What is it about the start of a new year that gets us so inspired?  Is it the idea of a fresh start? The realization that we’ve lost another year of our time here on Earth? A time for reflection of the previous year that motivates us to want to do things differently?  Or is it the recent celebration of the birth and new life of our Savior and the promise of salvation that comes with it? Whatever the reason , we often spend this time of year reflecting on the past and preparing for our future.

As I look back over 2015 we’ve had a lot of changes in our lives. In January we started homeschooling our two oldest children for Kindergarten and Preschool.  Next week I will be writing a post about what got us started in Homeschooling and what I’ve learned from it.  In February, we had our fourth child.  He was born three days after Melissa, our oldest, turned five. To say that the chaos in our lives increased is an understatement by far… I don’t know what quiet time is anymore with four children under the age of five in the house.  Just a few short weeks after Zachary’s birth we lost our beloved Great Dane Parris to a small bowel obstruction. It was so hard telling the kids as they had been at my parents for a visit when it happened and it was really the first big loss that they could understand, particularly Melissa. At Christmas, she cried because Parris wasn’t here with her.

Spring became even more hectic as I went back to work at the beginning of March and in April had to re-certify my Family Medicine Boards which is done every 7-10 years.  I spent months studying and taking additional required tests by the Board.  The highlights of that time period though was  a visit from my sister and her family for Spring Break as well as one from one of my best friends and her two children who I hadn’t seen in several years.  My family got to take a tour of the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame.  We went shopping for boots on Broadway and even got to try out a couple of the great restaurants in Downtown.  We also took lots of pictures of the kids and while my friend was here we got to scrapbook and tried a styled tea party photography shoot in our backyard. Big lesson learned, do not try to take pictures of multiple children during their nap time…  I was so thankful to just make it through that period of the year with my sanity. I know the Lord was certainly carrying me like in my favorite poem “Footprints” because I never could have made it through without his help and the support of my wonderful husband, Jason.

By May/June things were starting to calm down some.  Jason went to a Medical Ministry course in San Antonio for two weeks and was was able to join him for the weekend.  We had a great time exploring the Spanish Missions with his fellow Chaplains on a field trip Saturday.  My header photo for this website is actually taken from the first mission we visited, Espada.  I loved the peace and tranquility that I felt there.  You could tell that it was filled with God’s presence.  Unfortunately, my camera battery died just as we were starting so I only got a few pictures as I had no back up.  I was able to get a picture of Jason standing in the ruins of the old church where the altar would have been.  What an amazing feeling as a priest to be standing in the Holy Altar at a mission from 1731. To know that you are standing where other priests have stood for centuries delivering the message of God’s love and forgiveness.

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One night after Jason’s return home while trying to figure out what to do to entertain our kids, we decided to have a outdoor movie night with our kids and some of our neighbors.  We set up the projector screen in the back yard a played Toy Story, the kids were glued to the TV and even the ones who weren’t were running around the yard having fun with each other.  This led to the start of Wednesday night movies on the lawn.  What a great way to connect with others!  Every Wednesday our house opened up to those who wanted to stop by be it neighbors, co-workers or friends.  The kids had a movie to watch or played in the playroom and the adults had some time to relax and unwind.  We provided drinks and told everyone just to bring their dinner and use our kitchen/grill to cook. Some nights it was just our family and some nights we had a house full of families.  The kids absolutely loved having others to play with and it was a great lesson for them in many ways from  preparing a house for guests to sharing their toys.  For Jason and I, it was a way to connect to the people in our lives in a deeper and more meaningful way.

Jason’s mother  also saw big changes in her life in 2015.  She was able to move from Florida to Tennessee just south of us and near where his Brother and sister-in- law are stationed at the beginning of summer.  It was a great move for her and with us being so close has allowed her to really be able to enjoy all of her grandchildren in a way she wasn’t able to do in Florida. The kids love slumber parties at Grandma’s.  During the summer, we also added a new Great Dane to the family.  Anna is a sweet, blue girl and the kids love her.  She certainly growing like a weed.

As we headed into the fall, life started to get busy again!  Melissa finished the Kindergarten curriculum that we were using and started the first grade section.  We decided to put Bobby and Eli into a preschool down the road from us on MWF from 9-12.  My schedule had changed in the summer to 24 hour shifts which gave us a lot more family time  on the weekends than we had been getting.  We spent a great deal of those weekends on the road either with Jason’s Strong Bonds marriage retreats or exploring the areas around us. We loved these adventures.  Our kids even started asking us could we go stay in a hotel when we were home.  We were able to visit different churches in different cities (I love church architecture)  and see first hand what was special about each area.  There is so much variety in our world and it is amazing to look at it and remember that it was all part of God’s perfect plan. Of course, traveling with four children is not easy or inexpensive but we found that every area, particularly St. Louis,  has great free/low cost things to see or do you just have to look for them and plan ahead.  Active duty Military can get a free pass for themselves and their families to the National Park Service which is a huge benefit when traveling.  We were also blessed to be able to visit Jason’s Dad and Stepmother at their Cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains.  We spent a weekend taking a train ride and browsing the unique stores in the little towns tucked in the mountains.  We saw so many wonderful things and built so many great memories during these trips.

During December, Jason spent 10 days in the field training and the kids and I especially, were blessed to have my parents visit.  I was also able to spend a few days with my dear sister-in-law, Allison Dechenne of  Allie Dee Photography taking pictures and having some girl bonding time with our shared passion of photography.  Christmas was a time of joy and celebration for the Birth of our Savior.  We attended a wonderful mass on Christmas Eve at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Nashville with Father Gregory giving a very uplifting Christmas message.  Santa brought us fun presents to play with and each of the children received their own nativities for their rooms.

Winter hasn’t really come to us here in Tennessee yet this year.  We have had the shorter days which I never love but thankfully, at least for me, have enjoyed great fall like weather except for a few days here and there. This has allowed us more time for enjoying the outside.  I love sitting on our back porch reading or watching the kids play.  It also has given us more time to enjoy outdoor outings like the Lexington Horse Park. However, just this week temperatures have started dropping again and I see the signs that winter weather is probably here to stay for a while.

Overall, 2015 was a wonderful year for us full of love and laughter.  At times the chaos could be overwhelming but God always helped us to find a way through it.  We are so blessed to now have four happy, healthy children, a loving family, careers that we enjoy and wonderful, lasting friendships.  2016 looks to be another busy year with our next move on the horizon in early summer.  I haven’t made any specific resolutions for the New Year though I hope to spend more time with the kids really treasuring this season of our lives that is already speeding by like a freight train and less time stressed about the unimportant trivialities in life that will always be there in one form or another.  Most importantly, I want to continue to keep my focus on God so that I may live my life in such a way that when people meet and get to know me I am a living example of the light of Christ and the love that he has for all of us.  I look forward to seeing all of you in the New Year!