Oh, 2016. You were full of surprises. So when I sat down to write my traditional year end summery blog post, it was fairly easy to choose this year’s word.
Our biggest and most wonderful Surprise came in February when we learned that LL would be joining our little family. As my friend Wade said, “You can’t plan a miracle,” and we are so glad that God’s plan for us included this sweet baby.
LL was far from some with surprises though, and her birth ended up being quite the adventure. {If you missed that story, click here.}
We are constantly surprised with what BB has learned this year. He has changed so much and makes our lives amazingly fun. We celebrated his first birthday in September and I am just not sure how time passes so quickly.
Not all surprises were happy, and we said goodbye to Husband’s grandpa in April. After a month of being with him in the hospital, we were grateful to have had the chance to say goodbye and know that he was ready to go, but that does not make losing him any easier. Watching Nana say goodbye to him was heartbreaking and inspiring all at the same time. Also, I will never forget Husband riding with his grandpa on the ambulance from the hospital to the hospice facility, where he would pass away 12 hours later. More than once, Husband has commented on how much that meant to him.
We made a couple of trips to the lake–one of our favorite spots–including one to celebrate Uncle Buddy’s 70th birthday with a surprise party.
After thinking my bridesmaid dress closet was complete, I was thrilled when my friend, Dylan, surprised me with the cutest gift and asked me to stand up with her as she marries Austin. They are one of our favorite couples and we can’t wait to celebrate them next year!
When Christmas rolled around, Husband completely surprised me with this amazingly beautiful gift–handmade Navajo pearls and a turquoise pendant with two stones, one for each baby. I have never loved a gift more!
We were surprised to see how far off the vet was who preg checked our new cows…we expected calves on October and are still waiting. Patience is running thin.
The Presidential election was full of surprises all year, and I pray that God will help all of those elected to guide our country.
We took a last minute surprise end-of-the-year trip, just husband and me, to Santa Fe. It was a nice getaway and we enjoyed stuffing our faces with green chile and having some time together.
I was surprised and honored to win a big award at work that took me to Waco for the presentation. Of course, that meant a trip to The Silos was in order!
It is hard to imagine how 2017 could me more full or surprises than the past 365 days have been, but we will let it try. Thanks be to God for all of the blessings he has given us and especially for the two little ones he has entrusted to us. May we be worthy of this calling in 2017!
Always a Farm Kid 