Our Year In Review

 

I am honestly not sure where 2024 went. It feels like every year goes faster than the one before it but this might have been the fastest year yet. It feels like I was only just sitting down to write up our year in review from 2023 and here I am doing it again already! 

While the ending of this year was not what we would have liked, prior to that (and even after) 2024 was actually pretty good to us. 

In looking back upon the year, it turns out that we achieved a lot of the goals we had set forth for ourselves. January was the month I have ever blogged the least (one time) but that post was the one where we shared our goals for the coming year.. Dave and the girls skiied several new mountains, we indeed witnessed a natural wonder (which is a moment the four of us will carry with us forever), Grace's room was completed, Emma earned her driver's liscence and we finished HP 6 (our family read aloud)! 

We did not fix the raised garden beds (maybe this year), or get a cat or two (I keep hoping). My dissertation is done but not done done (or defended) but at least I completed writing and turned in chapter five to my chair this past Sunday (yay me!)! While I had hoped I would hve been fully done and defended by the end of 2024, one semester past that isn't a bad thing. This means that while Grace graduates high school this spring, I willl graduate for the final time ever this spring as well. Thirty years after my own high school graduation this school journey finally will come to an official end for me. 

Both girls attended the prom. Grace in the most perfect for her dress at the Parker prom and Emma in a stunning two piece attended the prom in Maine with a  friend from Pilgrim Lodge. We were thrilled that our homeschooled daughters got to experience this teenage rite of passage! 

In early June, David and I enjoyed a weekend just us while the girls were at CIT training at Pilgrim Lodge. We explored the Dessert of Maine and stayed in our beloved Freeport. It had been awhile since we had had an overnight just us and it was delightful! 

There were dance competitions, of course, and another recital weekend came and went. Grace attended a week long dance intensive, and right before the current school year began it was time for dance team auiditions again and with it began the series of "lasts" for Grace as that brought her into senior year. Emma decided to return to the world of competative dance by auditioning for the hip hop team. Grace was thrilled to learn that she was given a spot on the elite team! She has now competed on all five dance teams (mini, junior, senior, pro and now elite)! Emma was over to moon to find out that she secured a place on the large group hip hop team. Both will be competing and performing solos as well this coming spring. It's lovely to have both as competative dancers again, my only wish is that they would have returned as duo partners too. 

In addition to camp and dance (so much dance!) and birthdays (sixteen and eighteen) and being in the path of totality for the eclipse, the other event that we will forever treasure was seeing Hadestown on Broadway! This has been something both girls, especially Grace, has wanted to do for awhile and being able to turn this dream into a reality under the guise of Grace's eighteenth birthday was just the best! Jordan Fisher and Maia Raficco were stellar as Orpheus and Eurydice and if we lived closer to NYC I have no doubt we would have retuned a few more times to see that amazing show again! 

August was when Grace's senior picture session took place and Liz captured the most gorgeous pictures of her (which I still need to go through and choose what to order)! It's wild to think that it will be time to book Emma's senior session soon....where have these years gone? 

Both girls experienced big milestones this year. Emma with the aforementioned driver's license in October and Grace voting for the first time in a presidential election this past November. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving gathering on Thanksgiving day and then the girls hosted their first ever Friendsgiving the next day (and Dave's parents, Dave and I went out to dinner just the four of us). 

And this brings us to December. The Advent Spiral, Saint Nicholas Day, Christmas Pagaent Day, Solstice Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day. Enjoying sitting by the light of the tree. There is just something so magical and restorative about that and very, very needed after the outcome of the election and in the wake of what's to come. 

And just like that 2024 comes to a close. We are grateful to have each other and this beautiful live we have made. We will enjoy Chinese food and share our hopes for the coming year (as is our tradition) and watch Wicked this evenin. It's ikely none of us will see the new year in but we will enjoy this time together and embrace the new year tomrorow! xo 

Christmas Day, December Wrap Up and 2023 In Review

 Christmas morning. 

Boxing Day. 

Legos in the morning. 

Brunch, Starbucks and shopping with friends after. 

It's hard to believe that it's New Year's Eve already! 2023 flrew by at warp speed and as a result this little space of ours has not been tended too as much as it has been in years past.

January 2023 saw me switching from Youth Group Director to Director of Children's Ministry, yet by November 1st I had resigned as a staff member of FCC. 

Both girls began the year as students at Parker and have ended this year, once again, as homeschoolers.

Little did we know that Christmas of 2022 would be our last with Miss Gretchen. She passed in April and there has been a Gretchen sized hole in our hearts (and on my lap) ever since. 

We added Violet to our family in March. 

We added new chicks to the farm in June. 

We added another lisenced driver to the family in October. 

And we added yet another ski instructor to the family in December (congrats, Emma!)! 

