looking back at 2014

At the end of the year, we sit down as a family 

and talk about the past year ... remembering

God's goodness in our lives!

We keep a family New Year's Eve

journal documenting these things so

we can look back in years to come and be

reminded of God's faithfulness to us.

I want to share some of those things with you ...

January

Grace is wanting to learn how to be a good mommy ...

and has really taken to helping me cook!

Grace and Gramma had weekly sewing lessons ...

so thankful we are close to my mom and she

can be such a part of our lives.

We had some great homeschooling experiences!

Carding wool and making dip candles.

We are so blessed to be able to homeschool!

We had lots and lots of snow and cold!

We had some fun times in the snow and are so

thankful that when others ran out of wood or fuel

for heat because of the long cold winter, we

had leftover wood.  God is so faithful!

February

I am blessed by the people that God brings into our lives ...

we were blessed by Jen and April teaching

us all about wool ... here I am spinning the wool.

(shh! I still have some to finish spinning!)

Homeschooling gives us the gift of time ...

time together as a family and for our children to PLAY!

We enjoyed watching the Olympics together

and Nathan built his own snow course for his olympic games.

Grace and I got to spend time together

while I taught her how to knit ... she made this pink scarf!

We spent a day at Presque Isle bird watching 

(saw a snowy owl) and ice fishing!

Grace and my mom made Grace a rag quilt

for on her bed during their weekly sewing lessons!

March

We celebrated Nathan's life and the blessing he is

to us and others! That boy loves God and others!

We helped an Amish family collect sap

for maple syrup.  And came home with 5 gallons

of fresh maple syrup ...only 2 for us.  

We are so blessed to have

whole foods so readily available to us!

And after going to an Erie Chamber Orchestra concert,

Grace made a paper violin and plays for us!

Thankful for these free concerts to add to our

homeschool experiences!

April

We participated in the Franklin Cross Walk

on Good Friday ... this was a sacred experience!

We were blessed to spend Easter weekend with my

brother Shawn and his family in Baltimore ... 

celebrating the Resurrection of our Savior

and time together as family.

Our family field trip to D.C. area and visit 

with Sara and Jay was awesome!

God is so good to bless us!

May

I was blessed with a picnic and hike with

my hubby and kids for Mother's day!

We had fun fishing together!

And we planted our garden ... 

the kids each had their own sections!

Planting the garden each year reminds me

of our faith in things unseen!

June

Precious unhurried time playing wiffle ball

as a family!

Grace making and selling bracelets at our

yardsale to raise money for the Pregnancy Center.

Our awesome daddy!

A week directing at Camp Judson ...

how God uses us and camp to

further His Kingdom!

July

Fourth of July Colwell family cookout at our house ...

Gramma being here this year from FL!

We are blessed to have a home that allows

us to hosts family gatherings!

Laughter, hugs, football in the rain, PIT, 

relay games, lots of food ... great time at my

family reunion!

Family time together ... Old Home Days,

lots of bike riding, and camping trip!

August

Produce from our garden! 

Grace setting up containers and doing a drum

performance for us!

I'm so blessed by my children's imaginations!

Mega Sports Camp - a great opportunity

for us to share about Free Wheelchair Mission

and money was raised for 25 wheelchairs!

God is awesome!

A smooth transition into our third year homeschooling.

And Matt returned to Cathedral Prep for a new year

... not dreading it! Praise God!

September

We celebrated the life of our beautiful daughter!

She shines so brightly with her love for God.

Nathan LOVES reading and that makes

this mommy happy!

We have so much fun learning together ...

solar oven experiment cooking s'mores.

October

Tons of produce to preserve!

More reading, writing and science excitement!

Laughter. Fun in fall leaves!

A special trip to Gettysburg!

Water battle ... our kids will remember us saying

yes and joining in when it would have been easier

to say no!

God is so good ... teaching me to let go of my to do list

and have fun with my kids!

November

Unhurried time!

Creative play and science experiments.

Our family Give Thanks journal...

focusing on what we have instead of what we don't.

Precious time with Matt's dad!

December

Saying no so I can say yes to my kids!

Making gingerbread nativity together.

Homemade Christmas gifts.

Giving of ourselves!

"Perfectly" kid decorated Christmas tree.

Challenges and encouragement from

Unwrapping the Greatest Gift advent book.

Time with family!

WE ARE BLESSED!

I pray that as you look back on 2014, you see the abundant goodness

of God in your life!  We serve an awesome God who 

loves us more than we can ever fathom!

Be blessed in this new year!