2014

2014. What a year. Doesn't every one say that at year's end? You look back, think about the highs and the lows and vow that next year is going to "be my best year yet!"

Honestly, it's hard to say 2015 is going to be any better than what 2014 produced. I grew more as a wife, mother, and follower of Christ than any other year. Of course, 2014 is going to always be the year that Ryan got sick, but my gosh there is so much GOOD that happened this year.

We celebrated 2 big birthdays this year.

Claire Elizabeth turned one. ONE! We did a "You are My Sunshine" themed birthday and she was surrounded by family and friends that love her so much!

We also celebrated Wyatt Hudson turning 3! He is so in love with laundry that I went with a laundry themed birthday party complete with washing machine birthday cake. He was so excited. Three is such a fun age. Yes, they are complete threenagers, but my gosh they are so funny and they truly get their little personality. By the way, Wyatt's rocks. That along with his southern drawl is almost too much.

 

Easter cuties!

We went to the Ducks Unlimited banquet where Ryan's chapter was award 5 awards. I was SO proud that he was chosen as the Area Chairman for the state of Arkansas. Such a proud wife. He words so hard for the ducks so it's always fun to see it paying off!

The biggest change for me was becoming a runner. I decided right before New Years that I was going to sign up for a half marathon and for some bizarre reason Emma decided to do it with me so we embarked on a running journey. It was so much fun going and doing all the races together!

I even completed not one, but two half marathons! I love the me time and look forward to more races in 2015!

 

I attended some fun concerts- Bruno Mars, Justin Moore, Eric Church, but by far the best was Garth Brooks!

Wyatt attended his first VBS at our church this year! It was so fun getting to hear from him about what he learned that day.


We had kittens this year. We were completely irresponsible and didn't get our cat fixed before she got pregnant so ended up having 5 kittens on our 4th wedding anniversary. What a great present, right?! 8 weeks post-partum Polly got fixed. Never will that happen again. Yikes.

We enjoyed some time on the creek with our friends!!

We had the hardest 32 days of our life. It's easy to let Ryan's illness define us. Define our year. Yet, I don't really want it to. He (we) were so blessed during all this. I don't call it luck and I cringe the few times I have heard it called luck. Luck had nothing to do with it. It was prayers, God's will, and faithfulness that pulled him through it. It still blows my mind that people still come up to us and make comments or ask how he is. Strangers. People who don't know us, but felt the calling to pray for him. It happened today in Chick-fil-A and it still warms my heart. God is good all the time!

We enjoyed time at home. With Daddy. As a family of 4 again.

Halloween was enjoyable. We went with the laundry theme yet again. Wyatt loved it!

I had my 10 year high school reunion and it was so much fun! It is mind blowing that I have been out of high school for that long. I had so much fun seeing all my old classmates together and to get a night out after all we had been through.

We have wrapped up the year with time in Branson, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

2014  has been quite a year.

 

I trust in the Lord more than I ever have. I pray harder for others than I ever have. I have an enormous list of people that I am so thankful were apart of our lives this year. I look forward to 2015 and what it has in store for us as a family. Here's to you 2015!