There was much goodness in 2023, and some sadness along the way too, but on the whole we continued to grow as individusals and a family. It has been a joy to our return to our regularly scheduled programming as a homeschool family. Like the world is right again. 

We chatted about our hopes nad dreams for 2024 over dinner of Thai food tonight. I will share that in this space tomrrow. Tonight, we will celebrate and reflect on the year past and begin to look foward to the year ahead. To those of you still following along with our goings on in this space, we thank you! I am not sure what is instore for our little piece of the internet in the year to come, but I hope to still find tme to record our adventures and other milestones, especially as we look forward to welcoming yet another liscened driver into the family! 

Happy New Year's Eve, friends! xo

Our Year In Review

 

How is it possible that it's time for this post already? It honestly feels like just yesterday that I was wroting our 2021 year in review! Gracious, these years fly by faster and faster! 

On the whole, 2022 was a fairly good year for us. There were definitely some bumps in the road along the way, as there always are, but in the end we found our way (as we always do). 

The pandemic continued, though not nearly as scary as it was when it began. As I write this Covid, RSV and pnemonia have created a tripledemic and it is my sincere hope that as we head in 2023 that we stay well and healthy. 

We celebrated Emma's fourteenth birthday with a small, yet perfect-for-her gathering, and Grace's sixteenth birthday with a perfect day for her. Seeing Wicked in Boston ON her actual birthday with her dearest friend (and her mom who is one of my dearest friends) was a brthday wish come true! 

We said a sad good-bye to our sweet Lily-Rose and a few months later welecomed in our sweet Clover Blossom (who, we have no doubt, was sent to us by Lily-Rose)! She has been a wonderful addition to our family and she brings a smile to all who spend time with her. 

In between saying good-bye to Lily-Rose and welcome to Clover, I had shoulder surgery. The recovery was long (and in a way is still continuing). I am back at the gym but am so far from where I was or what I was able to do before my surgery that it truly feels like I am starting over again. 

The girls spent two weeks at Pilgrim Lodge this past summer and we had the most wonderful weekend in Freeport between those two weeks. We even got to get togehter with my soul sister Jannine and her wonderful family while we were in Maine! Oh, how I wish we all lived closer as I have no doubt we'd be together all the time if that was the case! 

The girls fisnished their first year at Parker and started their second in the fall. It has been a bumpy road with Parker this school year, and as a resultt it's very likely that after this school year ends they will both return to being homeschoolers (which, if truth be known, is a mch better fit for all of us). 

Grace and Emma celebrated ten years of dance this past June. Both have become such beautiful dancers and it was a joy to watch them on stage (indoors!) at recital time! 

Emma got her first job this autumn: working at Honey Pot Hilll Orchard. Such a pefect first job for her!

Grace has started to learn to drive (and has done really well so far). It's an honor to get to be there to help her learn this skill too (as I have for everything else she has done)! 

In addition to being in the second year of my doctoral program, I am also getting ready to take on the Sunday School at the church I work at in Holliston. My time with the youth group was incredible, and I will miss them dearly, but I am looking forward to getting to know the younger childrena nd the families of FCC better too.

David continues to see patients, to teach at Northeastern and is in his secon season as a ski patroller at Wachusett. 

Grace has also gotten her first job this year too. She has joined the ski instructing staff at Wachusett Mountian. So proud of our girls and how they have chosen such perfect first jobs for each of them! 

We are looking foward to the adventures and experiences that 2023 gives to us. We are hopeful that this year will be kind to us and bring health and happiness to all. xo

As promose wakens in the sleeping land:

They carol, feast and give thanks, 

And dearly love their friends, 

And hope for peace. 
And now, so do we, here, now, 

This year, and every year. 

-From The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper 

Our Year in Review

Oh, twenty-twenty one! How we thought you might not be as crazy as twenty-twenty was and here we are heading into twenty-twenty two with trepidation. Though twenty-twenty one wasn't what we expected we continued to find so much goodness amidst the craziness too! 

This year saw us pull off the most epic birthday surprise for Emma. It saw the girls perform their first (and most likely only) competitive duo (see video below). 

 It was the year that Grace graduated eighth grade which was also the day we saw both sets of grandparents for the first time in fifteen months! This was the year that David completed the ski patroller course, and it was the year that I went back to school as a doctoral student. This was also the year that we added Lily-Rose (the best bunny ever) to our family! 

Twenty-twenty one was the year that we said good-bye to being a homeschool family and hello to being a Parker family. And while we all miss homeschooling (me especially) we are so incredibly impressed with how beautifully the girls transitioned to Parker (it does help that it's very similar to how we always did things here, minus the Waldorf aspect of our life, of course). There will always be part of me that wishes we had been able to see homeschooling through to graduation day, or that we at least had Emma complete her eighth grade year at Seasons of Seven before heading to Parker. But regardless, they are happy and thriving and fit in so perfectly within the Parker community that we are grateful they are there too! 

