2010 Year in Review

To remember the highlights of 2010 we each took some time to answer questions about the past year. Here is what we came up with.

What new thing did you do in 2010?

Steph- Kevin went on a big diet/exercise program, so to be supportive I took on the "diet" part and worked really hard on menu planning. I worked out the calories for all the meals we made and tried new recipes. On average our dinners were 500 calories or under and for the day we were eating between 1100-1600 calories. I have never successfully dieted, but combined with having morning sickness and dieting I have lost 32 lbs since getting pregnant.

Kevin- I went on a huge diet and participated in a clinical trial for a local company for new weight loss products and had huge success with it. I was weighing in at 283 lbs and after 3 months of eating extremely low calories meals and exercising nearly everyday I now weigh 248 lbs! 35 pounds. The thing now that is going to be tough is keeping the weight off! I feel like a new man now!

What was your favorite vacation/trip this year?

Steph- We participated in a promotion that the Disneyland California Park had called "Give a day, Get a day." Me and Kevin (Ok, so I did it for both of us) volunteered by sewing baby blankets (6 total) for the United Way. In return we got one day free admission into Disneyland. Jackson had never been, Kevin hadn't been since he was a child, and I hadn't been for a few years. We ended up upgrading our free day pass to a one-year season pass for only around $100 each! We were fortunate enough to go three different times in 2010. We have had so much fun and built some amazing memories for our family.

Kevin- My favorite vacation for me was for my birthday in October. Stephanie's sister lives in Colorado Springs and called us to see if we wanted to come visit while their kids were out of school for 2 weeks (fall break). So we went and visited them and had a really, really fun time. It has always been a dream of mine to go to an NFL game and when we made the decision to go we jumped on the Denver Broncos website to see if their game was a 'home' game (it was), then we got on ebay and were able to find a pair of tickets against the New York Jets. Unfortunately the Broncos lost, but nonetheless it was probably the funnest vacation I have had in a long, long time because of the chance I had to attend an NFL game.

What was the best thing you bought?

Steph- The Denver Bronco tickets. We got a good deal on them and they made Kevin so happy. I wouldn't normally get so excited for a football game but I couldn't help it, Kevin's excitement was contagious. We bought t-shirts and hats to wear for the game, which took going to endless stores to find. We had so much fun together, it was such a special day for me to do with my husband.

Kevin- I think the best thing we bought last year was Disneyland passes. We bought them when we went as part of the United Ways "Give a Day, Get a Day" promotion. Which was, if you give a day of service then you got a free 1 day pass to Disneyland. Since we were there we decided to use the free pass and have them credit it toward a year pass which they did and it so it turned out to be a really good buy. They were used a lot during the course of the year and we had a lot of fun going together as a family.

What did you get extremely excited about?

Steph- I think the most excited I got this year was the day we had our ultrasound and found out we were having a baby girl. After 16 straight boys born into the Colyar family I had lost all hope that we would ever get a baby girl. When the girl told me we were having a girl I was shocked and thought it was a mistake. I have always wanted a daughter and my dreams have finally come true! She is amazing...

Kevin- The most exciting moment of my year was the birth of our daughter. As Stephanie mentioned the longevity of boys being born through the years in my family, we broke the trend and tradition and had a girl. Mya is one of the most beautiful things I have held in a long time. I thought having another boy would be perfect, but I feel like 1 boy and 1 girl right now, in our lives is more perfect then I ever could have imagined.

What do you wish you had done more of?

Steph- I got pregnant early in the year and got extremely sick at 6 weeks and continued to be really sick until into my 8th month. I couldn't cook at all, I couldn't even open the fridge. I was so miserable... SO, What I wish I had done more of was play with Jackson and do more stimulating activities with him. I feel like I should have spent more time letting him paint, do crafts, and more time getting him ready for pre-school.

Kevin- I wish that I would have worked more this last year. It has been extremely tough on us with me not having a job the majority of the year. I now wish that this next year will hold more in store for me with finding and holding a job.

What do you wish you had done less of?

