a litle end of the year instagram love...

enjoy.

 

2013....



 

 

Winter brought snowy days, happy birthday to cece kate, lots of wrestling for daddy, craft time, a bball playing jojo, and a growing maggie.

Spring time was filled with warmer weather, an on-the-move magpie, soccer games, a late spring snow storm and a preschool graduate.

Summer was bursting with time spent outside, growing our garden, a camping trip to Lake Michigan, birthday celebrations for Ellie and Maggie, and lots of swimming.

Fall was full of softball, school days, being outside, pumpkin picking, trick or treating, cheering for our Cyclones, and wedding time.

 

 

this year we experienced great joy and great sorrow. our days were so good and we were blessed beyond measure. we also experienced the loss of loved ones. we hold tight to the promises of our Lord. no matter what the circumstance...in joy, in sorrow....God is Good.

 

Goodbye 2013....Hello 2014!

 

 

 

**This is one of my favorite posts to write! A good way to end the year....looking back at all the goodness. {2012} {2011} {2010} 

Christmas with our little family

Merry Christmas from our crazy crew....

traditionally our family exchanges gifts on Christmas Eve after church and then Santa comes Christmas morning. this year we did things a little differently...we exchanged gifts Christmas Eve morning. this worked well because no one was tired, they played with their new gifts all day, and tim got to play with them (he typically gets days off before Christmas and goes back to work on the 26th so he misses out on those lazy days of playing). we might be onto a new tradition!

oh and we really did something else strange this year. we actually exchanged one gift on the 22nd! this was because I was taking chicken noodle soup to weesner Christmas and was struggling with how to get it there safely. so tim and the girls wanted to give me one of my gifts to make my life easier....a new fancy pants crockpot. a locking lid safe for travel, multiple settings, all the good stuff!

exchanging gifts on Christmas Eve morning...

Christmas Morning

 

if you are reading this you made it through all the pictures. high five to you!

I know there were a ton.

this Christmas was very magical. so special. we soaked it up.

I don't want to forget this one.

big girls shopping with Daddy.

emails from Santa that they made the nice list.

the excitement of giving gifts.

cece wanting so badly to tell me what my gifts were.

Maggie tearing through presents. some hers. some not hers.

big sisters so excited to give mags her gifts.

ellie and cece following along with santa's progress on the santa tracker.

Christmas eve services with my family.

setting out the cookies and making the reindeer food. 

not being able to go to sleep.

the excitement, the anticipation, the hope, the Joy.

opening gifts Christmas morning.

singing Happy Birthday to Jesus.

being with family.

loving, laughing.

together.

thinking about the best gift we were ever given.

Jesus.

how exciting that is.

opening our hearts to Him.

trying to walk the path He set for us. being more like Him.

oh Christmas you are so good. so perfect.


Merry Christmas!