Twenty-twenty one also was the year we said good-bye to my grandfather. Emma grieved this deeply and will forever miss he beloved pen pal. Christmas was strange this year with him gone. Our mailbox isn't quiet the same without his cards and letters. We remain grateful for all the wonderful letters and PowerPoint presentations he sent our way! I mean, really, I think my grandfather had a better handle on PowerPoint than I do! 

We are hopeful that twenty-twenty two will be kind to all of us, but even if it isn't we will continue to find the silver linings throughout. We wish you all a year full of health and happiness! xo 

As promise wakens in the sleeping land:

They carol, feast and give thanks, 
And dearly love their friends, 
And hope for peace. 

And now so do we, here, now, 
This year and every year. 

-from The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper

 

Year In Review

 

Happy New Year's Eve! Twenty twenty was absolutely an unprecedented year and one that none of us saw coming when we welcomed it in almost a year ago. And while it wasn't the year we had thought it would be we found many blessings amidst the chaos of life during a global pandemic. 

Our year began with dance and skiing and, in February, a wonderful trip to Jay Peak in Vermont (I would have stayed there forever if we could have). February also saw Emma turning twelve (one of the last birthday celebrations before Covid turned everything into car parades). 

Of course, if I am being honest, not a whole lot changed for us when the pandemic began. Being a homeschool family for years already we did not have to adjust to the "school at home" piece that so many of our friends did when the world shut down in March.  We were grateful to be able to offer wisdom and support for all that found themselves thrust into the world of pandemic schooling.  The biggest adjustment for us was our home being turned into a dance studio when the girls classes all went virtual (that ballet barre Dave's parents gave the girls at Christmas clearly was a bit of foreshadowing). 

The end of March saw dance competitions being postponed (even though we knew they would end up canceled) and the same held true for April. What everyone thought would be a two week "stay at home" order turned into longer and we found ourselves celebrating Pam Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday from our living room. 

May brought May Day and Mother's Day and some much wished for chicks(!) right before my quarantine birthday (the first one in our family).  May also was when I applied for a job that was recommended to me by my graduate school mentor. 

June brought with it more canceled plans (a much looked forward to dance intensive for Grace) and a job interview (and offer) for me. I didn't see myself retuning to full time paid work this year and can't say I was really ready for it but alas that's adulting for you. The chicks got bigger and moved out into their coop (and I didn't sleep the first few nights) . 

July brought with it a return to the dance studio (with Covid precautions in place) and more delayed dance competitions (and us wondering what was taking so long to cancel) and two more quarantine birthdays - David's and Grace's- and everyone realizing that quarantine birthdays really are pretty fab! 

We continued to wonder how we were going to juggle me working full time and homeschooling the girls (and there were many anxious tears shed knowing that the weeks were flying by).  Thankfully our prayers were answered in the form of Seasons of Seven Virtual (Waldorf) School. The timing of that truly couldn't have been better! The stars clearly had aligned for us and we couldn't be more grateful! 

August saw more canceled plans, more cancelled dance competitions but alas one ended up happening! Of course, as luck would have it that one took place after I was officially back at work. Training for work was a long two weeks. It's hard to learn a new job while having to social distance and wear a mask ALL. DAY. LONG.  August was also our anniversary and when school began for the girls and when the dance recital finally took place. Sadly, August was also when my 102 year old grandfather passed. He was born during a pandemic and died during a pandemic. A full circle moment indeed. 

September, October and November were a whirlwind of adjusting to life with both of us working and the girls in school. Or driving to dance and getting back to the gym. Of planning virtual youth group meetings and of trying to figure out what the holiday would look like. It's all kind of a blurr but in the end all worked out. 

Our December was different in that we didn't have a quiet month of crafting and elving and creating but rather a month of lessons and work. Presents were not wrapped until Christmas Eve and cinnamon rolls weren't baked until Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We did still manage to celebrate Saint Nicholas Day at the beginning of the month, though Saint Lucia got lost in the shuffle (sadly, as it's one of our faves). Our Christmas Day was small and lovely. The  most looked forward to day in December was absolutely earlier today when Emma received her first pair of pointe shoes! 

There were tears from me as a grieved my "old life" while I adjusted to the new. I miss the way things were, though I am grateful to work from home four days a week and to work with such kind people. It is nice to put my two degrees in Special Education to good use again. I am so grateful that I got to spend fourteen solid years home with my sweet girls. It's hard to leave that part of my life behind as it was truly the job that I was made to do and one that I knew I was good at. I am not sure I will ever find a job that I love as much as I loved being home with the girls for the past fourteen years. And yes, they were ready for more and have more than risen (and impressed us). I just wish I had known that last lesson year was my last at the helm. Their teachers, Ms. Jaia and Mr. Donovan have been such a blessing and such perfect teachers for them! We love that they still get to be home while having a Waldorf school experience! 

