Here's the thing, I spent most of 2014 with an aching heart. I have so many friends and family members who have been in the trenches this year, divorce, heartache, loss, health (and mental health) problems and challenges, financial losses, spiritual challenges. Seriously! It's been a tough year. But my heart has ached for each and everyone of them.
And because the challenges I've faced this year seem so minimal compared to the challenges of others I feel blessed, humbly blessed.
Here's our 2014 wrap-up!
January:
We celebrated Cole's 29th Birthday!
February:
I had the opportunity to help with the Valentines Day Party in Cameron's 1st grade classroom. I was called as the Ward Girls Camp Director in our ward and Cole was called in the Sunday School Presidency as the secretary (I know, we didn't know there was such a thing either ;)). The kids and I spent a few days in Oreana with Cole's mom at his sister Mandi's house
March:
Towards the end of March my Mom, both of my sisters and their sons came to visit for five days! We had so much fun crowded into our little house. I loved having my family here. Spring also arrived and we spent lots of time outside and at the park.
April:
General Conference weekend we went to Cole's sisters house in Oreana and spent the weekend with her family and Cole's parents and some of our nieces and nephews. There were fourteen of the seventeen grandchildren there. Cameron played his first season of soccer.
May:
I was asked to teach a RS lesson a church, my first one, for somebody out of town. We had friends come visit for Memorial Day weekend. This was also the weekend I was called into our wards Relief Society Presidency as the 2nd counselor.
June:
We celebrated Dade's 1st Birthday! And my 28th birthday. We celebrated the end of another school year and watched Cameron receive a trophy for his AR points. Cameron went on his first overnight trip with Cole's sister Mandi's family. He went to Utah to witness his cousin receive the aaronic preisthood. He also stayed the night with his Papa Bruce in a hotel and they stayed up way too late eating kettle corn and telling jokes. He still talks about eating waffles with him that morning and learning to walk on a curb while waiting for Steve to arrive.
July:
Cole's sister and I made the trek to Oregon with 8 kids! We stayed for 10 days and had a blast. While traveling, there and back, we faced car problems. It was quite the adventure.
August:
We enjoyed our last month of summer. I spent the mornings working out with some friends from church. This month marked one year of us living in Jerome Idaho and one year with Cole's job at Century Link. We celebrated Joshua's 4th birthday. We took the family to the county fair and spent the day riding rides and enjoying fair food.
September:
With fall, came a new school year. Our second grader loves school! We also went to Oreana this month to watch our nephew Loyd be baptized.
October:
We enjoyed Halloween. Each of the boys dressed up and had fun trunk-or-treating.
November:
Cameron turned 8! We spent the month counting down to our trip to Oregon. We enjoyed a laid back Thanksgiving. The Friday after Thanksgiving we left in the evening for Oregon. After a long 10 hour drive we arrived. On November 30th Cameron was baptized! We also made an ER trip that night because Cameron was covered in hives thanks to an unknown allergy.
December:
We said goodbye to family after a week long trip and came home. We spent the month counting down to Christmas. We've enjoyed Christmas break and feel blessed to live close enough to Mandi's family that we get to spend Christmas with them. Right before Christmas, Cole was called as an Assistant Ward Clerk-Membership, He's excited for his new calling and the opportunity it will give him to be useful. Dade turned 18 months and went to nursery for the very first time!
This year was one full of firsts and fun. I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have to guide and nurture my children. Watching Cameron partake of the baptism covenant made me all the more grateful for our eternal family. I love that I get to not only serve my family but that I get to work with and serve the sisters in my ward. Our family has been blessed with some great friends and I truly think we are so lucky for that.
As I look forward to 2015, I have nothing but excitement in my heart, I can't wait to see where 2015 takes us. There aren't any babies planned, no job moves planned (although, if a position opened up we'd take it), and as of now no house moves planned. We are happily content with all that we have and so very grateful for all the has been given.
We, as a family, pray that each of you can find happiness, peace and comfort and that 2015 can be a year of of success and blessings.
With love,
Cole, Amber, Cameron, Joshua, and Dade
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