Conclusion of 2012!

What a year! 2012 was packed with fun, friends, and family.  Crazy things have happened! Fantastic and Brilliant and Marvelous things!

We attended a Regency Ball in Indiana.  Beautiful and brilliant.

I did my first baby shoot :)

We visited Niagara Falls! . . .

. . .  on our way to Boston . . .

. . . where Daddy ran the Boston Marathon!

I attended the senior trip with fellow graduates, through Dollywood park Tennessee and the Great Smoky Mountains. 

As well as my senior banquet . . .  

And my first prom!

Finally I graduated with a lovely homeschool group!  Many family members came to celebrate this with me :)

I also sang at the end of the ceremony; Only Hope, in the style of Many Moore

I continued my baby shoot when Samuel turned four months, and took my favorite picture of him to date :)

I had a graduation party!  Many friends and family came, which I appreciated so much!

My parents took the teens on a three day trip to The Great Awakening youth conference (both in Ohio and Kentucky.)

And then on a Baptist History Road Trip!

We traveled across much of New England, including Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York  

My friend Hadley got married!  My friends, sister, and I were bridesmaids :)

Soon after I got a job babysitting these little girls full time!

And little Sammy, of course.

Aly turned twelve :)

I started college! I'm currently attending the online school of the New York Institute of Photography.

I did my first two family shoots!

I turned eighteen and had a small party with my friends a few days before...

. . . and some presents and cupcakes with my family on my actually birthday.  I got Sparkles eleven years ago that day!

I also fell in love with The Hunger Games XD

We traveled to Kentucky for Thanksgiving at Granny and Papa's house.

Unfortunately, this was our last Thanksgiving with Toby, who was sick and had to be put to sleep in January.

Aly preformed as Mary in our church's children's play.

We had a wonderful Christmas to finish the year with!

Audio book summary

I enjoy listening to audio books before I fall asleep, but sometimes forget to record which ones I listen too!  Here is a compilation of all I could recall.

Princess Ben - Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Wrapped - Jennifer Bradbury

Boston Jane - Jennifer L. Holm

Book of a Thousand Days - Shannon Hale

Stargirl - Jerry Spinelli

The Selection by Kiera Cass ~ Good :)

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks ~ Great!  Though a few mildly intimate scenes

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer ~ I enjoyed it. I had read it before, and enjoyed listening to it as well.  Again with the intimate.  Not for younger audiences...or listeners or readers

Something like Fate by Susane Colasanti ~ Alright.  It seemed quite popular, which should have been a warning.  No great message, no great plot.  Eh.

Wings, Spells, and Illusions by Aprilynne Pike ~ Fantastic! Love this series! I had read all of these before, but was listening again as a prep for the final book :)

Book 41 - Divergent

What a great book! I received this book for Christmas, and easily finished it before the year was up.  It was astounding.  Veronica Roth now has my attention!

Book 40 - Sea

Sea,  by Heidi R. Kling, was an interesting book.  It was good, though a little sad in parts.  Based on real life natural disasters and the confusion of young love.

Book 39 - Princess Academy, Palace of Stone

Shannon Hale is one of my favorite authors.  I first read Princess Academy several years ago, and still pick it up from time to time.  I do so love her works.  The sequel to Princess Academy was a joy to read!  When Palace of Stone was released, I was thrilled to find and read it.

Book 38 - Mockingbird

What a lovely book.  Mockingbird, by Kathryn Erskine, was something I found amazing.  This covers the story of a little girl with Aspergers Syndrome. Although a fictional story, many of the quirks and explanations very much applied to me when I was younger, and some still do.

Book 37 - Keeping the Castle

Keeping the Castle, by Patrice Kindl.  I thoroughly enjoyed this!  I lovely quick read, another book set in the regency time period.

Book 36 - A Countess Below Stairs

A Countess Below Stairs, Eva Ibbotson, was enjoyable.  Another Half Price find, I was intrigued by the pretty cover.  It didn't pull me in quite as much as I had hoped for.  Still, in the end, it was a good read :)

Book 35 - Edenbrooke

Edenbrooke, Julianne Donaldson.  Another Regency Romance to add to the favorites shelf.  <3

Book 34 - The Hound of Rowan

The Hound of Rowan, Henry H.Neff, is the first book in The Tapestry series.  This book reminded me a little bit of Harry Potter, but left me looking for a bit more character development.

Book 33 - Falling in Love with English Boys

I picked this book up at Half Price Books, uncertain what sort of read it would be.  A journey through two girls' lives, one in Regency times, another in modern day.  I really enjoyed the historical parts, and the modern story was good too, though I wasn't thrilled with some of the mild language.  Despite my uncertainty when picking it up, I found it to be a relatively good book.

Book 32 - Mockingjay

The final book from The Hunger Games series!  Suzanne Collins finished the story with Mockingjay.  I had slight reservations, since I had heard the series went downhill after the first book, but I found this to be just as thrilling and intense as the first two.  Characters died, my friends died.  A book that almost made me cry.

Book 31 - Voices of Dragons

Voices of Dragons, Carrie Vaughn, was enjoyable.  It didn't leave a huge impression on me, but I liked it nonetheless.  Interesting concept, and I loved her conversations with the dragon :)