One of the biggest blessings of this pandemic has been having David home so much. In almost nineteen years of marriage this is the most he has ever been home. Yes, he continued to see patients, and yes many have had Covid (and clearly the PPE works as he has not yet contracted it). We ended 2019 with a lot of truth being learned and entered 2020 with much uncertainty and much work to do and this pandemic has allowed us the gift of time and the gift of reconnection and reconciliation and for that I am eternally grateful. 

And so, while I know 2020 was a rough year on so many fronts (we pause to remember those lives lost to Covid and to give thanks to those working tirelessly on the frontlines of this pandemic) on the whole, for us, it brought with it many blessings We became even closer than we already were, we slowed down, we reconnected, we focused on what was most important to us, we read good books, listened to good music, got outside on many, many, many walks. We absolutely miss seeing our family members (who we have not seen since February) and going on out of state adventures but we have decided to isolate now so that when we gather later no one is missing. 

This brings my tenth year of blogging to a close. It's the least I have ever blogged due to #returningtopaidwork but at 177 posts still pretty good (and brings my post count to 2.647). I still have yet to print this blog in book format (and really should do that soon). I have no idea how much I will blog in the coming year. I am hoping to get anything that "feels important" up in this space but have a feeling posts may be few and far between. Thank you to anyone who has continued to read. 

I hope you found the blessings amidst the chaos too and that your 2021 is a happy and healthy one! Wishing you a sweet and lovely new year! xo 

Our Year In Review

Happy New Year's Eve, friends! The years seem to go by faster and faster all the time! It feels like just yesterday were just getting ready to welcome in 2019 and here we are jetting ready to bid is adieu!.

Today during lunch Grace and I were chatting about how 2019 was a good year for our family, though it left lots to be desired for our country. There were some challenging spots for our family, some sad times, some disappointments (and some more recent than others) but on the whole, at the end of the day, it truly was another really good year for the four of us who reside in this sweet, old farmhouse that we love so dear.

Family-wise, 2019 saw both girls competing and then making the dance team again this past August. It also saw me, once again competing (and doing a fitness photo shoot with the amazing Angelica about a week later. Pictures to come). It saw Dave becoming a Ranger at Wachusett and spending his winter Sundays at the mountain. 2019 saw me say "good-bye" to one church job and "hello" to another (with a much larger, much more vibrant, congregation) and it saw the girls join a wonderful Waldorf co-op with some of the sweetest mamas and daughters you can imagine.

One of the big highlights of this year was watching the girls choreograph the most beautiful dance (in under two weeks, no less!) for Youth Sunday at church. That is truly a moment I will absolutely treasure and carry with me forever.

In 2019 Emma turned eleven and we spent the entirety of her day doing all the things she loves best. It was a truly perfect way to celebrate her! And then, later in the year, we  gained a teenager in our family when Grace turned thirteen!  I find this impossible to believe since I am only twenty-five (a fact that both girls like to remind me is not true)! But seriously, these thirteen years have gone by way too quickly. I am so grateful that I've been able to spend every day of each one of those thirteen years with that sweet soul (and her equally as sweet sister). It has truly been an incredible blessing!

Some dreams were realized this year when we took a girls trip to the tulip farm in the spring, and then when we finally did family pictures outside in the autumn! Thank you Liz for capturing our family so beautifully! Twenty-nineteen saw Grace getting her first pair of pointe shoes. And it's like I watched her grow up right before my eyes that day....

And of course, twenty-nineteen will always be remembered at The Year of the Thirty-Six Aprons! Thanks Aunt Gail!

The last couple of months of 2019 allowed us to remember what it was like to have a dog in the house. 

And so tonight, as we toast with proseco (for us) and egg nog (for the girls) and enjoy Chinese food and almond cake (per usual) and introduce the girls to Star Wars* we reflect on the year that has passed and set some intentions for the year ahead. We wish all of you a wonderful New Year's Eve and a sweet and healthy and blessed 2020! xo

*edited to add: they absolutely loved it!

Our Year In Review

And just like that another year is coming to a close! I truly cannot believe how fast this one flew by! It honestly seems like just yesterday I was working on our twenty-seventeen year in review, and looking back at my seventh year of blogging, and now here I am reflecting on, and closing out, my eighth!

Twenty-eighteen was good to us. It saw many goals being achieved and dreams coming true. Emma's dream of making the dance team being a big one (and Grace returning for a third year). Twenty-eighteen even saw me getting on stage (something I never, in my wildest dreams, thought I would do but can't wait to do again)! 

