The Top 12 of 2012

As life marches on, so does our tradition of reflecting on the previous year.  Despite the highlights you're about to read, I can assure you that 2012 presented its fair share of challenges and heartbreaks.  We faced setbacks and trials like never before, both personally and professionally.  Trying as the year was, we were still blessed with an abundance of love, the indefatigable encouragment of family and friends, and many happy memories.  Here are a few of our favorites, in no particular order:


1. Merlin (aka Puppy la Pooch, The Boy, Merlinpean, Regal Pup, Moy-lin)
When we rescued Merlin in September, he brought a ray of sunshine into our lives and filled a hole in our hearts that we didn't even know existed.  He was a bit timid at first.  Actually, I take that back.  He was an absolute emotional wreck at first, surely the residual effects of his abusive childhood.  He wouldn't eat, take walks, or relieve himself.  He was terrified of us, the outdoors, the indoors, and perhaps most of all, the cute little girls that live in our neighborhood.  Every day when I would get home from work and drag him out the front door to do his business, the cute little gang of pink- and glitter-clad girlies would come running over, begging to pet him in their high-pitched voices.  It may as well have been nails on a chalkboard for poor little Merlin.  He tucked his tail between his legs and dragged himself to the front door on his belly, hoping I would rescue him from his enemies.

Merlin is a very different dog today.  He loves the outdoors, romping through the leaves and woods behind our house, and exploring his new world.  He eats with regularity and poops outside and with great frequency.  Perhaps more than anything, though, Merlin loves to cuddle with his mom and dad, eat their slippers when they're not looking, and lick their hands when they're not paying him enough attention.

2. Escape to Bald Head Island

In the spring of this year, Celeste and I were thrilled to welcome my sister Holly and her family to the east coast.  They moved to Connecticut for a new job opportunity, and we were glad to have them within driving distance.  Over Memorial Day weekend, she and her family, along with my sister Kristen and her family who happened to be visiting the east coast for several weeks, and my cousin Daniel who lives and works in New York City, all came down to the North Carolina coast for an unforgettable weekend at Bald Head Island.  Bald Head is a small island about a mile off the coast of Wilmington, NC.  You can only get there by ferry, and once you arrive, you'll find that the only means of transportation are walking, biking, or golf carting.  It was a magical weekend full of ocean swimming, games, jellyfishes, barbecues, nostalgia, salty air and sunsets.

3. The Traveling Man
As part of my graduate program at N.C. State, I had the opportunity to attend some wonderful education conferences.  The first was to Montana, where I spent three days learning about the plight of Native American education and the long history of exploitation and abuse perpetrated by the United States government.  The next was to Washington, D.C., where I visited the Department of Education and Capitol Hill and took meetings with some of the leading minds in education and policy.  The last was to Hilton Head, South Carolina, where I attended and presented some of my research at the Education Law Association's annual conference.

4. Virginia is for Lovers
Celeste's sister Bonnie and her husband Matt moved to the Virginia suburbs of D.C. this summer to sell pest control.  Shortly after the school year ended, we headed up for a visit.  Despite being pregnant, Bonnie was still game for a wild weekend.  We went to the new Batman movie, went antique shopping in historic Manassas, toured the National Mall and Lincoln Memorial, and went to a Washington Nationals game.  It was amazing.  My Momie Homie Bryce Harper had an incredible game and led the Nats to a big win against division rival Atlanta.  Holla!

5. House Full of Visitors
We played host to some of our favorite people this year.  Celeste's sister Bonnie came first over the summer at 8 months pregnant, then my brother Clay and his wife, Jen, and their new baby, Navy.  Then Papa Britt came in October and graced us with his presence for a full week.  Last but not least, my sister Josie and her husband Rick spent a few days with us just a week before Christmas.  We love having visitors...(hint, hint)

At the North Carolina State Fair

Josie loves dogs, can't you tell?

6. Celeste, Surprises, and the West
Over the summer, Celeste made a trip to visit her sister, Sarah, in Arizona.  Sarah and her husband had recently had their second child, and Celeste just couldn't wait to meet the little guy.  To her surprise, after a day of being in Arizona, she was awoken in the middle of the night to find that her entire family had driven down from Utah to say hello and spend some quality time.  Talk about surprised!

And the surprises didn't end there.  On Christmas morning, Celeste and I opened up all the presents under the tree.  The last one was a little flat and filled with paper.  What was it, you ask?  Oh, just a plane ticket to Utah for that very day.  Celeste didn't know about it, and neither did her family.  She spent Christmas morning in North Carolina, then made it to Utah in time to have Christmas dinner with her parents and siblings.  Papa Britt was so elated, so overcome with joy at her unexpected arrival, he declared: "This is one of the highlights of my life!"

