2012 Holiday Letter

You might say this is cheating. I am posting my yearly holiday letter here rather than mailing it out. I have a few reasons for this. 

1. I am getting to it late. By the time I write it, choose the pictures, send it out to be printed, and get the letters mailed and stamped...it will be close to this time next year. 
2. I am saving trees. And money.
3. Most people toss them immediately anyway. If you aren't a tosser, you might read my blog anyway.
4. I need Tammy to put together my pictures and she isn't here to do it. Boo. 
5. It is much much much easier. I am lazy.
6. Facebook is ruining the suspense. We all post photos and let everyone know where we are going all year long. We get to the end of the year and there is nothing new to share. So, it becomes a recap...
7. Maybe I will get a few more people reading my blog once in a while!

2012. Singleton Family.

What did we do this year? 

• Our time in England was officially up at the end of January. Although the winters are miserable, there are enough other bonuses that we decided to stay indefinitely. Unfortunately, my company and the government is keeping us on our toes. I had a contract until September 30, November 30, and now March 30. Who knows what will happen after March!
• We continued travelling the world (at least more of Europe!). We visited Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, and Morocco
• Took our first cruise (Probably our last...)
• Had visits from the Josh and Mindy family, Tammy and Bruce, and Grandma Mimi
• Said goodbye to Nanny
• Got a new puppy!
• We have a favorite family joke:  What is brown and sticky?   A STICK!  Are you rolling? 

Christian.

Last year I told you he worked on perfecting being a stay at home dad. Well, just as he got good at it everything changed! He is now free of children 6 hours a day (see below). He doesn't seem less busy, though. He makes dinner every night, does the laundry, shuttles the kids, entertains house guests, trains the puppy, works out at the gym, and plays lots and lots of some tank game. Believe it or not, he even makes cupcakes for the school cake sale every few months. 

Jessi.

Hmmm. It's hard to write about myself. I am homesick. A lot. I work and try to use my time at home to enjoy the kids. I occasionally try to pick up a hobby...like reading or needle felting. Mostly I am exhausted at the end of every day. I did make it through my first year without a mom. I don't recommend it. On the upside, I discovered a new 1/2 sister and reconnected with my father after more than 3 decades. 

Augi.

This sweet girl is coming out of her shell. She has lost 7 teeth. She plays the violin. She won the merit award for best behavior for the entire year at her school. She learned to ride a bike. She reads fluently. She joined brownies and said her pledge in front of 30+ girls with a big voice. She spoke even louder at the school play, where she played a wonderful snowflake.

Emmett.

Emmett is a big boy now. He goes to school full time. He is learning to read. He sleeps in his own bed. He still loves his weebee. He loves zombies and moshi monsters. He has an imaginary friend. We often hear that he is the best behaved child in his class. He can operate the computer better than me (not saying much, I know...).

That's it. That's our year. What will next year bring? I honestly don't know. We don't know where we will be after March. Maybe back in the states. Maybe Utah. I would like to visit Austria and Germany one more time soon. I want to see more of Portugal. Otherwise, I don't have any plans for the year!

Now for the fun part. Pictures from 2012. 

Have a wonderful 2013!