“And the truth is:
Your New Year doesn’t need to-do lists like it needs to-God-be-the-glory lists!“
So, instead of focusing on the stories and pictures I wanted to share in this space throughout the year (shoulda, woulda, coulda)... I'm going to move forward...thankful for a year full of good times and wonderful memories...here are some of them:
In June...Amy, Avery and Owen stayed with us for nine days! We loved that they were here for such a long stay...we had big moments (hosted a party for my 35th birthday!) and relaxing moments (playing in the creek!) During their visit, Owen started crawling! He watched his sister and three cousins having so much fun that he decided he needed to be "on the move!"
In July...we visited Mom and Dad in Texas! Even though there was lots of other entertainment (the American Girl store, a Rangers game, a longhorn stroll in downtown Fort Worth), the kids favorite activity was swimming in their backyard pool!
In October...I visited Amy, Matt, Avery and Owen in Australia! It was such a wonderful trip! Avery introduced me to everyone by saying, "this is Aunt Sissy and she's from very far away!" This trip wasn't about seeing kangaroos or petting koalas...I will do that when I go back with Chris, Lucy, Eli and Samuel. Instead, I wanted to understand their daily life...I loved playing with Avery and Owen, seeing their house, and watching Amy drive on the left side of the road! We drank chai teas at the neighborhood cafes, went to Beyonce's concert, and shopped in the stores on Church Street - I love the walk-ability of their area of Melbourne! I'm a lucky girl that Chris, Mom and Kay rearranged their schedules so that I could be gone for a week - thank you!
Later in October...we hosted Fred, Kay, Nancy, Justin and Jason for Halloween! We had a great laugh when Nancy surprised us by coming in costume as a cheerleader...Eli was a football player (of course!)
Football player Eli, Giraffe Samuel, Gypsy Lucy
In early November...I was a bridesmaid for my friend, Laura! The year has been sprinkled with fun celebrations for her and Randall and I was honored to be part of their wedding!
Later in November...Samuel made his first trip to Pennsylvania! It was a whirlwind few days of hugs, good laughs and yummy food! I have so many fond memories of time spent there when I was young that it meant a lot to me to take Samuel - he, Lucy, and Eli had so much fun and were loved on by my awesome Aunts, Uncles and cousins! We enjoyed staying with Grandma and Samuel loved his snuggles with her - he's into "reading" books to you...very, very cute! It was a treat to see Casey and meet Avery and Owen's newest cousin, Oliver! We took a few hours to visit Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell...our history-loving Lucy really enjoyed that! Eli kept everyone laughing with his sports knowledge, many questions, and slow-motion replays!
For Thanksgiving...the Wyatt gang all gathered at Fred and Kay's house! The young cousins had a great time playing and the food was delicious! Later that weekend, we visited Cheekwood together - it was fun to see all of the Christmas decorations and kick-off the holiday season!
In December...we had a great time celebrating Christmas! Lucy and Eli sang in their choir concert, Eli and Samuel had a program at school, and we baked cookies. I joked with my friend Kristin that my blog post would be titled "the weary world rejoices..." It was a full month!
Samuel really got into the Christmas spirit - he said "ho, ho, ho" each time he saw a Santa Claus and rearranged the bottom half of our tree daily. Eli changed what he wanted for Christmas often and once asked me to "text Santa that I don't want that anymore" (!) Lucy spent a lot of time writing thoughtful Christmas cards and she fell asleep each night under purple Christmas lights.
For Christmas...we had a wonderful trip to Hawaii! This was our way of "meeting in the middle" with Amy, Matt, Avery and Owen...aren't we lucky that the middle is such a great destination? Mom and Dad treated us to such a fun week...we watched whales, did tons of swimming, and ate lots of pineapple! Five of us - Grandma, Dad, Matt, Lucy and I - made a trip to Pearl Harbor! We also toured the USS Missouri - the ship where Japan surrendered at the end of World War II. Grandma's uncle, Peter N. Lund, was on board during the surrender so it was meaningful to tour that battleship. It was a very "Mele Kalikikmaka" ("Merry Christmas" in Hawaiian!)
At the end of December...we celebrated Christmas and New Year's Eve with Fred, Kay, Kelly, Nancy, Justin and Jason! We ended the year by eating pizza, opening presents, and lots of smiles! We are beyond blessed and very excited about 2014!
"To God be the glory,
Great things He has done..."
~Fanny Crosby, 1875