2012 Recap

2012 was a whirlwind year and ended on a better note than predicted by Mayans. The girls got to start the year camping in 19 degree weather in Cap Rock Canyon  State Park, where we chase wild pigs, hung with buffalo, and caught fish. I finally bought Tonia the wedding ring she deserves.
February we went to Fort Davis and stayed above a soda shop for Sadie's birthday, where her present was a 3-mile piggy back ride. I got an excellent "surprise" birthday party, that was a total surprise.
Girls build pinewood derby, had BBQ at friend's, and Sadie learned to sleep upside down.
April showers brought drought. Drove to Houston for Horst's baby blessing. Tonia got surprised by our great friends the Beebes. While here visiting Texas they experience a west Texas rodeo, Brisket, the hill country where they got a new transmission, Inks Lake State park, and a temperpedic.
Easter we hung out on the Frio in a tree house, died Easter eggs, played games, went tubing down rapids, and named the local cattle T-Bone and Rib-eye.
May flooded our local pond and a great tree broke in half. School was wrapping up, and basic life kept us busy.
Summer in West Texas, at 117 degrees, we camped under stars because I "forgot" to pack a tent, and then we went into hibernation in the AC. We had Avery, Storey, and Rush (cousins) came to visit while their family globe trotted to China and barely made it back. They got to see life in small town west Texas and see sand dunes. They enjoyed a capitalistic venture of a lemonade stand, banking some cash for Chucky-cheese, while Mars eclipsed the sun. The girls made swim team, ran their first triathlon, and celebrate the London games with British cuisine.
We cheered our independence in Lubbock by swimming, setting off fireworks, and watching Captain America. But the heat turned on in August, Audrey's birthday party was a cup cake war party. Summer officially ended with Eliora enrolling and starting at Midland Classical Academy.
The fall fell fast with our visa fiasco, immunization shots, and a broken washer. We got to go China and see some amazing history under the guidance of our "local" Grandparents living there.Aunt Anna partied with little ones in Lubbock, Hannah still does "guns up" unfortunately. As if going around the world wasn't enough traveling for Thanksgiving we drove to Utah, and Central Texas for Christmas. We won tickets to Beauty and the Beast, got serenaded by the Rebel high school band, and Ben got a geology trip to Big Bend.
Not quite a Dave Barry, but a quick reflection on how wonderful a year it was and how blessed we are to have a great family!