more of the same with the exception of a preschool opening at our gym that allowed Cara to start going two days a week and Siena to get a full week of preschool when we combined the two.  I went to Disneyland with friends for a day and then we kicked off our last Disney vacation with our annual passes.

February brought the finish of Disneyland and a trip from the Preslars and Oma.  We also made it back up to Salt Lake to play in the snow!

March had us full of family love.  We celebrated Becca's wedding to Phil and TWIN BOYS being born to Marty and Hailey.  Plus Easter up in SLC and our first "spring break" as preschoolers.

April gave me a birthday treat of a final trip to Disneyland with my two friends who were moving away. Siena went on a backpacking trip without Mom or Dad...just Grandpa! And the Preslars visited AGAIN.

In May I surprised the family by announcing that we were 3 months pregnant with our next baby!  Pete completed his first Half Ironman, the 70.3 which is not HALF of anything!  We were so proud.  Siena graduated from preschool and the girls started swim lessons!

June gave us lots of sun and swimming and swimmers itch!  The Preslars visited for an unprecedented THIRD visit in the same year. Actually it might have been their fourth because technically they rang in the new year with us!  Siena and Cara became CHAMPION swimmers. It was amazing.

July was once again FILLED with sunshine and trips to pools and water.  We found out that we were adding our third GIRL to our clan and had a great family reunion with the Larsens in Zion.  The girls did a darling cheer camp. And we had Romney come stay with us without her family for four nights.  It was great.  We took her home to SLC and said goodbye to our favorite sea lion, Big Guy at the Hogle Zoo, who suddenly passed away.  Oh and of course Cara turned 4!

August started with us in San Diego.  We left on Cara's birthday and played at Sea World and San Diego Zoo plus the beach and Grandma and Grandpa Quaife's house.  I was good and didn't suddenly add Disneyland in.  I also travelled to Texas for my cousins wedding with just my mom and sisters.  Dad took the girls camping for our annual visit to Lava Point in Zion. Cara started her first full year of preschool and the biggest news was Siena starting KINDERGARTEN!

September had us traveling to Salt Lake City twice once for Romney's baptism and the second time for Pete's childhood friend's wedding.  Pete competed in another triathlon, my belly got bigger, and Siena turned SIX.  Her birthday actually happened while the girls and I were in Lake Powell with my parents.  So fun.  I hadn't been to Powell in ten years.

October brought an even bigger belly for me plus Siena's first ever "friend party" for her birthday.  We did our typical October things of going to the Staheli Farm and making Halloween cookies.  Pete and I managed to getaway together as a couple for two nights in Vegas as a kind of "baby moon."

November was a great month because little Iva Tilly made her entrance in to our family.  Daddy had a birthday in there too plus Pete took the big girls up to Salt Lake to play with their cousins who had come from Seattle.  Iva even made it to Zion when she was almost three weeks old for the annual post Thanksgiving hike!

December saw major snow in St. George and record setting cold.  We played at the new Children's Museum and loved it.  We hung out with family A LOT and Iva made her first trip up to Salt Lake City to meet her Oma and Apa and cousins.  Cara had a great Christmas program.  Christmas was a happy event with Santa bringing us new annual passes to Disneyland.

As 2014 begins, I want to express my gratitude for a loving Heavenly Father and his son, Jesus Christ.  I feel His love and blessings and pray for another happy year for my family.