7. A Homemade Thanksgiving

L-R: Ellen, Gabe, Celeste, and new friends Angelique and John

Thanksgiving this year was awesome.  Gabe and Ellen Bush, longtime friends and hipster enthusiasts, drove down from Washington, D.C. to spend the holiday with us.  We had a great time showing them the South, playing games, preparing and eating food, and playing and watching football.  Mostly I'm just glad that my buddy Gabe found such a wonderful companion.  He's short and unattractive, so we weren't sure it would ever happen for him.  Congratulations, buddy.

8. East Coast Road Trip

Celeste and I hit the road in early July to see friends and family, experience a few new cities, and take in the majesty of America.  We climbed into our little Honda Fit, loaded up on treats and goodies, and visited Philadelphia, Boston, New York and Washington.  We saw my old friend Marcus Anderson and his wife, Gabe and Ellen Bush, my sister Holly and her family, and my brother-in-law Marshall on the way home.  Go America!

9. A Cozy Christmas
Most young couples never get to experience a Christmas alone.  While our bank account required it, it was a surprisingly worthwhile experience.  Instead of dealing with the chaos of traveling and trying to see every last friend and relative, our Christmas break was quiet, relaxed, and carefree.  We started new traditions (like making, creating, or building a gift for each other that we exchanged on Christmas Eve) while honoring old ones (like gingerbread houses and the Alastair Sim "Christmas Carol").  We went to shows, went ice skating and basked in the holiday spirit without all the stress.  We also got to focus more on us, and on the Savior.  We probably won't ever do it again, but it was a beautiful experience nonetheless.

Ice skating in downtown Raleigh

Christmas Eve Ultimate Frisbee with Friends

Can you find a ham of a pup?

10. Mormon Democrat Aggies, Unite!
While I wouldn't consider Senator Harry Reid a hero of mine, he's certainly a man I have great respect for, and I considered it an honor to have personally met him at a national gathering of Mormon Democrats on the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte.  Senator Reid is the highest ranking Mormon politician in history, and we share a lot of common interests besides religion and politics.  We both dabbled in boxing, and we both graduated from the Lord's school, Utah State University.

11. Josie and Rick Tie the Knot

My baby sister Josie became the last of the Olsens to get married this spring.  She married a great guy in Rick Kelly, and the two of them are living happily (and coldly) in Rexburg, Idaho.  It was a very special and bittersweet moment for me.  I was always such a good brother to Josie.  I mean, REALLY good, especially during her most vulnerable years.  I was even good enough to put a black widow on her pillow to help her overcome her fear of deadly spiders.  I was a kind, compassionate, and patient with her as she blossomed into a beautiful woman.  You're welcome, Josie.

12. Cooper River Bridge Run
I hate jogging (or yogging.  It might be a soft "J" I'm not sure), but I love Charleston, and am always looking for an excuse to return to the Holy City.  Every year the city hosts a 10K run across the magnificent Cooper River Bridge, finishing in historic downtown Charleston.  Celeste and I trained and ran the race, and still had plenty of time to see some sights, catch up with old friends, and sample the local cuisine.  And I even finished the race without collapsing twice.

Honorable Mentions:

The Teacher and the Principal
Celeste had a great year teaching, and had the highest 5th grade science test scores in the entire school district, making her the best (and hottest) teacher in the county.  Meanwhile, I have been relishing my role as a school administrator.  It's a beautiful thing to wake up in the morning and not dread going to work.

New Babies
2012 brought with it a slew of new nieces and nephews (and announcements of more to come).  The first to arrive was Cooper Lee, then Navy Lynn, followed by Daisy Mae.  We are now the proud aunt and uncle to fourteen nieces and nephews with two more due in 2013.

Danielle and James' Wedding
Celeste got to attend her cousin's wedding in New York in August.  Danielle was a beautiful bride, and we're crazy about her husband James, who cleans up pretty good himself.

We've swapped haircuts since 2004

Eddie's Bar Mitzvah
When I was doing my freshman year of college in New York City, I babysat (or "mannied") a little boy named Eddie Hock.  Well, Eddie is no longer a little boy.  He is a man, and he had the Bar Mitzvah to prove it.  It was my first Bar Mitzvah, and I was honored to be an "Ark Opener" as part of the service.  It was great to see Eddie all grown up and his brother Joseph, and my dear friends, Jon and Lynn Hock.

Spring Break in Myrtle Beach
Good friends, mopeds on Ocean Boulevard, epic mini-golf (putt putt for you east coasters), and soaking in good literature to the sound of crashing waves.  Not too shabby.

Utah State Football

I never thought I would see it in my lifetime, but it actually happened.  Utah State was ranked in the top 25...in FOOTBALL!  We also broke the record for wins in a season, won our conference outright for the first time since 1936, and punished the University of Toledo in our bowl game.

Finally.

