Top 10 Stories of 2008 in the Welling World

With a year full of so many great happenings, it was hard to pick just 10.  Here are my top 10 things that happened in 2008:

10.  Christmas.  All I have to say is Mark and I had a great Christmas.  We had a get together with his extended family and his immediate family.  It was so exciting to see Natalie, Tess, and Chole.  We really missed Aaron.

9.  Mark and I got BYU season tickets.  This was such a fiasco.  The school really made it hard for non-BYU students who are students at other schools to buy student tickets.  Boy does that sound complicated.  It was as complicated as it sounds.  There were some really good games this year.  We were at the UCLA and the Wyoming blowouts and the blistering hot season opener against Northern Iowa.  I am going to try and convince Mark that we should see if we can get tickets for the game against Oklahoma in September at the Dallas Cowboy's new stadium.  That would be a really fun game to go to.

8.  Mark and I taught the Valient 12 primary class.  Well...we actually were called the last Sunday of 2007, but we began teaching in 2008.  This class was so much fun.  These are the kids who are turning 12 and moving into Young Mens and Young Womens.  It was fun to see the changes by the end of the year.  Last Sunday we got a new class and get to start over again.  It is going to be fun!!

7.  Election Party 2008.  This party was four years in the making.  When I met Mark it was the 2004 Presidential election.  I went with him to his family's Election Party, and as soon as it was over, they began planning Election Party 2008.  Mark's family is really into politics.  We made a copy of a map of the US and colored it in blue and red indicating which way a state voted.  We had everyones laptops out and all the cable news stations going.  

6.  I went to the Aggies Ladies Football Clinic.  This was a really fun evening.  Mark's cousin Peter Caldwell is the kicker for Utah State.  Katie, and Peter's family, and I went up the Logan to participate in the football clinic.  It was really fun.  We watched film with former Head Coach Brent Guy, listened to all the training the football team goes through, went through some tackling drills with tackling dummies, and practiced being a quarterback.

5.  I became the English Department Head at school.  This came to a big shock.  This is only my third year teaching and they wanted me to the department head.  I didn't know that could happen.  Well, today was the end of the 1st semester at school.  There have been some ups and downs, but overall...its been great.

4.  Mark and I went to Cedar City for our 3rd Anniversary.  The Shakespearean Festival always starts the weekend of our anniversary.  When we got married Mark's parents owned a cabin at Brian Head.  We stayed down there for our honeymoon and went to a few performances at the Shakespearean festival.  So this year we decided to go see some plays.  We saw Othello and Two Gentlemen of Verona.  One night after one of the plays, we decided to drive up to Brian Head.  While we were up there, for old times sake we stopped by the cabin.  I made the joke, "You know, it would be funny if it was for sale again."  Low and behold....it was up for sale!

3.  Ashley taught summer school.  Alpine School District offered a summer school program for kids to make up lost credit.  They did an entire school year between the beginning of June and the 24th of July.  They did each semester in 15 days.  It was intense, but a blast.  I taught 11th grade English.  I realized while I was doing this that I want to stay at the Junior High level or go straight to the college level.  High school kids are great, I just don't think it it the place for me.

2.  Welling Family vacation to San Diego.  This was such a fun vacation.  Click here to read more about it.

1.  Mark graduated from the University of Utah with his Bachelor's degree in English with a History minor.  A year and a half ago when we were deciding what to do about Mark finishing school, we had two options.  One:  he would continue working at UCCU and finish school at UVU, which would take longer, but we could buy a house and start our family or Two: he would quit his job and go to school full time at the U of U and I would be the sole income.  He could be finished a lot quicker, but we wouldn't be able to buy a house or start a family for a few more years.  Needless to say we chose option 2 and I am so glad he is done.