2014 was a very blessed year. A look back at it with joy over all the 'firsts' we had and with sadness at how quickly it went by. Thankfully this was a year I did not wish away, and just wanted to write a blog post about the highlights of the year.
This was our first year as Disney seasonal pass holders. The boys loved it and we spent a lot of time there over the year.
This was a cute picture of Palmer and Jack strawberry picking in the spring... one of my favorite pictures of the two of them.
In the Spring we joined a couples bible study going over the book 'Forgotten God' by Francis Chan. It was led by our friends Matt and Laura who did a wonderful job in leading it! Definitely one of my favorite studies so far and we really cherished the friendships we made. This Spring we are excited to start another couples bible study in our home, excited to be back in a bible study once again!
Jack finished off his 4 year old class in May. His teacher Mrs. Poole is wonderful and we are so thankful to have had her as his teacher.
In April 2014 I stepped in as coordinator for the Fishhawk CARES group at our church Fishhawk Fellowship. The mission of the group is to suport foster and adoptive families, as well as encourage people to get involved in helping children in need. It has been a very busy year working on this, but I am passionate to be leading this group... and always excited to see how God is at work through this!
Palmer turned 2 on May 4th. We had a small construction themed party at grandpa's house, and he enjoyed every bit of that cake!
On June 7th, my sister Mariela got married to Courtney in Washington DC. She had a beautiful wedding in the country and I really enjoyed our time together. It was wonderful to have a weekend with my sisters and mom.
On June 13th, Steve's brother Brett got married to Lauren. They had a beautiful wedding in Clearwater beach and we were honored to be part of it.
At the end of June we traveled to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic to spend a week with my dad. My dad was in good spirits and health, and we really enjoyed our time with him. On August of this year my dad had a stroke, and shortly after another accident which has left him with very limited use of his arm. We are praying for his healing and hoping he will be able to come to the US soon.
In the fall Jack started his first season of Tball. Steve coached the team along with grandpa, uncle Brett, Mr. Larry and some other men. Jack was spoiled to have his family as coaches but he really enjoyed playing baseball, and we plan on playing again next fall.
On September 14th Jack turned 5 years old! Can't believe how quickly time goes by... We celebrated with a very small birthday party at grandpa's house.
On October 29, 2014 we took our first family road trip to North Carolina to visit friends. The kids did surprisingly well on the ride up and we really enjoyed our time with the Shah and Clark families. Hoping to be back again to visit soon!
I don't have a picture for this, but in December 2014 I started working again part time. I work at a small consulting company in Brandon approximately 10 hours a week as a financial analyst. It was a much bigger adjustment than anticipated (I thought 10 hours a week would be easy!) but I am finally getting into a routine. I am thankful for a very good and flexible work environment, and a place to use these skills I have been given. I love what I do as a financial analyst, and am thankful for this job even though it wasn't something I was looking for.
I am thankful for God's blessings this past year and am looking forward to what God has in store this next year. To Him be all the glory!
