Our 2014

Happy New Year's Eve!!!

 

 

This year has flown by...I cannot believe we will wake up tomorrow and it will be 2015!  This year has been a great year for our family.  Probably the biggest moment for our family this year was Harrison graduating from high school.  I still can't believe I have two children out of high school....YIKES!!!!!

So here is just a quick look at a little bit of our 2014 in review!

I am SO SO proud of this kid! 

 

It rarely snows here in NC, and when it does it is usually just a dusting.  Well in February we got real snow, like 6 inches of fluffy fun snow to play in.  The kids were so pumped...schools closed for 4 days, and we got to play in the snow, sled, build snowmen, the works!  It really was great, and the great thing about living in the South, when it does snow, it leaves pretty quick, so it is a win win.

 

This girl was ready to play in some snow!!

 

Olivia lost some teeth, this year...\

 

I love that toothless grin!!!!!

 

Harrison looking super handsome for Senior Prom.

 

We spent lots of our summer days at the pool...my kiddos LOVE to swim!

 

We took a super fun trip to the mountains...they LOVED the hot tub!

 

I love these two so much...we had a blast on a mini vacation in Myrtle Beach

 

Jack won top prize in a school fundraiser and won a trip to Sports Connection in a limo...pretty cool for a 6th grader!!!!

 

We spent every other weekend from March until June at the baseball field watching AJ do his thing...love my guy!!

 

These two kicked some serious butt in football this year, and proudly sported their pink in honor of breast cancer awareness and my amazing Aunt Marlene! 

 

We celebrated my adorable niece London turning 1!

 

We started another school year...7th, 5th and 1st....WAH...when did they all get so big???

 

The kids ate their fair share of s'mores

 

My hubby became a grandpa for the second time...I think he is the best looking grandpa around!!

 

We trick-or-treated as a coach, Elsa, and a scary man all dressed in black

 

After months of hard work, my blog got up and running....thank you to my sweet friend Andrea !

 

These 3....I just love them so much

This girl!!!

I captured lots of sweet moments between these two!

We spent time with cousins

We took silly selfies!

 

Yuck....I turned 40 this year!!!

 

We had serious fun making crazy costumes out of boxes

 

We added this sweet kitty to our family!

 

I enjoyed every single second with this man!!

 

For the most part 2014 was truly fabulous for my family.  We had lots of laughs, made lots of memories and it was pretty much perfect.  However, back in April, my grandfather, who had just turned 95, passed away, we all knew it was coming, but it was still very hard.  My grandparents were truly two of the absolute best people ever put on this earth.  They lived an amazing life, had 3 children, 8 grandchildren, and 16 great grandchildren....truly amazing.  Last year I was fortunate enough to travel back home and visit with my grandparents....

 

This picture means everything to me...me with my grandparents, and all my children...truly amazing!!

 

After my grandfather passed away, we were all concerned about my grandmother, she had spent the last few years, taking care of him, as his health declined, she was an amazing caretaker, mind you she was 89 years old, and took the absolute best care of my grandfather.  I talked to my grandmother often after my grandfather passed away, and even though she missed him terribly, she really seemed to be ok.  She turned 90 in July, and my family gave her a birthday party...even at 90..this lady loved a party!!!

 

Seriously...does this woman not look AMAZING!!!

 

And then on August 20th, I received an early morning phone call from my mother, saying that my grandmother passed away....I mean I couldn't even believe it...how could that be...she was fine, healthy, this just couldn't be true!!!  Four months later, I still cannot believe she is gone...my grandmother was truly one of a kind...I miss her every single day.  As sad as I am that she is no longer with us, I truly believe she is where she is supposed to be....she was married to my grandfather for 68 years, and I truly believe she died from a broken heart, she just couldn't bear to be here on this Earth without him...it gives me great comfort knowing they are both together again, watching down over all of us! 

 

I have always considered myself lucky...my life isn't perfect or glamorous, but for me it works...I have been fortunate to be surrounded by amazing people all throughout my life.  I wake up each and every day and the first thing I do is thank God for all that I have, I take nothing for granted and appreciate everything and everyone in my life.  So as we get ready to start a new year...I am excited and grateful to be here to start another year, another year of making memories with my family.  I hope you all have the best year ever!!!!!