January...

I never meant to neglect to post, at all!

Here are some highlights from January...

We rang in the new year with friends...

and fireworks... and sparkling grape juice...

Ian has been instructed that he must not continue

to create games that result in his sister having

a shiner:

There has been lots and lots of snow... for months:

And, of course, lots of quizzing:

And, for Grace, lots of 5 question quiz offs...

This is quiz off #4 of the season:

Individual awards at Lela Close...

Seth was 11th, after winning his first quiz off...

Grace was 1st, after winning her 5th quiz off:

And the Team, 3rd Place...

Hannah, Josh, Grace, Seth:

And even some children's quizzing

Caleb's first for the season

(10th place individual, 5th place blue level team)

Ian's first ever

(5th place red level team)

 

 

That's January in a nutshell...  And since the kids are homeschooled we have neither observed snow days nor complained about all the time we have to spend together...

L.

District Celebrate Life, 2014...

Mostly this post is going to be embedded FB post videos.  DCL was really fun and definitely a success as far as all of the entries our youth group brought!

One picture...  This is Seth's sculpture which received mixed scores from the judges (not exactly the most orthodox display of creation I've ever seen, but extremely theologically loaded and helpful, nonetheless), and it will be moving on to RCL in May:

The trio that Grace did with Kelsay and Kyle received an excellent:

Post by Phil Michaels.

The worship band, which practiced together for 2 1/2 weeks, managed to pull off an excellent, and I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am of their effort:

Post by Phil Michaels.

Grace's keyboard solo unfortunately came apart at the seems a little bit because of a memory lapse, but the judge gave her a superior anyway:

Post by Durand NYI.

Grace's vocal solo with accompaniment, which is a song she wrote, herself, received a superior:

Post by Durand NYI.

In addition to all of the above events, Grace's still photography is moving on to RCL, as well.

The only really questionable event of the weekend was bathing suit snow angels...  This event will not take place in May...  Oh, wait...  I don't think this was part of the competition...

Post by Chad Hadfield.

What a weekend!

L.

And So, It's A New Year...

I spent much of last year counting my blessings and trying to make each day a memorable one.  If you have been following my blog for very long, you know that the preceding year (2012) was a rough one and that I entered into 2013 determined to live life and love life, regardless of the circumstances in which I found myself. 

I didn't photoblog every single day, but I did have a record breaking year at 157 posts, and I am so glad that I have a tangible reminder of God's grace in my everyday, ordinary life.  I have learned a little something about being content, and I am happy.  Sometimes I cannot believe that this life, blessed beyond my wildest expectations, is mine.

That's not to say that there aren't struggles... some of them pretty enormous...  But there is something powerful about living a life of love and gratitude.

And so it begins again...

The truth is, last year at this time about all I could really hope for was to check my attitude, worldview, and outlook and to somehow crawl to a place where I trusted God more fully and recognized the great ways in which I have been blessed.  I wouldn't change one step of that journey.

Looking forward, I have a few more concrete goals, but mostly I hope that in 2014 I can do less... and be more...

Carrying on...

L.