2011...a year in review.

Two-Thousand and Eleven? What a Year?!

The year started out with this day...

...a day I will NEVER forget. I spent this day eating frozen pizza with my mom and grandma .

...Painting my grandmas finger nails and...

...LAUGHING, at Jake's expense.

This is the last day I spent with my grandma while she was sitting in her chair, while she was alert, while she was still HER. How grateful I am too have spent this time with her, too have these pictures and too have this memory. Just a few short weeks after these were taken my sweet grandma was taken back to Heaven to be with her dance partner and the love of her life and our loving Father in Heaven. Love you more Grandma Great.

Now onto some of the more happy times of 2011.

The Lawson family celebrated many Birthdays and Birthdays in this house are no small celebration. 

Samantha turned 4 with a Very Fancy Nancy Birthday Party.

Cameron turned three, and we had his party up at Wolf Creek along with all the other September Birthdays.

My sweet Logan turned one.

And...

...on October 17th I gave birth to my adorable, teeny tiny Oaklee Marie. 

 (Jake also turned the big 30)

One of the most exciting things I look forward to each and every year is Girls Favorite Things. This year I rented a condo up in Midway and my Mom, Aubrey, Lauren, Erin and I (Shay we MISSED you) stayed the night with no kids. Granted Erin and I were eight months pregnant, but NO kids are still a big deal. We ate at a really yummy Italian restaurant in Park City and then headed up to the condo for our favorite thing gift exchange, food, games and more food. 

Mom went all out this year giving us way too much fun things, but that's what moms do. From her we got home made jewelry hangers that are so cute, a family portrait, jewelry...and a bunch of other things. Aubrey did a book of 101 things every kid should do with a journal. Shay did earrings that Samantha loves; she can't wait to get her ears pierced.  Erin did beautiful vintage frames of LDS Temples. I did Tommy Girl perfume and a GG butterfly magnet. Lala did a purse with a copy of the parable of the purse and a Love letter from each of our husbands. 

Here we all are with "our favorite thing". 

Now here are some candid photos from the year 2011...

Logan smiling. 

Sisters meeting again.

Getting to have my sisters there with me when I delivered Oaklee Marie into this world. 

Samantha and her Gymnastics.

 Cameron and his Oaklee Marie. He really is the BEST big brother. So soft and gentle. I think they look alike, do you see it?

 Logan smiling...AGAIN. 

 Jake hard at work. 

 Girls night at Olive Garden and then the $ store for make up and stickers.

 Logan smiling...AGAIN. 

  Logan smiling...AGAIN. 

 One of my most favorite new born pictures of Oaklee Marie. She is just 7days old.

 Logan smiling...AGAIN. With kisses form mom and a walk on Lagoon trail. 

 Cameron with one of his favorite buddies in the world, my dad and his Grandpa up at pineview reservoir.

 Cameron, Samantha and there fish. Our only camping trip of the year and our last one for the next five years.

 All the cousins at temple square. 

I love at the end of each year I have a moment, I don't plan it, it usually just happens, maybe while I'm in the shower or while I'm driving all alone, but a quiet moment where I reflect on this past year and all that I and my sweet little family have gone through. I think of the sad times like losing my Grandma or being told that Oaklee will have some health issues while I'm still pregnant with her. And then I think of the happy times, like bringing a new child into this world, or going on a walk with my husband hand n hand talking about our future, planning our children's future. And how those happy and fun and exciting times chases away all the sad and scary moments that we have to endure in order to have and enjoy those happy, precious moments in time. 

I now say good bye to the past by holding onto all the memories I have made, and look to the future in hopes of making even better memoirs. Becoming closer as a family and loving more and more each and every day. Here is to a great Two-Thousand and Twelve.