Steph- Being sick!!! morning sickness, urinary infections, kidney infections, sinus infections, bronchitis, colds, stomach flu... the list goes on! Oh, and did I mention I ended the year with a painful c-section!!!

Kevin- I wish that I had spent less time sitting around on my behind, eating, and not being productive. I wish I would have spent more time finding a job and being more productive.

What was the best book you read?

Steph- I did A LOT of reading this year. I had insomnia while I was pregnant so I read and read, and read. I finished the Hunger Games trilogy, The Mortal Instruments trilogy, many mystery novels, numerous Janet Evonavich books, and many others. One of the better books I've read this year was The Help, it was about three different black maids in the 1960's.

Kevin- I too did a lot of reading this year...thanks to the 2010 census. Yes that is right. I worked for the Census on the phones and there were some days where I started at 3:30 pm and got of at midnight but I would take my last call at like 5:00 pm, so you can see I had 6-7 hours that I could read. The best book I read this year was The Lost Symbol, by Dan Brown. He is the author of Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code. I would recommend reading his books, they are good reads.

What was your favorite movie you saw in 2010?

Steph- I rented a lot of movies the weeks after the baby came. Some of the better one's I watched this year were, Inception, Salt, Letters to Juliet, and Harry Potter.

Kevin- I think my favorite movie of the year was a tie between Inception and Harry Potter. I really enjoyed watching these movies.

What was your favorite TV Show in 2010?

Steph- HA! I watch a lot of TV shows... My favorite right now are probably the reality TV shows like The Amazing Race, Survivor, and Project Runway. I also love Psych and The Closer. For me watching TV after I put Jackson to bed is my time to just relax and not stress about anything or do anything so I tend to watch lots of shows.

Kevin- My favorite television show is probably Survivor or CSI Las Vegas.

What kept you sane?

Steph- My parents, take-out food, the swimming pool, Disneyland... I was so sick for so long this year... It was rough at times, but these things sure made it easier on me!

Kevin- Nothing. I am just as crazy and insane now as I was in 2009.

What made you laugh?


Steph- JACKSON!!! Hands down, this kid has kept me laughing every single day! He says the funniest things and cracks me up so much! He has the same personality and humor as me so we laugh a lot. He keeps me cracking up...

Kevin- I would have to say Jackson too. He is the funniest boy! And he says the funniest things. Whenever I am having a downer of a day he always comes out and says something that cheers me up.

What is your favorite moment of 2010?

Steph- Mya being born. As I'm writing this right now she is cuddled up on my chest sleeping. She is absolutely perfect. I love seeing Jackson with her, he loves her so much and just adores her. She was the highlight of 2010 for me!

Kevin- My favorite moment of 2010 also was the birth of Mya. She is so cute and adorable and makes my day.

What do you hope to accomplish in 2011?

Steph- I would like to get ourselves somewhat out of debt, at least to the point where I can feel less stressed about it. I would love to enroll in classes at UVU as well this fall. Mainly I want to be happy and grow closer as a family.

Kevin- I would like to be able to better provide for my family by getting a job. There are some prospects out there but just aren't hiring at the moment. Hopefully in the next month or so one of the companies will take a chance on me and hire me for their projects.


Jackson's 2010 answers-
Favorite thing we did Going to Disneyland
Favorite movie; Yogi Bear
Favorite food is Chicken Nuggets.
Favorite TV show is Max and Ruby.
Favorite color is green.
Favorite song is Imagination Movers.
Favorite toy is Imaginenext.
Favorite place to go with mom and day is Disneyland.
Favorite animal is a kitten and a puppy.
Favorite ride at Disneyland is Splash Mountain.
Best friend is my cousin Caleb.
I think Mya is really cute and pretty. I like to sit and copy cat her.
Favorite game to play is Mickey Mouse Memory Game.
When I grow up and start working I want to be the person who gives out prizes at Chuck e Cheese.
Fun Facts from 2010 about Jackson: Started primary as a sunbeam and LOVED it! He had his part completely memorized for the program. Jackson went to his first concert with mom and dad at the scera to John Michael Montgomery. Learned how to pedal his tricycle. Went to a BYU football game and basketball game. Loved going to the pool and going down the big water slide.