Almost a Year gone by

My sister asked me if I'd stopped blogging.

Not intentionally.

A couple years ago I told a friend to check out my blog to see what we're up to, and he said he didn't have time to read blogs, he kept up with people on Facebook.  I still think Facebook is ... not for me, but I have resigned myself to getting an account.  And now I post entries on Facebook more often than I blog.  Which is sad.  Facebook is this quick stupid dump, (for which I prefer Instagram, having joined both) and blogging is thoughtful and informative and ... and time consuming.

But here we are.

It's been a wonderful year.  The girls get out of school in just over a week.  This has been a hard year. Red was just telling me her grade in English has plummeted.  A couple of late assignments, a couple of assignments she didn't realize were supposed to be turned in, and BAM she has a nasty grade.  She is worried they'll hold her back.  She read me her previous grades - the first three quarters her grade is in the 95% or above.  Honey, you just get through the year.

She has had some struggles personally, she lost a good girlfriend, and it was unresolved, and she just wanted some closure.  It never really came.  School-wise, except for this one English grade, she's been bringing in her regular high performance.

Her art has been wonderful.  She's done a couple of pieces that just tickle me pink.  Bianca arranged for her to meet with an artist friend of hers, and we drove to her studio and Red got to talk to her for almost two hours... it was wonderful!!!  This friend of Bianca's is a fabulous artist, but more than that she's a lovely person and an excellent teacher.  She is said some very inspiring and supportive things to Red, who came away just floating.  There have been a couple of experiences at the Young Artist Academy that lifted her up in similar ways.

Blondie has had a really good winter with the horse.  They won the Beginner Novice Junior Champion of the year for the local region, which is a pretty big deal.  They are doing great and having a grand time together.  She is competing at the Chicken this weekend, she had to miss a registered horse trial at the beginning of the month because Bones had an injury, but they're back and should do well.  

She has also had some friend struggles, her best friend from last year seemed to out grow her, and decided to befriend the popular group.  This absolutely broke Blondie's heart, but she came out of it with some other friends, who seem a little more stable.  Both girls are a little wounded and gun shy, though.

We had a wonderful spring break, took a cruise to the Carribbean, and had a ball.

That's about it.  Everything good.  I should really blog about little day to day experiences, because the girls are growing up so fast and I want to record it all.  But...  I barely have time to get on Facebook.

A few highlights:  October we took a trip to Chicago.  The Art Institute was, of course, one of my favorites.  We also were able to meet up with a friend of Red's who moved from Park City a year ago, and her mother.


Halloween costumes.   Red was an Apocalypse survivor.  Blondie was Link from Legend of Zelda.  Kelso was Lassie.  We went to Downtown Park City for the first Halloween ever.  Hubby was a western Dude, and I was... a pirate or something.  And of course the dog was the big hit of the day.


 

Blondie and Bones have been doing great




Hubby got eye surgery to correct his misdirected eye.  It has since wandered back a little, but is a vast improvement over what it was.



We had a marvelous Christmas, as per usual



After years of saying we would and not, we finally painted Blondie's room




Oh Oh!  It looks like that's all the pictures I had on the computer.  Time to get the girls to bed. I'll have to fiddle with this another day.  That only got us through January or so.  Sigh.