Where Did 2013 Go?

Time keeps ticking, ticking away.  It seems like yesterday that we were ringing in 2013, and that I finally was able to remember to write 2013 instead of 2012.  Yet, here we are again. Another year passed.  A year filled with memories of family, friends, goals, silliness, and love.  Time comes and goes, but we are blessed.  We get to keep the memories…you know, the ones you really want to bottle up and never forget.

Where did we spend our 2013?  A little bit here and a lot bit there!

Florie snow skied for the first time

We took in the beauty of God's world

Alex ran a fantastic and fun campaign 

There were Daddy and daughter dates

We took the kids to my old stomping grounds…minus The Palms

We learned about our nation's history in Washington D.C.

We celebrated Jesus

We stopped at the St Louis Zoo in between soccer games

They even rode a rhinoceros beetle

Ben captured Izzy in as still of life as she gets

Alex perfected his mud pie

Ben moved into the double digits

Mommy and daughter dates always involved silly selfless

I got the best Mother's Day present ever from the cutest soccer player

Alex became a Duke Tip finalist

We played bats at the playground

Jack turned 8 and loved his very, very home made cake

Hilton Head was explored from head to toe

The waves were conquered

The fish were caught and released

The parents were relaxed

The beach was never the same

Ben's butterfly garden was built….and we even had Monarch butterflies hatch!

Florie made her first 3 mile hike all by herself

Grandad taught us about the farm

Alex became a referee and started his first job at age 13

School started which is a MUST time for silly photo op

Alex won a soccer tournament, on his 13th birthday

sigh.  a grown up dinner date with our teenager

Tough but tender times were spent outdoors

Ben mastered the hamster ball

We took on a camping trip with 6 adults and 12 kids

we survived, and are even planning the next!

Mommy and boys date to see Chris Tomlin

big girl finished her soccer season with a bang

Sneaking away to the Ryman

We mastered school projects

and drew many, many pictures of Mommy and Florie :)

The Ninja, Wolverine, and the Grim Reaper defended the Peacock Fairy on Halloween night, and were paid for their work in chocolate

Marathon PRs were made

Bones were broken

We said a very hard goodbye to our sweet Sadie, almost 17 years old

We visited family when Big B was sick

But, we lost Big B, my grandad I was blessed to have in my life for 41 years.  We gave thanks that he is at peace now.  What an amazing journey he had.  I miss you Big B!

William and the boys designed paper airplanes and made surprise attacks on me

Jack patrolled the house to maintain safe borders

Ben began cooking

We loved each other

I am excited to see what 2014 brings.  Skiing, home school, soccer tournaments, swim meets, running, art lessons, rugby and trail running for William, vegan cooking, reading, daily house chores, and just playing football in our street should keep us pretty busy….and create those little moments of time called memories.  I know the time will fly by.  That is the season our family is in now.  My prayer is that we stay PRESENT in the moment.  PRESENT meaning we put down the rectangles, we sit and truly listen to each other when talking (and not think about what is next on the list or what we want to say next….the list can wait :)).  So if you come to our house, know our door is open and we love visitors, you will likely hear the words ARE YOU PRESENT?  If not, you may be asked to leave your rectangle on the counter!

Wishing you and yours a very HAPPY NEW YEAR.  Here's to the memories yet to be made!

Clocks slay time... time is dead as long as it is being clicked off by little wheels; only when the clock stops does time come to life.  ~William Faulkner

“For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.” 
― Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button screenplay

Ecclesiastes 3

There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3     a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
4     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6     a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7     a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8     a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.