Our Year in Photos

August and September 2014

My babies are growing like weeds, and we've been keeping busy around here. We took a family trip to Clearwater (it seems like running and being away is the best place for us to be for now!), and have been busy making plans to put up a fence in our backyard. I've jumped head first into Young Living Essential Oils and healing our family without the use of medicines. Sometimes the things that come out of my mouth sound crazy even for me, and could be quoted straight from the mouth of my grandpa Ed, but I've done my research and this is whats best for us! All natural healing with no harmful side effects...sign me up!

This year has really gone by in a blur, and I'll say it...I'm ready to put 2014 behind us. It seems we've really had to fight for every little thing this year, every single non issue has turned into us moving a mountain, and I realize God is trying to teach me a lesson in patience and long-suffering, but if you know me even a little, you know patience is not one of my strong suites. I have a TON to be grateful for, and I realize this every single day. My family is healthy and my kids are happy, we have financial security and can take those fabulous trips every few months. But it's those things that I have no control over that drive me crazy and push me to the brink. It's the people outside of us four...actually its complete strangers who give me the most problems. It amazes me how much energy people use just to ruin someones day. Don't get me wrong, many days go by and I think to myself that we had a really good day. But I still have a lot of those days where it seems nothing is going right, nothing is easy, I'm fighting with everything in me to find just a little peace and joy.

In case you were wondering, we seem to have made it through the struggle with keeping our chickens for now, but as soon as this fence starts going up, the town tells me that it is not within their requirements. Apparently there really are laws about fences. My Dad would know just what to do, and exactly who to call, and I would've called him within seconds of getting this news. But instead, I'm wading through this mess as best as I can, with fear and doubt. These are trivial problems that for now just take everything out of me, and I'm praying will one day make me a stronger person. I think of my Dad with a smile on my face often, but its when I need him the most that the anxiety and stress grip me the hardest. I've been through death before, and I know it gets better with time, and I hope and pray that this time next year, I will look back at this post and I will be a stronger person. I will have that peace and joy, and the stress and anxiety of life won't seem so overwhelming, and that my losses will have made me a stronger person.

"Praise him through the darkness and never doubt the light will come, because it will."

I'm holding on to this tightly.

And I hate that this post has turned into me being a debbie downer, because I really wanted this to be a happy post, so lets move on to some things that make me smile.

Here's our time in Clearwater at the Sandpearl Hotel!

Mason finallly realized he loves the ocean, he swims under water now and loves to splash his Daddy! We met Hulk and Brooke Hogan, and Josh smiled for days over this! Mason tried alligator, grouper, mahi mahi, lobster, and several other fish, and he loved it all!! He got to ride his first jet ski, and is still talking about a month later! Mason's my deep thinker and he definitely thinks things through before jumping right in. I can see him processing in his little mind all the pros and cons of what he's about to do. He loved to catch lizards and bugs and gather seashells.

My little lovable Vince requested he play by the beach every day, and he had absolutely NO FEAR of the pool! He would jump off into the deep end in half a second if we weren't right there with him. He wants to be big like his bro :) He's so smart (and I know I'm biased, but he really is!) and knows his colors and can count! He knows all of our (and his) first names. He calls Mason, Me-Mes... and Josh is Gosh and he has the cutest little voice. He wakes up happy, he goes to bed happy, and he's the lowest maintenance kid I've ever seen! He goes with the flow and rarely complains. He is so affectionate, and gives kisses as soon as he wakes up and hugs all throughout the day. He's my blonde headed ball of sunshine!