2012 In Review!!! (a la photographs)

I have never done a post like this before, but I am determined to sit down and actually do it this year.

Why?

Cause this year was awesome!!! Super fun times with family and friends, couple big milestones, lessons learned, and mistakes made.

And, you guessed it, the story will be told in pictures!

January 2012

1. Very fun hike in the Whitetanks with family and bestest friends...

We may look nice and sane and normal.....

....but don't let us fool you!!

2. Awesome shooting day with church family!

February 2012

1. Gold Rush Days Rodeo (LOVE rodeos!!!)

March 2012

1. Final high school piano competition!!! And the one I ever did the best at!! That is one of the only reasons graduating made me sad...no more piano competitions.

2. Touch of Class Miniature Horse Show

Yeah, Jess and I tend to get some funny stares...two girls both over 6' tall with sweats and  Ariats. Makes for quite the combination.

This was the first show when we started thinking, "Hmmm.....maybe we should go to Worlds...." We had no idea what lay ahead!

3. Jack, our first 2012 baby, was  born!

April 2012

1. Our next 2012 baby, Thunder, was born!!

Accompanied by the usual celebratory Breakfast-in-Barn and goofiness!

Don't I do a wonderful job of looking innocent? :)

May 2012

1. Got my first photo job ever!!! I photographed a horse show and sold prints afterwards...very professional feeling!

June 2012

This was an eventful month, let me tell you!

1. Third colt of 2012, Ruger, was born! And immediately showed signs of a ruptured bladder and had to be rushed to the vet hospital!

2. On the way home from said hospital, deafening explosion shocks Mom, Jess, and I. And we quickly enter the temporary School of Hard Knocks while learning how to change a trailer tire on our own!

3. Went to Shooter's World for Father's Day! This was the first time my sister's and I had been there...it was loud. :)

4. I found out that I was "bicycle-y challenged" http://musicalcowgirl4christ.blogspot.com/2012/06/bike-riding-mishap.html and walked like a 90 year old for a while as a result.

5. I graduated!!! Nuff said :)

5. Went camping with our church, and had an epic time!!!

Me with my brother and sister feeling very proud of ourselves...we had swum out to a big rock, climbed up it, and jumped off 25-30 feet into the water. Crazy fun!!

Did some super fun and silly photo shoots :)

Caught crawdads!

Commemorated our time at the lake

And slept with handguns behind our heads due to fear of bears!

 6. We came up with a first rate mathematical equation....
Miniature horses + surfboards + flood irrigation + people willing to fall = EPIC summer fun!!

Nothin' much happened in July except for hot temperatures and beautiful skies!

August 2012

1. I gave my long awaited, dreaded, and dreamed about senior piano recital! An incredible experience that pushed me out of my comfort zone, grew my faith, made me feel so loved, and brought much joy to all involved!

2. More boogie-boarding...with horses or without...who cares?

3. Supported our local Chick-fil-A wholeheartedly!!

4. Had a splashingly great time at our church's water day!!! Everyone got together and got as wet as possible!!! It was sooo fun.

Yes, this is my mom :)

I also took one of my favorite pictures ever at the Water Day!

September 2012

1. I turned.....

And we headed up north with some super awesome friends to play get a break from the heat and play in the water! Only to go on a day when it was POURING rain and FREEZING cold. The water was icy...but we had a blast nonetheless. Yes, I am shivering and my teeth are chattering in the above picture :)

After a while, we built a fire to warm up...and read the Word and sang some songs.

Then, the sun came out, and we caught crawdads....until everyone got tired.....

2. Towards the end of the month, we packed up and headed for the World miniature horse show in Ft Worth, Texas. And what a time it was! You can read more about it here... http://musicalcowgirl4christ.blogspot.com/2012/12/worlds.html

October 2012 

1. While we were at Worlds, our last 2012 baby was born...without us here!! My brother foaled Mickey out all by himself! So proud of him...

2. I did something I've never, ever come close to doing before.....

Got on a plane by myself and left my family and flew to the cold and stormy land of Oregon for six weeks!! What an amazing experience! My mom's best friend was diagnosed with cancer, and she is doing alternative treatment. Having 5 adorable amazing kiddos that needed help warranted my coming. 

The time I spent up there was unreal. I learned SO MUCH about everything....the kitchen and cooking, teaching kids to read, going deer hunting, helping butcher chickens, having wonderful talks with Ms Julie. I was so blessed to do this. 

But coming home was so wonderful. I felt so loved by my family - I never guessed they'd miss me so much! And I missed them terribly. When I met them at the Phoenix airport, we all started crying...I was overwhelmed! 

Please keep Ms Julie in your prayers....she's not out of the woods by any means yet.

Helping out with juices and meds :)

I got to see the ocean for the first time in my 19 years of life!!

Helping butcher chickens :)

Beautiful Oregon sunrise!!

Lunch at Camp 18 - a super cool logging camp/restaurant!

November 2012

1. Came home from Oregon!

2. Had a wonderful Thanksgiving at my Grandparent's in Tucson!

December 2012

1. Did tons of super fun family Christmas pictures!!

2. My sisters and I had our Christmas piano recital...

3. Decorated for and celebrated Christmas!!!

4. Went and saw the Hobbit in Imax 3D. It was stunning!

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That's all, folks!

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All in all, 2012 was an awesome year.....

God taught me so much...in the summer, I started the study Quieting A Noisy Soul, and that was revolutionary for me. I started learning more and more about God's character, and the more I learned, the more I realized how little I actually know. He is SO far beyond our comprehension....in His power, love, faithfulness, mercy....

There was one time in Oregon, I went for a walk by myself, and I was just walking in the beautiful country, thinking and praying, and I was so overwhelmed by God's love that I literally stopped in the middle of the road and started crying. So much of Scripture has become so precious to me. The more I realize how bad and awful I am, and the more the Lord reveals how perfect and holy He is, I am humbled, terrified, and just grateful beyond belief.

Some goals for 2013:

1. To read my Bible through again!

2. To test every thought, MOTIVE, word, and deed and see if it is "in the name of the Lord Jesus." (Colossians 3:17) 

3. To learn a Brahms Hungarian Rhapsody duet with my teacher!

4. To buy a new camera

5. To (hopefully, hopefully) finish up our worldview course

6. To become better at accepting correction - as in, more grateful and cheerful about it.

7. To take my little mare, Treasure, to Nationals

8. To read more books (outside of the Bible) about God's character

9. To tell my family "I love you" more

10. To enjoy EVERYTHING that God brings my way....to laugh and sing and dance and LOVE whatever comes. Good or bad.

Oh, and one more thing...I can't really call it a goal because I can't control it or achieve it. Maybe a desire? I'd really, really, reeaally like to meet the man God wants me to spend the rest of my life with. Something totally out of my hands, but the thing I want most of anything right now. And in the meantime, repeating Phil. 4:11 constantly - In whatever state, I am to be content. To be thankful. To enjoy the moment. 

Because the present becomes the past so quickly.