While twenty-eighteen didn't find us traveling the ocean blue, it did find us traveling to Williamsburg Virginia and it did see us gathering in Hartford for alumni weekend.

Beautiful lesson blocks were completed (as were some delicious ones!), pen pals were written to and a week at summer camp full of fabulous memories and experiences was had. In twenty-eighteen the girls learned that they were, in fact, Born to Fly!

Twenty-eighteen saw jobs being found and left and then a better one found (though I'm realizing now that the later hasn't been shared about in this space yet)! It saw Dave becoming a Ranger at Wachusett and me becoming Director of Religious Education at First Parish Church in Berlin. My work there began in December, though I don't start with the children until this coming Sunday. I am excited to see where this new journey will take me as I get to know this new faith community!

We didn't do so well with our garden this year and have instead decided that this coming planting season will see it become a pollinator garden (something we have long talked about wanting). I am hopeful that twenty-nineteen may finally be the year we get chickens and bees. We'll see...

Twenty-eighteen saw Emma turn ten and my grandfather turn one hundred. Talk about milestone birthdays!

Another milestone was watching Grace bridge from Juniors to Cadettes. Heather (my dear friend and one of her leaders) had asked me to send along pictures of Grace from her Daisy, Brownie and Junior days. It was a lovely trip down memory lane and crazy to think how quickly those years have passed by.

While twenty-eighteen marked sixteen years of marriage for David and I, it also marked twenty years of being together! Two decades. Just about half our lives. There's been a lot of living in those two decades, my friends, and I dare say they'll be even more in the next two!

And so, tonight we'll eat Chinese food, reminisce about the past year and set our intentions for the coming year. With any luck twenty-nineteen will be as full of love, connection and adventure as twenty-eighteen has been! xo

Our Year In Review

It's hard to believe that it's already time to write our year in review post! It seems like just yesterday I was writing the post to sum up our twenty-sixteen, and yet here I am already reflecting on twenty-seventeen. Gosh, that year went by fast (and yet on another hand felt like it lasted for an entire decade, too).

For us as a family, twenty-seventeen was a stellar year! And while I knew this, seeing it all as I put our "2017 in Review" Flipigram together last night made me realize just how truly incredible a year it was. We watched with pride as Grace and the mini team participated in their first dance competitions (and rocked it! Even winning in their age group for their jazz dance at the second comp)! We found ourselves standing up (and marching) for things that are important to us. I shall carry with me sight of the sea of pink hats and the wonderful energy of the Women's March in Boston for the rest of my days. My only regret is that David and the girls weren't there too. We wrote letters and signed petitions and attended the March for Science in Boston as a family. We participated in vigils and made sure that the world knows that we welcome all and that "Hate Has No Home Here" (just in case that wasn't already clear).

We celebrated birthdays (including a big one- David's 40th) and anniversaries (15 years and still going strong) and so many other milestones and accomplishments. The girls said "good-bye" to one Girl Scout troop and "hello" to another. They went to sleep away camp!  Grace became a Rainbow Girl. Emma, joined the ranks of the Junior Deacons (finally, officially). We built eclipse viewers and watched in awe as the moon covered the sun. And, of course, we kept living, learning, laughing and loving together in this sweet, old farmhouse of ours! We wouldn't have it any other way (well, unless we could move this sweet, old farmhouse of ours to a small town like Berlin, then maybe we would)! The most exciting part of twenty-seventeen was finally going on our long awaited  Disney Cruise! And it was even more magical and incredible than we expected!

And so, this brings to a close our seventh year of  sharing our many adventures and daily goings-on with all of you. We offer many thanks to those who have supported us, encouraged us, and loved us this year (and always). You all make this journey (and the world) so much sweeter. Thank you for loving our little family and enjoying our many adventures. We are truly grateful.

Happy last day of twenty-seventeen, friends! We wish you a wonderful night and a blessed new year! xo

Our Year In Review

 What a year 2016 has been! In looking back over the pictures taken and blogposts written it was another truly wonderful year for our family. I wish we could say the same for our country and the world. 2016 sure was a heart-breakingly tough one for America and the world stage. 

This year saw the girls joining the ski team and Grace joining the Center Stage Dance Team (complete with sparkly jacket)! Emma was thrilled to receive her much looked forward to fountain pen and begin cursive when morning lessons began this past September.

We sent Emma on a fun-filled birthday scavenger hunt which began at church and ended when she discovered a new bike in the upstairs bathroom! A bike! In the bathroom! She's still giggling about that one!

I turned forty and Grace turned ten, and while we didn't end up having the party we had been thinking of ,we both had lovely and perfect for us celebrations in the end. Grace's flower shop birthday gathering will forever be a favorite!

