It’s a little surreal to me that we are in the final hours of 2016. I always heard that the years get faster as we get older and I am starting to realize just how true that is.
I decided to take a look back in photos from my FB and/or IG to reflect on 2016. I can’t come close to recapping a whole year here, of course, but this is a nice look back at 2016.
January: Macey made honor roll for seventh grade and Mariana got runner up for her Honoring Our Heroes Essay Contest entry written about our friend Anna:
February : Mickey turned the big FOUR-OH. And this isn’t the best pic, but it’s one from his actual birthday. The rest of the day I posted tribute pics for him.
March: Macey went on a youth retreat with our church student group, Mariana and I got to see our sweet Anna dance, I met Chewbacca up close and personal, and we celebrated our risen Lord and Savior at Easter.
April: Mariana sang The National Anthem at an Atlanta Braves game with her school chorus, we enjoyed a girls’ mountain weekend getaway, and I experienced one of the highest thrills of the year with my very first skydive!
May: was a bittersweet month. Our friend and former neighbor, Peter, passed away young and very unexpectedly. (The photo shown is Peter and his wife Wendie when they visited our house for a party several years ago.) Needless to say, that was shocking, tragic, and very sad. May also had bright moments such as Mariana turning 10 and having a ballerina birthday party, Mariana performing in her spring recital, and our family having our annual beach trip blast with our great friends, the Davis family.
June: Summer kicked off with a lot of FUN! Joyce, Dena and I went to The Grove’s Summer Party where we got rained on, but had so much fun, Macey went to camp (aka – her happy place), and Mariana went to her first week of dance camp.
July: Macey turned 13! A teenager in the house! We celebrated with a backyard birthday party complete with Moe’s catering and an inflatable water slide! She also had to have surgery to place three pins in her pinky finger which sustained a break playing four square at camp – of all random things. (And, no, this didn’t diminish her camp love – not one bit!). And, both girls got to spend time “down south” with Nana and Gran-Gran.
August: back to school time for both girls. Macey got her pins out the first week of school. And, Mariana officially started company dance.
September: Labor Day weekend we attended “guest camp” at Macey’s beloved camp and had a wonderful time! Macey and Mickey’s winning autumn soccer season officially began, Mariana walked in a local parade with school chorus and we spent an awesome week at the beach with Nana and Gran-Gran!
October: Mickey and Mariana attended their last elementary school Doughnuts with Dad together (sniff), we went on our annual trip to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch, and Mickey and I celebrated 15 years of marriage. And, of course, there was Halloween!
November: Macey’s team (coached by Mickey) won first place at the McDonald’s Cup Tournament, Mickey and I attended Mariana’s last elementary Thanksgiving luncheon, and we celebrated Thanksgiving with family down south.
December: one crazy busy, but totally wonderful month! I went to a Christmas tea with Joyce at her church, our sweet friend Dena got baptized, Mariana danced as a snowflake and an elf in “The Polar Express”, we took the girls ice skating, Macey had her winter orchestra concert, we got a new kitten, and we had a truly AMAZING Christmas celebrating Jesus’ birth!
These are not nearly ALL the moments, but some glimpses into 2016 for our family. There were times of sadness, to be sure, but there were many good times too. Looking back on this year helped me to be reflective of the blessings 2016 held for us. It wasn’t always sunshine and roses, but God is good through it all.
Here’s to 2017, y’all. May God guide and keep us all through this new year and always.
Looking forward with expectation and hope,
Kel