Best Days of 2012

So I got the idea a few months ago to blog my top 10 things from 2012, since it was such an awesome year. I decided to break it down into the top 10 days of 2012 to help me relive the memories of each event. I was able to track down 8 of the exact dates, 1 approximate and 1 I have no idea. One of my goals to work on this next year is writing down dates of important things happening!! Here are the 10 best days of 2012, starting with #10!

#10 - March 17th, the day we bought the Chevy. Kind of a random one to put on here, but we really do love our truck and I am ALWAYS saying how I am so glad we got it, and I am so happy we sold the Jeep, so this had to make it on the top 10. We bought it on a Saturday, the day after we sold the Jeep to Carmax. We got the truck at a little dealership in Pleasant Grove called "The Car Doctors". We got it for $3000 under Kelly Blue Book, so that was AWESOME!

#9 - April 6th {& 7th}, the weekend Jake turned 25. We spent Jake's 25th birthday weekend in Moab with his parents & family. It was SO much fun. This was our first road trip in the truck. It looked SUPER sexy with a 4 wheeler in the back, just saying. On Jake's actual birthday, we were in Moab and had dinner at a mom & pop bar, where the ENTIRE bar sang Happy Birthday to Jake at the top of their lungs. He about died of embarrassment - it was hilarious!

#8 - December 19th, the day my weight loss story was published for the first time. I talked about this all pretty recently - check out my blog entry from December 27th or click here to read it.

#7 - July 30th, the day I lost 100 pounds. Just thinking about that day gives me goosebumps. I felt like crying and jumping for joy and screaming all at the same time. It was SO amazing. That day really just hit me - I really can do hard things. I had DONE hard things. I had really accomplished this awesomely hard thing while still working and having a life. I didn't have to go away to a Biggest Loser site for months. I didn't have to have a surgery done to accomplish that. Yeah, epic moment of my year FOR SURE!

#6 - August 30th, my first day at my Saratoga Springs branch. I've been with the Bank of American Fork for a little over 2 years. Most of that time, I was at the Pleasant Grove branch. An opening came up in Saratoga though and I just had to take it. I applied at the beginning of August, found out I got the job at the end of my interview, but I wasn't able to start until my replacement was hired & ready to start working. I have absolutely LOVED working in Saratoga. I love my co workers, my customers, my shift & my commute. I know I won't be here forever, because I want to be a stay home mom, but for now I absolutely LOVE getting to come here everyday!

#5 - July 8th, the day I hit One-Derland. I remember this like it was yesterday. Brynne was in Lake Powell, and I wanted to hit goal on July 4th so that I could declare Independence from the 200's. Took me a few extra days but I did it! I was working out for a minimum of an hour that week and eating INSANELY strict to help get me below 200. And then, I got on the scale that gorgeous summer day and saw that number that started with a 1 and I really started to cry. Jake wasn't home from work yet and that's probably a good thing - I am sure I acted like a blubbering conceited idiot but you better believe I was and still am SO proud of myself for accomplishing that!!

#4 - October 27th, the day I finished my first half marathon. This is going to go down in history as one of the best days of my life. I was so scared, butterflies are not anywhere near descriptive enough. I felt like I had BATS in my stomach or something haha. And then, after wave 1 left to start the race and we were waiting for wave 2 to be called, Brynne & I watched that YouTube video that I ALWAYS talk about - "Life is like a marathon". I don't care if you've already seen it. Go watch it again. AMAZING video. And we were both absolutely BAWLING. And it was freezing so my face hurt so bad from the tear tracks. But it was SO spiritual and I felt so calm and ready to do this. Then, we said a prayer together and yep that REALLY turned on the water works. And then we stretched, and we started. And I finished. I really did it. And I know that a huge reason I was able to accomplish that was because of our prayer we had first. Seriously one of the best days of my life!