And while the year for our family was generally good there were some sad spots, too. Early February saw us saying good-bye to our sweet guinea pig, Ginger. They handled her passing with such grace, compassion and poise, and as a result I do believe I watched the girls grow-up a little more that day, too. And we were incredibly disappointed  when Hurricane Matthew messed with our amazing surprise for the girls- a much longed for Disney Cruise. For as sad as we were we all agree that we can't help but feel that Hurricane Matthew may have done us a favor in the end as the re-booked cruise sounds even more amazing and magical than our original one would have been!

The four of us are excited to see all that 2017 will bring for our family. Dave will turn forty. Emma will turn nine (the last year our little family have someone with an age in the single digits). Grace will compete in her first dance competitions. And (knock on wood) we'll be cruising to the Caribbean before the end of the year!

And so, this brings to a close, the sixth year of sharing our many adventures and daily goings-on in this, our little piece of cyberspace. We offer many thanks to those who have supported us, walked with us, encouraged us and loved us this year (and always). You all make the journey (and our world) that much sweeter. 

Happy last day of 2016! May 2017 be full of peace, love, joy and understanding. xo

Our Year In Review

2015 was a truly fabulous year for us! While the Epic Winter That Was brought much damage to our sweet old farmhouse, it also equaled an incredible renovation which allowed us to complete many projects that we had talked about for as long as we have been a part of its long and wonderful history. Our house looks more incredible than we could have ever imagined, and we now feel we've made it our own! 

We've watched as the girls learned to tie their shoes, as Emma learned to ride her bike without training wheels, and as Grace learned to do a cartwheel. We sit in awe of the amazing people they are, and look forward to seeing all that they will become. Their kindness and compassion never ceases to amaze us. 

This year was the first time we tapped our maple trees (and what a sweet endeavor that was!) but it was also the first year where we canned and froze nothing. The renovations didn't allow for such, and while it was the right choice given the circumstances, it truly feels weird not to have cupboards full of food that we harvested and prepared. 

This year was so full and so wonderful that it would be hard to sum it all up in one blog post (which, by the way, concludes my fifth year of blogging)! We offer much thanks to those who have supported us, walked with us, encouraged us and loved us this year (and always)! All of you make the journey that much sweeter! 

We wish you a lovely last day of 2015 and a 2016 full of peace, love and joy! xo 

2014 In Review

Happy New Year's Eve, dear friends! Thank you so much for spending another year journeying along with us! It's such a blessing and an honor to have you all as part of our world. Thank you for your support, encouragement and overall love of us and this little piece of cyberspace of ours. We truly love how much you all love our blog!

It's amazing that there are only a handful of hours left to 2014. It seems like each year passes more quickly than the one before it. If only there was some way to slow down time a bit!

This year saw Grace continue to be as sweet and kind and gentle as ever while also finding her voice and speaking up for things that are important to her. We have watched her become a more confident reader and writer and have enjoyed watching her knitting skills improve, too. She is still deeply rooted in the world of fairies and gnomes and adores birds of all kinds and is still dreaming of learning to play the harp. It's hard to believe that in 2015 she will turn nine, and that after that it's all double digit birthdays from then on. I do so wonder what the nine year change will bring for her (and for all of us).

2014 was the year that Emma lost her first tooth (and her second and her third). She attempted to ride a bike sans training wheels and then not feeling ready to continue without them requested they be put back on. I love that she knows her limits and listens to that still small voice inside her and honors it. Emma adores morning lessons (and so does Grace) and also loves to play for hours and hours and hours. Creating, baking, cooking, dancing, helping, exploring and discovering are some of her most favorite things to do, and if she can do all of them each day even better!

We had a blast working together to make new garden beds, can strawberry jam, tomato sauce and peaches and do a little more painting on the fence. Hopefully next spring we'll finally complete that never ending painting project. We cheered Dave on as he worked so very hard to repair the front fence and rejoiced together when it was done!

The excitement reached a fever pitch as we traveled to Florida for a week of truly incredible adventures. Going to Clearwater Marine Aquarium, followed by Grace and Emma's first visit to Disney was beyond our wildest dreams and truly magical. I still get choked up just thinking about it all! Dave and I cannot get over the amazingess that was that week away, and we say all the time how truly glad we are that we waited until both girls were the ages they were for their first trip to Disney and therefore can carry with them the memories of this first trip there all on their own. 

With all the happiness and joy of 2014 we also experienced some sadness and grief. March saw us travel to New York to attend Dave's grandmother's wake and funeral. Being there with our family and watching as everyone helped our girls experience these end of life rituals for the first time (and such a positive experience it was) was such a blessing. Sadly, a couple of days after we returned home we were faced with more death as we said good-bye to our beloved dog Albert. And a few months later we bid farewell to Emma's guinea pig. As things often "come in threes" we thought we were good until we learned that our neighbor's sweet dog passed, followed by one more neighbor-loss as Miss Laura from next door passed from this world and into the next (a loss that shook us all). 

