2013 year-in-review.

3:59 PM

Here we are, on the last day of 2013.  Can you believe it?

   We are freshly home from our vacation to Florida, and it has taken me a bit to recover, regroup, and even THINK about logging onto my blog.  But the girls are sleeping and I think I am up for one last post in this marvelous year, before we start a brand spankin' new one.

   I have MUCH to catch up on.  Jocelyn's 3rd birthday, days in the sun, family reunions and airplane rides….but for today, the only thing I really want to do is a good ol' 2013 year-in-review.  I've done it a couple of times before, (see last year's over here)  and it never ceases to remind me of the many blessings we've been given, and all of the wondrous things God has done for us.

   I'm still asking God to give me a "word" for 2014, but I think I know what my verse is.  Psalm 77:11 says, "I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago."

    You really need the context of the whole chapter for that verse, but basically, the psalmist is in a dark and painful place, crying out to God for help and rescue.  He speaks of distress, seeking the Lord, groaning and growing faint.  He wonders….""Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion? Then I thought, "To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High." 

    And that is precisely when he decides to remember what the Lord has done for him.  To remember His miracles of long ago.  Because you see, even if we are going through a dry and weary place and it feels like God is no where to be found, we can always look into the past and see Him.  Sometimes it feels so hard to look into the future and find rest, hope.  So look into the past!  REMEMBER the times He has been there for you.  Come through for you.  Remember the miracles He has done.  The times He has saved you from the pit.  The times He has set your feet on a solid rock.  And by looking back upon all that He has done for you and brought you through, you will find hope. You will find joy.  And you will be able to look ahead, for the wonders and miracles that are still to come.


~2013~

January


Sunday school retreat

Lots of time indoors due to some sickness.

February……..




Valentine's dinner with the youth/Yank girls from church.


March
Helped cousin Madison celebrate her 3rd birthday
First daffodils of spring!
Went to a tea party without realizing little Charlotte was sicker than she seemed.:(


Poor little lady had a double ear infection!!

April

Celebrated Easter, and this time it was Jocelyn's turn to be sick!  She threw up all over her pretty Easter outfit.

I got to see Beth Moore live in Eugene!  What an amazing time.

Celebrated our 4th anniversary with a little weekend getaway to Portland. 

May

Spent as much time in the water as the weather would allow!

Dad, Mom and Shaylon came out to visit.


Our friends Nate & Janene King, and Mark & Sharon Raber came to visit and we went to the coast.  What a treat to have them!!
We enjoyed renting this lovely old farm house, and hosting so many dear friends and family there.\

June
Little miss Charlotte Lydia turned ONE!
We traveled all the way to Canada in a bus with our youth group for a mission trip.


July 
Happy fourth!!

   This was one of the few (my camera battery was dead!) pictures I got from our vacation in Sun River with Randy's family.
I got to take a Moroccan cooking class one summer evening.


Ahh yes, and the joys of wisdom teeth removal.

August
 Got to squeeze in a few days at pool.

Took in the Scandinavian festival with some friends.


September

Watching the greased pig contest at Heritage Day.
I miss going to football games….but now we get to take them in together as a family. :)
The pool party when Jocleyn fell into the water and scared us all half to death….

Salsa!!

October
Family pictures 2013
Took a little family vacation to the Portland zoo on one of Randy's days off.
Hosted friends and some family in town for Jamison & Ciara's wedding and went to the coast.

Apple picking in Washington (Randy went and I stayed home with the girls this time) and cider-making with the youth!
Pumpkin patch fun
We took a trip to Seattle with our friends Ben & Emily and their two girls.

November

  We bought a house!!!

I went to my first-ever, blogging party in Portland.

December

We actually got some SNOW!!!!



A little attempt at some Christmas cookie making that completely flopped.

We had a Country Christmas banquet for the Youth/Yanks at church.

I played the role of Mary in the church Christmas pageant.


We vacationed in Florida for Christmas with family.

  Obviously there is a LOT I am leaving out, but I just wanted to hit some of the highlights.  It is so much fun to look back over the year and remember all that has happened and all that God has done for us.  Sorry so brief, but the girls are up from their naps now so I have to run. And it's off to a New Year's Eve party tonight!  The busy-ness goes on and on.


Where do you see God moving as you look back over your year of 2013??

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3 comments

  1. Really enjoyed your year in review blessings. I did that as well. I did the FB post and then just another one of what worked and what didn't. Many blessings this past year but the ones that stand out in my mind is Zalen's readoption which made is name change official and my little girl Aves giving her life to Jesus.

    Happy New Year to you! Another year of memory making lays ahead!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I really like this year in review. To look back over a year and see how precious things were even in the middle of some hard things is so good for me. It seems crazy how fast a year goes by, because I remembered many of your pictures and can't believe some of them were so long ago already!

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  3. being that we just recently crossed paths, this was a fun quick-learning-to-know-you peak into your life, family and year. I love your new verse and those paragraphs following it. I have a miracles post in my head and the pics already to go with it. so you touched my heart in sensitive places. the miracles that I've seen and experienced are because I've been positioned for them. I've had many. and there's more!!! so I am grateful and longing both.

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