Wonderful Bald Head

A couple of years ago, Celeste and I visited Bald Head Island over Thanksgiving break.  We didn't stay long, but long enough to fall in love and wet our appetites.  Maybe it was the charming seclusion of the island, about a mile southeast of North Carolina's southern coast.  Perhaps it was the unique ordinance banning automobiles, leaving golf carts and bicycles as the only legal wheeled forms of transportation.  Or maybe it was the fact that that we were on the beach at Thanksgiving.  Whatever it was, something about the island cast a spell over us that day, intoxicating our senses like freshly baked bread, leaving us wanting more.

Two years later, this Memorial Day weekend, we returned, and we brought others with us to share the magic.  Holly and Adam had just moved with their girls to Connecticut.  Then we learned that Kristen and Marshall were going to be in D.C. for the summer.  Then, figuring it was an Olsen/Kidd family tradition to be together on Memorial Day, we invited my cousin Daniel Kidd down for the weekend as well.  And don't forget the kids: Viv, Rooster, NomaSo, Liza-Loo, and Pedro.

At Cookout the night before.  Bringing visitors here is now a staple of our hosting routine.

At the Deep Point Marina, just moments before boarding the ferry to the island.

After arriving at the island, we received curb-to-curb transportation via this golf-cart tram taking us to our beach house.

We rented a beautiful beach house on the southern shore of the island.  Upon entering the house, Eliza, 6, who tends to wax eloquent, proclaimed "This is really quite the place."  Viv, 6, agreed by saying "Yeah, this is like a rich house."  Then they ran up to the third floor where the kids room waited for them with bunk beds, books, legos, and a view of the ocean.

Our front door a stone's throw from the beach.  Surrounded by conch shells and palm trees, clear skies and perfect weather, it was impossible for us not to have a good time.  We spent a lot of our time on the sand and in the water, jogging, building sandcastles, trying to surf, or just soaking up the sun.  The kids got to see some wildlife up close, too, including crabs, jellyfish, and dolphins.

Little NomaSo takes a turn driving one of our golf carts.  We had two for the weekend, but they called this one "Speedy Gonzalez" because it was faster than the other.  Pedro's favorite thing was to ride in this cart, and with the wind blowing in his face, yell "We're Speedy Gonzalezes!"

I used to hate taking naps (ages 4-24).  Now, after three years in the trenches of the Education Battle, I can't help myself.  I'm in a perpetual state of exhaustion.  It's getting tired in here...

It was great to be around the kids.  We've missed them so much, only getting to see them about once or twice a year.  They were equally excited to see us, and it seemed for a while there as though there was a powerful magnet between their arms and my neck.  They also got a kick out of how publicly affectionate Celeste and I are.  One time we were seen giving each other a kiss in the kitchen.  Ruby and Eliza were witnesses, and asked, "Are you guys having love time?"  I then dipped Celeste for a dramatic kiss, sending the girls running and screaming, threatening to put us in jail.

The happiest couple God ever joined.

Three chilluns and the endless sea.

Little Pedro, still able to run "a hundred fast."

Now that's a Bald Head. (Word play!)

Momento precioso.  I gotta say, Sonoma has transformed her personality dramatically in the last few months.  When I saw her in Utah for Josie's wedding just a few months ago, she was cold, calculated, and clingy.  Now she talks with radiance and verve, and she LOVES her Uncle Jack :)

Treasure seekers, marine conservationists.

Rooster posing like a pro in front of Old Baldy, the island's lighthouse.

"Uncle Daniel" with NomaSo inside the lighthouse.  She's clearly loving it.

Hammin' it up!

Love this pic.  Holly always seems to be suspicious of my motives.  Perhaps as a result of a lifetime of  sneaking up behind her and squeezing her kidneys till she screams.  Kris is clearly cool with my work.

Awwww...

Love this guy.  We ran six miles together with Daniel.  Pretty sure I came in first, guys.

Les and Noma

Thompson Family, Memorial Day 2012

Smith Family, Memorial Day 2012

It was equally enjoyable being with siblings and family.  We've been the lone wolves out here on the east coast for a while, and it's nice to have some company.  We plan to see Holly and Adam again this summer, I just got home from a weekend in New York with Daniel, and in two weeks, we've got Celeste's sister Bonnie coming down (she and her husband are also in D.C. for the summer).

Lone wolves no more (for now), we were very happy hosts.  It was an incredible weekend.  But, like so many weekends, it was just a little too short.

The girls opened an Ocean Marine Museum on our front porch.  Then it turned into a store, and they started selling their goods for reaonsable prices.  Dimes, nickels, pennies, whatever we had.  When people ran out of money, they started selling their treasures "for free or candy."

Saleswomen at work.

We found a few of these on the beach, and learned that they're called a "Mermaid's Purse."  They look cool, yes, but they also hold shark and ray eggs at some point.  Pretty sure this purse was empty.