We continue to be grateful to live, learn, laugh and love together each and everyday. The girls and I thank our lucky stars always to have such a dedicated, hard working soul as Dave who makes this incredible life of ours possible! It's such a beautiful life the four of us live and we are so richly blessed.

We hope that your final hours of 2014 find full of joy and peace. We'll eat our traditional meal of Chinese food this evening, fill out our yearly time capsule sheets and stay up with the hopes of seeing the new year in (though I wouldn't bank on that last part occurring)! Happy New Year, dear friends! May your 2015 be full of love, peace, joy and harmony. xo

Our Year In Review

What a year 2013 has been! It's amazing to think that this year is coming to a close already. It sure did fly by! For the four of us residing together in this beloved space of ours it truly was a stellar year. Sure, we had our bumps long the way, but on the whole 2013 was very good to us.

2013 saw us continue to become even more connected to each other than we already were. I love that with each day, each month and each passing year we become even more of the tight knit family I always knew we'd be. We spent the entire year spreading as much love and kindness and goodness into the world as possible ('cause truly the world surely could use much more of those three things). It also saw us connect (and re-connect) more deeply with our friends and family (thanks in part to the world of Facebook). 

In 2013 we watched as Grace lost her first tooth, started reading, became a Brownie and learned to ride a bike sans training wheels. In 2013 we watched as Emma rode her first roller coaster, took care of her baby dolls, began to write her letters and finished her first year as a Daisy. We watched with pride as both girls participated in their first homeschool project fair, danced in their first dance recital and participated in their first Pinewood Derby! 2013 saw Dave and I celebrate our eleventh wedding anniversary with a delightfully quiet day at home with our sweet girls. We have more than recovered from the hurt and sadness that occurred back in 2010 and are fully back to being the amazing pair we love being. 

2013 didn't see us acquire a flock of chickens as we had originally planned, and I didn't master knitting, but I sure did make progress in my learning. We did take our first big family trip this past year (and this coming August will bring an even bigger trip- Disney World)! This was also the year that girls went to Fenway Park for the first time! And how fabulous that the Red Sox won the World Series this year too!  

This year also saw us say good-bye to some friendships and relationships.  We mourned the loss of a family member (see ya on the flipside, Aunt Betty!) and also welcomed other people into our lives (Kathleen I'm totally lookin' at you and your fabulous family!). And just in case you didn't get enough of a year in review in this post we hope that you enjoy the slideshow year in review (and reverse) that the girls and I created this morning. Be sure to turn your speakers on, sit back and enjoy! 

So, tonight as we eat our traditional New Year's Eve dinner of Chinese food we'll fill out our time capsule sheets and share our hopes and dreams for the upcoming year. We'll also choose our watchword for the year (last year's was kindness). 

Enjoy the final few hours of 2013, dear ones! We'll see you next year! xoxo

Our Year In Review

For anyone that has been following this blog for any length of time, or at the very least since this time last year, you may remember that I used this same graphic for last years "Year in Review" post.  The message of this graphic is one that speaks so deeply to us, and one that really should be shared year after year after year (and probably will be here on our blog).  It's the perfect way to end each year, really.  

For the four of us who get to share our days together in this lovely old farmhouse 2012 was a pretty great year. Sure, there were some things that we could have done without, but on the whole 2012 really was a banner year for us. 

This year saw: a new job, the addition of two guinea pigs to our ever growing menagerie of animals (stay tuned for chickens this spring!), our first family camping adventures, our 10th anniversary celebration (and what a fabulous time it was!), both girls becoming Daisy Scouts (and me becoming a leader), a new church home, and getting more and more connected within our community of like minded families.  I really feel like this year saw us become even more of the family we've always been and were always meant to be.  

Outside of the peaceful bubble that is our one sweet world, the rest of the world took quite a beating this year. And we all know that the tragic events in Newtown earlier this month about did me in. I really hope that 2013 brings much peace to our nation and the world as a whole.  It's truly long overdue.  

Tonight, we'll be dining on Chinese food (as we do each New Year's), sharing our hopes for the upcoming year, choosing our guiding word for 2013 and filling out these fabulous time capsule sheets.  Check back tomorrow to see what we came up with!

We wish you a most wonderful New Year's Eve, dear ones.  We'll see you in 2013!  xoxox

Our Year In Review And Wish For You

I can't believe that 2011 is only a few short hours from coming to a close.  It seems that each year flies by quicker than the one before it.  When we were kids it seems like years (and summers!) lasted forever, and now as an adult they seem to go by in the blink of an eye.  As a mama I wish that time would slow down just a little.  But I know it can't.  Time will speed by and my babies will grow.  And although I am looking forward to seeing who it is that they are to become, I can't help but wish that I could hold on to these precious childhood days just a little longer.

