The Year In Pictures

This year brought some big changes to the Sharp household. We bought a Wii, and play it all the time, especially in the winter when it's too cold to do anything else. Nadia and Uncle Scott now have a bowling grudge match (Nadia is the pro), we love to play MarioKart with Aunt Lauren who lives in VA, and Rock Band just rocks. There was a bit of controversy over Mario Galaxy, though. Apparently, Daddy was supposed to save Princess Peach while letting Bowser win. Hmmm, haven't figured out how to make that happen yet.

Someone in our family joined the Army this year. Not the little boy featured above, but my brother Jacob. He is currently in Basic Training which will last for 6 weeks, followed by specialty training for his job (called AIT) which will be for about 6-8 months, depending on the start date and how many people are in that class. His family can't follow him there, and so they are still here in the ward with us until this summer, most likely. After AIT he will get his first assignment, which at this point could be just about anywhere the Army has a Patriot missile unit. Jacob will be the one to tell them who and where they are firing at.

Benjamin decided to grow up this year. Yes, so did the others, but Benji is no longer my little baby. He is now a toddler who wants to be independent. Which is always a messy phase, for the boy as well as the mother. Nadia is getting older too, as evident by the Red Shoes, which she wears around the house EVERY Saturday. I realized the other day that she will be getting baptized this year. Isn't she still 4? Brandon will be starting kindergarten in August, and while he still has a little problem saying his R in some words, he sounds so old to me. It is just crazy to see how fast things change in one little year span.

We also had a few family additions this year. One was our dog, Jewel. She has been a great fit in our family. The dog above is Sampson, a basset hound who belongs to my mother. Dad doesn't claim him at all. The three of them have been living with us after my father found a new job in Blackfoot and are STILL trying to sell their house about a year later. They have the worst luck with houses. We are glad they can be with us, though.

It will definitely be fun to see what surprises come in the new year, and we are glad to have the family and friends we do to be with us when whatever comes our way gets here!