Three Redheads and Counting . . .: 2016 Review

This year has been a big one to say the least.

The year started with a violin concert!

We started January doing lots of project planning: bedroom redecorating, deck building, backyard landscaping, camping, and Europe. Then, it all seemed so easy/doable. Looking back, we're a bit mad!

Charlotte and Spencer's space.

Boy's room

Hyrum taught at CMU for the Winter semester. He demolished the old deck in March. The landscapers started tearing up the back yard in April. I painted and decorated the other two kid's rooms. Hyrum took a 10 day trip to Israel for work with a bit of sightseeing. In May, Hyrum and I, spent 10 days in Hawaii hiking, swimming, and just enjoying being together. June brought the end of school, more deck work, more backyard digging and a camping trip. We took a week and went to the Adirondacks just outside of Lake Placid. We went hiking, did some swimming, checked out the Olympic sight and out drove a rain storm.

Backyard in April.

Maui, Hiking Haleakala. 11 miles of amazing!

Maui, picture from Dragon's Teeth.

Backyard in May.

July kept us closer to home as the deck deadline loomed ever closer. The end of the month, we drove to Utah for weddings for our sisters, one on Friday and then other on Saturday. We were there and back again with just a week to go before taking off to Europe. Hyrum spent 3-5 hours every night working furiously trying to finish the deck. Before we left, it was usable but we still have to finish the railings on the stairs. The backyard was working on growing grass since the landscapers finished just days before we left.

We went to a lot of t-ball and soccer games.

Jonathan has his 8th birthday party!

We came home from Utah on August 9th and hurried to clean our house, pack our suitcases and purchase a few last minute supplies. We flew out of Pittsburgh on August 16 and landed in London on August 17th. Since then we've experienced London, Shropshire and Wales, Ireland, Munich, bits of Austria, Nuremberg, Paris, Italy, and Slovenia. We've seen a grand total of 8 countries as a family. Heather and Jonathan have also been working hard on Cub Scout along the way.

I learned how to make nougat and divinity, and turn them into potatoes for April Fool's Day!

1 of 18 quiet book pages.

Words like, danke (thank you), wasser (water), entschuldigung (sorry, excuse me) have crept into our daily language. We've experienced city life in a way we never thought possible. The kids have learned to "mind the gap". We've had a broken arm and a glued forehead in foreign countries.

Waiting to board our plane in Pittsburgh.

Zoo in Munich.

Jonathan was baptized as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ben has changed from a toddler to a little kid. Charlotte is ready for school, Hannah is in her last year of elementary school, and Spencer tested out of his speech therapy program. Heather is balancing the ever more-complicated Wright Household. She takes time out for sewing and creative endeavors which often mean dresses for girls, or a quilt for someones bed. Hyrum is working hard to support our adventures while occasionally enjoying a bike ride and engaging in home improvement projects. He is also the trip planning extraordinaire.

Family pic at Giant's Causeway.

Chillin' on our big red couch in Munich.

In addition to all of this, Hyrum has been actively involved in the Scouting program, and serving on the high council at church. Heather served as Primary president for a few months in 2016 and then as a Relief Society teacher. While in Munich, she played the piano in Relief Society.

The end of our rainy hike at Gendalough.

In the midst of these big adventures there were also little things, like potty training, bread making, piano practicing, working, and all the little things that go into making a bunch of 7 people a family. We've lived a lot this past year and hope we can maintain the momentum. We've learned a lot about ourselves, our family and the world. Our family motto has long been "Adventure is Out There". I hope we can continue the trend in one way or another, seeking adventures near and far to help us learn and grow together.