2011 was a pretty great year.  Sure, we had some bumps in the road, but compared to how crummy 2010 was, this one was downright stellar! 

We saw Grace leave preschool and never look back.  We saw her blossom and grow by leaps and bounds over the last several months.  There are so many times I have wanted to pull a "Pretty Woman" on her preschool teachers and show up and say to them: "Remember us?  Remember all the doubt you had about this kid?  Well, big mistake!  Big!  Huge!" and walk back out, but I am pretty sure it would be lost on them.  We have seen her spread her wings and become confident and sure of what she needs and how she learns best.  We have seen her advocate for herself and remind us that we need to trust her and follow her lead (as the unschooler that she truly is). She remains. as always. our sweet, caring, wonderful first born girl who adores her side kick, partner in crime and best friend Emma (who she truly believes is her twin).  For those of you who know My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, she is our Fluttershy.  She is a gem and I am so honored that I get the priveledge of being her mama. 

We saw Emma become a Cricket and never look back.  While she was nervous those first few weeks she quickly found her footing and became a much beloved member of the group!  She looks forward to sharing all sorts of things with her "Cricket friends" and she always comes home with wonderful stories about her adventures there.  Red Rover is one of her favorite games to play.  We have seen her language blossom and her confidence soar!  Was there ever a lack of confidence with that little one you may ask?  And yes, there are times when Miss Em becomes very shy and quite (surprising I know)!  She sees herself as an equal to Grace (which we love) and gets frustrated when she can't do something that Grace can.  She is determined.  When she puts her mind to something she makes it happen.  She is confident in a way that I wish all of us could be.  She knows what she wants and she goes for it.  I hope that this is a trait that endures forever.  She too reminds us that we need to trust her and follow her lead (as the true unschooler that she is).  In the words of her Cricket teachers: "She is delightful- a true individual with her own personal style- and I look forward to our explorations the next part of the year."  She remains our sweet, spirited, spunky, with her own sense of style baby daughter who adores her sidekick, partner in crime, and best friend Grace.  For those of you who know My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic she is our Rainbow Dash (and yes, I do believe she does believe she is 20% cooler than most people).  She is a ray of sunshine and I am so honored that I get the priviledge of being her mama. 

And then there is David.  Without him and all that he does we would not be able to live this incredible life that we are blessed to live.  As the only guy in the house he has had to deal with more than his fair share of the colors pink and purple.  And he knows far more about My Little Pony than I am sure he ever thought he would.  He adores his girls (all three of us) and is always excited to come home and hear about our many adventures. I know that he wishes he could be home more and I know that he gets bummed out about not being a part of all these cool things we do.  This year saw him leave his position as Director of Rehab and return to being a staff therapist.  He is much happier now that he is able to return to treating patients instead of doing paperwork and attending meetings.  He is my best friend and cheerleader. He is the encourager of my crazy dreams. He is the Chandler to my Monica, the Marshall to my Lily, the General Holden to my Claudia Joy.  We have been through so much and yet seem to have come out stronger because of it.  We are looking forward to an amazing 2012 complete with our ten year anniversary celebration in August!  Let's just hope that it's not nearly as hot as it was the day we got married! 

This year brought me much peace and joy.  I was able to finally feel that we are truly living the life we were meant to live.  With Grace no longer at school and Emma at Crickets (where we are not the only homeschool family!) I have felt a greater sense of peace this year than I had in the last couple.  I adore each day with my girls and I love that we plan our days together. The only thing that determines how we spend each day is whatever each of us wants to do.  I love the freedom that comes with this lifestyle.  I love that there is nothing that we are tied to unless of course we choose to be tied to something.  We were meant to be an unschooling family and I am so happy that we get to live this amazing life.  Not only am I so happy that we get to live this amazing life, but I am so honored by the three people that I get to share the dailyness of it all with.  David, Grace and Emma are more than I ever could have hoped for, and yes, while I still do wonder on occasion about the baby I thought would have completed our family, there are many more days where I am left just feeling eternally grateful for the three souls who I get to share this space with.  I spent the last half of the year looking for "my tribe".  Hoping to find like minded mamas/unschooling families for us to connect with.  I am hopeful that 2012 will bring some kindred spirits that fit that description into our world. 

I hope this year has brought you love, peace and lots of joy!  We are spending our final moments of 2011 basking in the glory of our family and preparing for a wonderous new year.  We are sharing with each other our hopes for 2012 (more on that tomorrow) and trying to come up with our watchword for the year.  I am thinking it will be love, as this past years was clearly joy (and "enjoying the joy". Our mantra that so many have heard throughout the year).  Enjoy the joy of the last few hours of 2011, dear friends, and may 2012 bring you all the things in the picture posted at the top of this post and then some!