Year In Review: 2014

I know, it's been awhile. What better time to come back to the blogging world than the last possible day in 2014?

This year was about a million times better than last. We began the year still reeling and healing from the loss of our Levi. We were also displaced, owning a home in one state while living and beginning a life in another. And while the year started a bit rocky, and despite a hiccup or two throughout the previous 364 days, God has blessed tremendously.

January

Ellie turned 2 and we were able to celebrate with family shortly after the holidays. We made a spontaneous trip to Cinnicinnati and the Creation Museum, and enjoyed our first real encounter with snow.

February

We joined our new church, First Baptist Richmond and began making lifelong friends. Shortly after the month began we moved into our new home and enjoyed living in our own home together after 4 months of displacement. We celebrated Valentine's Day with special friends and Maggie joined a short term gym class.

March

We celebrated my Dad's birthday with a surprise Murder Mystery Party. We welcomed a new member of our family. Our miniature schnauzer puppy, Morty, was not a very welcome guest to begin with. Eventually, however the girls warmed up to him.

April

We enjoyed a visit with Scott's dad and explored more of our new home. We welcomed a new sister into our family and celebrated the end of my brother's singleness. We celebrated Easter with choir music and a much too busy Easter egg hunt, and Ellie decided it was time to potty train.

May

Maggie turned 4 and we celebrated with a special trip to nearby Cincinnati with just Maggie, Mommy and Daddy. While there, we visited the zoo and Maggie and Daddy ran their first race. We had several birthday celebrations including time with sweet friends. We also began frequenting the library and the park with the beginning of warmer weather. Sadly, we also lost a little one during the first trimester.

June

This summer we experienced many new and fun adventures. I turned 31, we went on our first hike and enjoyed a great day at the lake with sweet friends. We enjoyed the local water park, Maggie's first VBS and both the girl's first visit to the dentist.

July

We enjoyed the 4th festivities at our local community park, introduced the girls to the fun past time of disc golf, enjoyed park play dates, bubbles and a book party with sweet friends. Scott turned 33 and we celebrated with a fun date, turned soaked adventure. Unfortunately, we also determined we just weren't dog people and said good bye to Morty. Hopefully, when the girls are a bit older we will try again.

August

We enjoyed the last of the summer by continuing our Friday movie nights, Tuesday Park dates and practicing our make up techniques with marker. The latter we decided would be better if it were not repeated.

September

This month was our busiest to date. Maggie began attending the two day a week preschool program at our church, while Ellie stayed home and worked with mommy. My sister was married and all of our family was able to visit for a bit during that celebration. Scott and Maggie ran their second race of the year at the local "Super Hero Race".

October

We had our first vacation alone as a family to Gatlinburg, TN the first week of October. We had such a great time making memories at an indoor waterpark, Dollywood, visiting Santa, and feasting at 50's sensation Mel's Diner. Scott and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniverary. We also were able to finally reveal after much difficulty and heartache that our family of four was finally and blessedly growing to a family of 5! Scott was also approached by his former employers and offered a position to return, but continue to live in Kentucky. He began working in a spare room-turned office in my parent's basement.

November

In November, Scott and I continued our anniversary celebration by attending the theatrucal show "Newsies" in Louisville. The girls filled their first Operation Christmas boxes and were introduced to just how big our world is. Scott welcomed the cold weather with his usual disdain and was also voted to become a deacon at our church. After celebrating Thanksgiving with my family in Kentucky, we went to a local Christmas tree farm and chopped down our own tree, thereby beginning the celebrating of the Christmas holiday.

December

We stayed busy celebrating the Christmas holiday by beginning and keeping up with several traditions. We rode around looking at Christmas lights, made nativity scenes, baked cookies, participated in several Christmas programs. Maggie sang wonderfully in her school's program moving her mommy to tears. We had fun at Maggie's school Christmas party and book exchange and loved worshiping together at our annual Christmas Eve Service. We began a tradition similar to my growing up days, opening Christmas presents that evening after church and welcoming Santa the next day. We continued the fun the next day with my parents. (I can't say enough how completely grateful I am that God saw fit to move us so close!)Then, we traveled south for a visit to Alabama to see Scott's family for Christmas. We enjoyed a couple visits with great friends (Thanks for the blogging encouragement, Corrie!) Grateful that miles don't mess with real friendships. Finally, we got the exciting news that we will be welcoming another little girl in May, Josie Carys continues to grow and wiggle and prepare for her debut.

This year has been incredible as we have made Kentucky home. God has blessed so tremendously with incredible friends we had been praying for, for both us and the girls. We've made a great home in our new church, Scott has switched back jobs and was offered a promotion. The blessing of living so close to my family and seeing my girls relationship with them continue to grow is more than I could ever ask for. We are excited beyond belief for the upcoming new year as we continue to make memories and grow our family.

Thank you to all of you who took the time to relive our exciting year! So blessed for each of you in our lives!

First Day of Pre-K

Busy last couple of weeks has brought us to this fateful day. This day, the first day of Pre-K.

Maggie has been preparing for this day since we preregistered back in May. She walked around with her backpack from room to room, playing school with Ellie.

And despite my anxiety about losing my girl to the big world of school, where her world expands and our families are no longer the only influence in her life, Maggie began her first day of Pre-K.

She is attending a two day a week program at our church, where we discovered today she is only one of two girls in her class.

Initially, Ellie was going to attend as well, but I just couldn't send both of them this year.

Instead, she and I are spending one on one time working through the free curriculum from abcjesuslovesme.com.

It will take a bit for her to work out being at home without her sissy. She has never been alone for an extended period of time.

Thankfully, we had lots of school work of our own to do.

They both had a great day, and no one cried, not even mommy :)

Wordless Wednesday: Caught in Another Summer Rain Storm

Birthday Day Date

My handsome husband is turning yet another year older this week. Due to our wonderful babysitters (my parents) being out of town on the actual day we were able to get a special day to celebrate a little early this weekend.

Playing hooky on Sunday, we had originally planned to spend the day at the Natural Bridge, but due to weather we went with plan B. That included a movie, lunch and a trip to disc golf.

The weather was pretty clear where we chose to play, but did see storm clouds in the distant. Regardless of the impending storm we began our game. We got a few holes in and then the bottom fell out.

I mean, really fell out. We started the trek back to the car dripping. With the car in sight we traveresed over a small foot bridge. I was leading the charge when I hear from behind, "OH!"

I turned to see my love on his backside, our discs strewn across the path. It was at this point that we were reminded of the importance of wearing the proper footgear whilst traipsing through the woods.

Catching the laugh that was trying desperately to escape, I made sure that he was ok. Then I laughed, just a little.

We made it to the car, completely miserable, completely soaked.

Once we were a bit settled, Scott noticed something. His ring was missing. Thrown from his wet hands when he took a spill on the foot bridge. He went in search of the symbol of our love and fidelity, and I had no hope that he'd find it the flooded woods.

A few moments later, he returned. Ring securely in place!

We had a great time just us, and look forward to celebrating his day just a bit more this weekend.