small town

I love my little town... This morning I had to run a few errands. I began with a stop at the bike shop to pick up a repaired bike, three stops at the tiny stores in search of a favorite treat for a care package  and the farm store to get supplies. Lastly, a stop at the post office to mail said care package and pick up a box of chicks. Which also doubled as a perfect spot to have an hour long conversation with a friend. Small town living at its finest and a blessed way to ease into the weekend!

good bye 2014...hello 2015

the dock - New Year's Eve 2015

 

 

Last night the view was rough, cold (okay cool for those of you that are in cold climates), windy, and even though not visible, there were whitecaps on the waves. It seemed fitting for the very last day of December 2014. Not a wonderful month to remember and yet I find myself not wanting to forget. We did, after all, survive! We muddled our way through a hospitalization, my dad had a peritonsillar abscess, all seven of us had the flu, (the one that the flu shot did not cover, which was okay because none of us had the flu shot), my husband devleoped walking pneumonia, a young man had a pilonidal cyst; not one young man, but two young men! Gave the flu to my mother and father-in-law, and Hannah had a neurological scare that almost sent us to the emergency room; a pretty big deal since none of my children have ever been there.

It was a pretty rough ending to a year that was very joyous at times and incredibly difficult at times.  But no matter what I want to remember.
I want to be grateful in good times and bad.
I want to count it ALL joy, James 1:2-8.

So, the following celebrations were cancelled during all of those trials:

25th anniversary

 
 
2 birthdays

a graduation party to celebrate our two oldest boys graduating from college, on the same day, from the same school, in two separate ceremonies (5 of us were sick)

49th anniversary

Christmas Eve...

This was the view from the swing last night and I have practice keeping my focus in the right place. This is my favorite spot to bring in the new year. So sweet all tucked in the woods, beautiful surroundings, reflective, kids enjoying themselves. Sometimes we stay the night and sometimes we don't. It's always different yet never disappointing.

 

 I must say I like calmer waters, and the air a bit more still, when I spend time in that swing. Never the less I still want to be there. This is my favorite spot to ring in the new year and it doesn't matter what the weather is.

the dock - New Year's Eve, not 2015



Hoping we have much to celebrate in 2015 and we can all stay healthy!

I also know we will weather any storm!