Recap 2013, Part 2 and the Lull

I love this time of year...the little lull between Christmas and New Year's. It is when we can nap most easily and yet we are getting motivated for a new year, with the flip of the calendar.  A bit of relaxation mingled with a bit of excitement. And as I reflect on 2013, I can honestly say it was one of my very best years. Certainly there were new challenges in every facet of my life, but it was all tempered by a stronger and deeper faith in God. A God who is faithful and loving and will direct us where we are needed. Wow. Amazing to realize that I am finally letting go of some control in my life. Letting go and letting God work. I am looking forward to 2014 and seeing where God leads me, in my faith journey and how that will be exemplified in my life.

In my last post I found I had nothing to blog about and then 3 months of thoughts and pictures spilled out onto the blog. I enjoyed going back through my pictures and really thinking about those memories. I know these type of posts can get a little long winded, so I really appreciate you letting me pour it all out on this little old blog!

TSwift
The girls got a wonderful Christmas present but had to wait an agonizing 4+ months to get their gift. We went with friends to the Taylor Swift concert. Wow. She was simply amazing. A phenomenal artist! Worth every penny of the tickets and the months of waiting until she came to town!

Wedding
We haven't been to a wedding in a few years. This was one of the sweetest weddings I have ever been to. The bride was gorgeous and we had a blast!

Hoop

And we finally installed a new basketball hoop...this is my little nerd who was dressed up for Nerd Day at school...trying out the new hoop before school:

Friend Time
A friend hosted a very sweet luncheon at the end of the school year. Me with two of my closest friends:

Father's Day
I love Father's Day because it is such fun to celebrate those that you love when it is warm and sunny weather. We celebrated with my hubby on the lake (for the record I took a pic of my kids and hubby, but the sun was so bright we couldn't get a pic of everyone with their eyes open! So I am posting this one, so I don't embarrass the ones that can't keep their eyes open) Just a little blurry:

And with my Dad (and Mom) and kids, a week after the designated day with a cake at the lake.:

I am lucky to have such great parents. Here is a post I wrote about my Dad, a few years ago: Why Valentine's Day is Special To Me.

Tennis
I am rather new to tennis and have only played sporadically. But in the spring of 2013, I was invited to play on a league. We were all new to league play, so we had a lot to learn in our first few matches. In the end, the other teams learned that we were the nicest and most gracious hosts. It ended up being a really great experience. I am not sure if we will play in the league in 2014, but it was a great experience trying something that is so far out of my comfort zone! I am in the back row in the middle in white shirt/skirt. I remember it was super hot that night and I thought I was going to die, but was glad that I had my Frog Tog to keep me cool:

Another tennis photo of a "bloody match" that was played with my daughter,(in pink) sis in law(in yellow) and bro in law(only brave guy around to take us on!)...so much fun! Part of our family reunion fun in Florida:

Our family reunion (on my husband's side) in Florida involved a photo shoot of all the families...16 grandkids under the age of 16...I snapped this pic as they were positioning the kids...this was so much fun to watch...and we were awaiting one more little one in this photo...love the behind the scenes photos! And by the way there are 11 girls to 5 boys! Girls rule:

And another one for fun, with the two youngest cousins, who are sisters, kissing...so so sweet:

And then one of my bro in laws snapped this for us outside by the water with an iPhone:

16...
Nothing prepares you for when your oldest turns 16...it is just so shocking that it has gone by so quickly...but we still had a blast celebrating from the moment she woke up until she went to sleep:

If you haven't noticed that most of my pictures involve family and friends. But in between these fun photos there is a lot of work that goes on. The mundane duties like laundry and driving to/from kid's commitments for lessons and practices. There are a lot of grocery store trips and cleaning of the house. Lots of bill paying and balancing of the checkbook. Honestly, I am a little behind on the tasks that keep the house running smoothly. So I am going to take care of those duties and I will come back with a final recap of 2013 and some thoughts about 2014. See you soon.
hugs,
Cathy