#3 - February 11th, the first time I did an endowment session at Salt Lake Temple. Ok seriously if you haven't been to Salt Lake Temple or Manti to do a live session, do so. It is an AMAZING experience. And Salt Lake is one of my favorite temples, so it's just super awesome there. And this was my first time going inside Salt Lake for anything, so it was just THAT much better! I was able to do a session with Brynne, Blake, my mom & Rick. We went to dinner before hand at the Nauvoo Cafe in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, which was oh so yum! They have really yummy, fresh food. And then we went and did our session. Such an amazing, wonderful experience. I cannot WAIT to go do another live session!!

#2 - Guessing around August {I need to get better at writing this stuff down!!}, the day Jake took the Sacrament for the first time. Seriously, how did I not write this date down?! Jake had a quick Bishop interview right before Church - the main purpose to be Jake asking if he is able to take the Sacrament. I went and saved our usual seat and waited for him to come out. He came and sat down and gave me THE look. The one that he gives me when he knows I am going to get super excited at whatever he has to say. And this look is his warning way of saying that he doesn't want me to get excited. Well, that didn't work. I got SO excited. And yep, I cried. Of course I cried. I had been waiting for this day for a LONG time! And oh my gosh was it worth it. I am so proud of him!! AWESOME day!!

#1 - August 8th, the day Jake got called to be Young Men's Secretary. Ok gotta preface this. The Bishopric had been asking if they could come over mid week and talk with us for a few weeks. I just assumed it was a kinda "getting to know everyone" kind of thing since they had a new member of the Bishopric. We had a few conflicts so we pushed it back a few weeks, but finally got it all set up and they came over. I'm chit chatting, asking them about work and their families and kids and what not and then they mentioned there was another reason for their visit. I felt bad for small talking so long - they are busy guys and have other things to get back to! They said they had callings to extend to each of us. I was kinda surprised, since I already had 2 callings - as a Visiting Teaching Coordinator & as a Nursery leader. They asked if I would be willing to serve in the Relief Society Presidency as the Secretary. To be honest, I kinda saw it coming but I also kinda thought they would leave me in Nursery for a while. I was only in for 6 months! But I was very excited, nervous but mostly honored that they would extend that calling to me. So I said yes. And I am thinking, oh my gosh this is awesome I am so excited. Then they turned to Jake, and I remembered "oh yeah, they are giving us BOTH callings." Brother Woodward asked if Jake would accept it before Jake knew what the calling was, and Jake said no - he wanted to know what it was first. At this point, I'm like oh dang he isn't going to accept this calling and I am going to be so disappointed. So they told him - the Young Men's secretary. My jaw about hit the floor. Seriously. SHOCK is the only word I can think of that describes that moment. Jake looked at me, kinda laughing and said yes. HE SAID YES! So then Brother Woodward goes on to tell us that the name had been suggested in Ward Council by our wonderful neighbor and how everyone in the room got silent and then were all saying how good of a fit that would be, and how they thought Jake would do such a good job at it and they prayed about it as a Bishopric and got a definite yes. MY Jake is in the Young Men's! I was seriously SO excited! They left, Jake told me not to give him THE look {the one I talked about in #2} and I just started jumping up and down. The following Sunday {so I guess this is 2 days but it's all 1 event} we were sustained & set apart after church. Ok, I have received a lot of blessings in my life. I have been set apart multiple times. The blessing Jake got as he was set apart is probably the most emotional blessing I have ever been able to listen to. Things like how the Lord was so pleased with Jake for accepting this calling and that He had been waiting for Jake to communicate the desire to receive more blessings. That the Lord has so many things he wants to give Jake, He is just waiting for Jake to ask for them. Ok seriously I was a wreck. Obviously, I love my husband. A lot. Hearing things like that - that our Heavenly Father loves Jake MORE than I do - it just was beyond words. Thinking about it now gives me goosebumps & makes me want to cry all at the same time. Yep, definitely the best day/days of 2012 right there.

Some of the things that deserve an honorable mention were getting my new wedding ring, buying our sectional, Jake preparing the Sacrament for the first time with the Young Men, Jake VOLUNTEERING to teach Young Men's & Jake accepting and then giving his first talk in Sacrament Meeting. Seriously, Jake & I are both TOTALLY different people from who we were at the beginning of 2012. He has changed so much spiritually, while I have changed physically. Wonder what exciting things will happen this year????