The Best of 2013~~

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The pages of another calendar have become obsolete.

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The seasons have cycled ‘round once again through a familiar succession of blooms…

P1090965P1090895P1090771P1100048currantP1090917twin budsP1110187

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to the less familiar territory of settling into being just the two of us again…

P1090469P1110816P1100869P1110495CrownPoint

P1110582P1130447…after 30 years.

With our last child leaving home, my homeschooling career ended.P1100730straitP1120393Rachel

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My own travels took me to the two largest states in the Union this year—Alaska and Texas…

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…in pursuit of family, the best reason to travel!

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Boating was minimal for us this year.

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“Chase Me” has changed hands and been fitted with new sails for racing that proudly bear the name of our first grandson, Chase, born four years ago when we purchased and christened this Cal28.

Her new owners love her and eagerly relate their latest exploits every time we bump into them around town!

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Ironically, No sooner had we sold our sailboat, then we joined our progeny for a house boating vacation– hopefully just the first of many happy reunions, now that we’re all so grown up!

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And the year concluded with my Grandmom quiver expanding to include one more little guy–Cedrick!
whom we have yet to meet…  Cedrick1

A New Year’s priority is to travel to see him and his happy siblings!

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What else will the year hold?

P1120692 Can’t quite see from this vantage point…

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Hopefully more rides…P1110420crop

more moments for reflecting…P1110910

more noticing the small things that brighten a day…P1120911

And always, the glorious hope of better things yet to come!

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May your New Year be crowned with blessings
such as only the Giver of all good things can give!

–LS

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world…”Ephesians 1:3-4 KJV

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” Titus 2:13 KJV

Recalling 2012…

Lindy in stroller - 63Well the year rolled in with this little chickadee turning fifty…and it ended with all but one of her fledglings having flown, one at year’s beginning:

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The other at its end:

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Still there is the ‘baby’…P1050105

…who is counting days till she can move away to warmer climes and be done with math and science and all such things…

Meanwhile the emptying nesters are pulling together…

Our  tandem was shiny new and untried last January.P1040652 It has now carried us along safely for 1,100 miles. Lots of them were routine rides in 20 mile increments, but there was one longer stint–our now annual bike trip to tour the Gulf Islands we missed last time around!

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Summer had its usual share of leisure in water and sun, of sailing and cycling and swimming…[P1060368%255B4%255D.jpg]P1060708

P1070275Manson's Landing

and of tending the garden and smelling the flowers…

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P1080231P1070050Rachel's sunflower

Meanwhile prayer hikes ceased with the passing of our fearless and persistent leader, Maureenimage

The crowning event of the summer came in late August with a text message received while we sat and sunned at the top of Scout Mountain: “He looks like a fish!” Another grandson had been born and we hit the road to welcome him.

P1070975P1080102[He bore no resemblance to a fish, as far as I could see!]

 

The summer extended itself into an especially beautiful fall…allowing us to get out sailing and cycling some more…

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October finished with the passing of Jim’s mom to glory and a trip to the prairies to commemorate with family a life well lived.

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And of course we caught up with the growing progeny:

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Then came a month of ordinary days dappled with light and shadow…

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till the Advent season came round again… and with it our 29th anniversary

P1090042 P1090172and the coming together of the whole family under one roof to share all our fondest traditions of Christmas.  Wonderful!

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And then they were gone.  The decorations came down.  The fridge emptied. And quiet returned.

And at last, today, I got out for a walk….

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And that has been our year in a nutshell!

Wishing you all God’s best for you and yours in this new year!

–LS