The Hanks Family

10. Websites with free fun and learning games for preschoolers - Aidan had access to computers at preschool and since we had to pull him from preschool until RSV season is over I have tried to take over his pre-k preparation from home. So far, we haven't been able to do a lot, but we have found a few things to help. Among our favorites are the Crayola , Noggin, Nick Jr, Playhouse Disney, Wondertime and Kaboose. These websites have helped lead me to many of my other favorite things. I have learned where to go in the U.S. to look for fairies (Wondertime), I have created my own fairies online with Aidan and we have decorated their houses and played their games (Disney), we have created and named our own mixed up monsters and made our own snowman coloring pages (Crayola), found lots of learning games for Aidan to play with his favorite characters (Noggin and Nick Jr - mainly Backyardigans), and kid-friendly craft and cooking ideas (Kaboose).

9. Festivals - the free ones and the cheap ones - Young Living's Lavender Festival, The Arts Festival in SLC, the Jazz Festival, May Day at Wheeler Farm, and many others. While some of these have small entrance fees, they are all a lot of fun. Aidan got his face painted, a temporary tattoo, got to see great live jazz music, lots and lots of amazing art pieces and performance artists, try new foods, see a real live joust and yell "HUZZA" at his favorite knight. Incidentally, though his knight was not the winner, Aidan didn't care since he was picked solely for his colors and by no other qualification. However, Aidan did get really good at yelling huzza and it was all I heard for a few days. We got to look at all the farm animals and feed the ducks and play on bounce houses and watch a Wild West shootout - all for free. This last summer I became a master at finding free and very cheap things to entertain Aidan. Luckily, it was very entertaining for me too! Which leads me to number 8.

8. GoCityKids.com - the best comprehensive listing of activities and things going on around SLC to do with your kids. They send updates, coupons, reminders, have search options, etc. It was a lifesaver and helped me find out about all the cool things we got to do. There were even several events we wanted to go to and didn't make it. Hopefully, we will make it to those ones next summer. There is still tons of stuff to do in the Winter and Spring as well, but since we are in official hibernation til May and Dusty works 6 days a week, our chance of making it to many things is pretty slim.

7. Farmer's Markets - I finally got to go to some of the Farmer's Markets this last year. The Downtown FM as well as fun one up in Logan with my parents, sister and nieces and nephew. Great place to get awesome peaches for canning and jamming - oh and great pie!

6. Gateway - Other than the parking sometimes, what's not to love. The Snowflake Fountain is free, fun and good way to distract and cool a 4-year old off. Not free, but still very fun is the Children's Museum - Aidan's official favorite place. Hands-on for kids - 'nuff said. The movie theater for matinees and MOM's (Movies on Mondays - kid and mom friendly movies, including stroller parking and no dirty looks for bringing a child that only sits still half way through).

5. March of Dimes / WalkAmerica - Earlier this year Aidan's preschool had a WalkAmerica team and parents with their kids could join. Not many of the parents at the preschool joined, but Aidan and I decided to join and raised money to do their 3 mile walk at Wheeler Farm. We raised almost $200 due to pledges from great friends and family as well as a little donations drive at the law firm I worked at until May when I switched jobs to work from home. Of course, we didn't know the irony of doing this right when we found out we were having Cole, who would be our own preemie. The fact that we did the walk makes me even more proud of Aidan now that we have been through the NICU experience and are caring for Cole.

4. IFLY Utah - Dusty is happier, even if he is busier and here even less. Aidan has flown in the tunnel 3 or 4 times now, and is just starting to like it. Dusty's flying, though we thought it was pretty awesome and great before, has come along and he is enjoying it. The fun for us is being able to visit him at work (though not now anymore til Summer) and being able to see right in front of us the stuff we have been able to only see on videotape in the sky before now. The Salomon Center itself has lots of other fun stuff and Aidan loves going there. I look forward to getting to try to fly in the tunnel next Summer.

3. Preemie Community pages - making friends through the web with other mom's who have had preemie's has helped me alot. It is good to vent and talk to those that have already been down this road, as well as those that are going through this now. As much as I love and appreciate all of our friends and family, it really is true that unless you have gone through the experience of having a preemie, you can't really understand what it is like. I am grateful to have great friends and family that empathize and love us, but having that connection with people that really just know what I am feeling and have been there, is a different kind of comfort that has been invaluable these past 2 1/2 months. I feel like there are really even different degrees of understanding all of it depending on what you go through. Just as someone that gets to have a full-term, healthy baby can't entirely understand the preemie experience, I feel like I, who had a 33 weeker who is a feeder/grower, can't entirely understand what a mom who has a 20-something weeker has gone through. Just being there for each other is incredible though.

2. Food and Craft Blogs - So, I have already been obsessed with searching the internet for new recipes and ideas for years now, I didn't really get into food blogs until this year. Oh, what I have been missing. I have had a blast reading recipes and looking at beautiful pictures. While some of the blogs are just ok, there are some extraordinary ones that are not only hilarious to read (and really, I need things to make me laugh these days) but have great recipe ideas. It is a lot more fun than the cooking websites from magazines and other places. By far the funniest and best one I have found to date is Smitten Kitchen.

1. Blogging - I only started our blog in September, but being able to speak my mind out to the world has been interesting, liberating and comforting all at once. Actually, 'nuff said on this too. You just have to try it. I'm also grateful to others that blog so that I can keep up with what is going on in the world outside of our hibernation house.

Well, that ended up being a whole lot longer than I thought it would be. However, I felt it was a lot more positive wrap up to the year than the summary of the years events. Let's face it, in a lot of ways, 2007 was a really bad year, and a really great year for our little family. Since some of the bad is still so fresh, as is the good, I just don't really want to spend any more time focusing on the bad.

So... on with the good, and let's hear it for 2008! A clean slate! Happy New Year!