Monday, December 30, 2013

2013 in 13 Pictures

I'll start this post with the very best news I can possibly think of.  Last night the power came back on.  Paul was already asleep when the email came in and I was almost afraid to believe that the lights in our house would actually really be on when we drove over the next morning.  Still, we packed up and made the drive and we weren't disappointed!  We have heat and light and all those other things that I'm sure I'll be taking for granted in a week or two, but which I'm savoring right now.

I've also been overwhelmed and amazed by the kindness that we've been shown, both through all the prayers for our family and through the donations that have made this entire thing so much easier.  Thank you to each and every one of you who prayed or donated or shared the link for the indiegogo account.  I just can't even put into words how much it means to us.

Moving on to something completely different...

Dwija is hosting a link-up, 2013 in 13 photos and I just had to join in.  I'm not quite organized enough to know exactly which month all of this photos are from, but they are in order and more importantly, they're my favorites from this past year

So here we go.  2013 in 13 photos:

Patrick was not a fan of the jacket that I squeezed him into for his baptism.
And then Sadie rediscovered her nun outfit and the house became an imaginary convent for a while.

Ballet was one of Sadie's other passions this year, and she loved her ballet class.

There were lots of afternoons in our backyard...
and lots of digging in the mud.

We visited some of our favorite places in California
before making the long journey home.

Once we were back we enjoyed the time between Daddy's summer semester
and fall semester.

I got in as many picnics as I could!

And Patrick kept growing and growing.

Once our little bunny started therapy she could communicate with us so much more clearly.
And she really began to shine.
Then winter arrived...
And what a winter it has been.
From the ice storm to finally coming back home!
Now what will 2014 hold?


5 comments:

  1. Love those pictures-especially the ones of the girls playing in the snow! I'm originally from Wisconsin, and I have the happiest memories of sledding, snowball fights, building snowman, etc. I live in Louisiana now and the 50 degree winters just aren't cutting it.

    Happy 2014! :)

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  2. I cannot tell you how happy I am you are back at home with electricity and heat and, ahhh, the comforts of a home. I'm hoping the pipes are fine, the appliances are okay, and the thermostat is fixed. I am also so, so happy that you received such an outpouring of monetary support to help with what I know must have been a very expensive nine days. I'm sorry no one can take away the hardship of those nine days, or the disappointment of Christmas plans being spoiled.
    But you did give us a chance to show love for God, our charity, and gain merit in this season. That was a gift you gave to us, because I know that is a difficult thing to be an object of charity. Yet there is much food for reflection on what you just went through. There is so much analogy to the hardships of Mary and Joseph around the time of the birth of Jesus, from having to leave their home, to not finding a very good place to stay, to having to place their newborn in a manger as a bed (imagine how perhaps before the notice of census, Joseph was building a cradle, and Mary was weaving blankets for it, and then...), to having to escape with the baby in the middle of the night, to a foreign land. Oh, it was nothing like either of them probably expected or planned for. Life happens.
    I am also amazed that your darkest hour (having to ask for help) was just before your dawn (email notice the power was on). I am glad you were not faced with having to try to figure out how to pay for the unexpected expense. From you I have learned that I must humble myself and ask for help when I am up against it. It is hard, to be sure. But then, Mother Theresa did it with much graciousness, expecting Our Lord to keep His promises to provide us with help in our need.
    God bless you! God bless your family. I hope you will still celebrate what is left of Christmas and have the Wise Men making their journey to Bethlehem for your kids! What a journey you have had! God bless. ~ Bonnie

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  3. I love these posts. Such a beautiful blur of family and weather and ice(!) and babies.

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  4. I know this is supposed to be about the photos but oh....oh....electricity! Sweet Mother of Mercy, thank you :D

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  5. Glad to hear you have power again! Have a blessed 2014!

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