Christmas and A New year....

                       I have been wanting to post but when I say it was a crazy month in our family, it is really putting it lightly. I remember on Thanksgiving thinking to myself,"Self, we are going to totally chill this next month. We are going to enjoy the Christmas season and all it means to us. We are going to relax, not run around in the chaos, not be over busy or stressed and NOT worry about anything! Joy! Joy! Joy! We will NOT get sucked into the craziness of what Christmas has become." Then December 2nd rolled around and people lost their lives senselessly and it threw our first responder loved ones into the middle of chaos. It was a long couple of weeks of sleepless nights, anger and questions that really had no sufficient answer. Then Dan worked the shift when the president came to town and got to spend some time with the secret service. Stressful but interesting and a good experience all the same. We thought we were catching our breath when two days before Christmas with no warning we lost Dan's dad. It sucked the wind right out of our family and left us shaken and deeply sad. In the days since, Dan & I have started to regroup and reflect on the last few days and we were talking about how two days before Christmas could not have been more painful to lose his dad but on the blessing side of it; when you have young kids you have no choice but to push on and if nothing else celebrate their excitement in the season and find joy in just the blessing of another day to be together. So we went numbly to Christmas Eve service and clung to God and everything we know about his goodness. This is a recap from this month and all the sweet times God provided for us with our families and friends....

Morgan's friend turned 16 and they were treated to a fun murder mystery dinner....

Fun gifts mailed from Uncle Mike and Aunt Sarah....

Macy got her Christmas stuffed animal and was cuddled up on the couch immediately...

The girls think we can't take selfies because we aren't cool but Dans really long arms are actually perfect for group selfies....

We threatened to mail Ryanne to my brother...he said as long as we put snacks in there she would be fine ha! I love that Dan has on a Boise State sweatshirt because he wants to move there and Ryanne has on an SMU t shirt because her cousin plays soccer there....

This is Morgan and AJ; the more mellow of the cousins so they tend to gravitate to each other at get togethers....

I got to spend some time with my young nieces which is always good for the heart...

Dans mom with all her grandkids....

All the cousins lined up by height....

All the first cousins and their spouses who were crazy enough to marry into the family :)
I was thinking over 2016 and at first I think,"Please be a calm year God!" But then I remember that whatever life brings it's an adventure and that's what I love about life. The good, the bad and the ugly because all of those put together grows my character in the Lord and makes me who I am meant to be. It challenges me to be more compassionate, more at peace, to have pure joy in ALL circumstances that only comes from God, to be kinder and to have a more quiet spirit. To live large and fearless for Christ. To jump off that ledge into the water, climb that mountain for the better view, breath in deep the fresh cool air and thank God for the sunset that is never the same every night. To swim out farther and go deeper to see below the surface, to ride my bike on that dusty trail and thank God for the wind in my face and yup even the dirt in my teeth because I can. Because everyday I wake up and get to take another breath, I'm pretty darn determined to glorify the creator with that breath. To take nothing for granted, to fear nothing because Gods hand is in the details, to enjoy the creation and be in awe of the creator. Blessings!