2013 Gratitude and Humility

Happy New Year to all our friends near and far! We hope that your new year will be filled with blessings from above, God’s grace and His perfect love. Wow, I feel that we have come through an incredible year! I sit here, overwhelmed with God’s faithfulness and perfect love flowing through me. I have seen so many miracles this past year, that I simply smile. {and its a BIG smile!} God has been so good! I am amazed at the mighty acts of God and how He continues to pour out His Grace to his beloved children. My heart overflows with gratitude and humility. Gratitude, for ALL the blessings He has brought to us and surrounded us with. Humility, because I realize I am close to nothing next to such a powerful, perfect and Holy One. Gratitude, because I am thankful for how He continues to lead me through life when it gets rough. Humility, because I know I have done nothing to deserve that.
There have been so many HIGHS and LOWS in the Year 2013. But I would be foolish to expect anything different in the year 2014. 2013 was filled with so many JOYS and SORROWS. But, that’s life. And I enjoy living! A new year never comes with promises of only JOYS, but God does promise He’ll be with us ALL the way through, even through a storm. For this reason, I look back to 2013 with Gratitude for all He’s given me and done for me. And I look back with Humility because of the mistakes I have made.
BUT, now I also look FORWARD to seeing what God has in store for my life. It’s going to be another wonderful year, filled with blessings, joys, anticipation, hope, family times, memories, friendships and love. I can just feel it. Yes, bring it on!
In the year 2013 we:
Feb.: Flew to PA for Pastor’s week at SMBI- made many new friends and rekindled friendships! Had a cousin’s party at Shady Maple Restaurant and visited aunts and uncles! Came home and had a wonderful, relaxing weekend with the ladies at ladies’ retreat! Many memories made there…

March-April: Drove with a friend to Missouri for a week and helped my mother plant garden,house clean, and drank many a cup of coffee over a good, long chat. Precious memories!
Flew to Uganda, Africa and had the time of our lives! Stayed two weeks and visited many prisons, people, kids and villages. An experience we will never forget!

May- Revival Meetings- hosted Dale Schnupps, as he was the speaker…enjoyed getting to know them, esp. since I knew EXACTLY where they lived in PA but never really knew them before!

June- Quick trip to MO again for a cousin’s wedding. Stayed there for another week, went to two cattle auctions with my dad. Yes, even when you hit your 30’s, it’s still fun to go out with your dad! 😉 A new nephew was born and wedding plans set in motion for Jalene!
A weekend was spent with wonderful friends, Jerel & Paula, and Jay & Jerilyn at Lake Powell. Way too much fun, swimming, boating, eating, laughing!

July- Busy with work, life and church. July 4- church picnic, volleyball in the grass, great conversations and laughter…
Started putting in a backyard patio! Yes, it may actually happen around here someday! 😉 Although, everything only gets done, as there is leftover time. Sad to say, there’s just not much of that around here! ;(
Another week trip to Des Moines, Iowa for a Josh McDowell seminar. Garrett enjoyed that immensely and connecting with Josh. Even got invited to a special meeting with him in TX for an unveiling of old scrolls, recently found. {Unfortunately, due to terrible weather, all flights were cancelled over that time!} I also got to spend time with a dear friend, Renee Kennell and had coffee with her, also did some shopping there! So fun to catch up!

August- WE STAYED HOME! 😉 Had some company, did some sightseeing and worked a LOT! 😉 Gardening is something to keep up with, among many other things…Another nephew was born! My parents and sisters at home came to see us! Spent a long weekend here, which I eagerly drank in! 😉

September- Flew to MO for a week before Jalene’s wedding. Was such a busy, whirlwind of a week. Cooking, cleaning and partying! Never knew a person’s feet could hurt so much until that week. It was one, very long week. But very good to be with family! A week later, we flew to beautiful Idaho for a friend’s wedding. Connected with lots of friends throughout the trip and stayed the weekend in Washington with Garrett’s brother Al, and family. Enjoyed Sunday lunch at my cousin Tim’s place and doing some more sightseeing!

October & November- Stayed a week in Greeley, CO {close to Denver} cooking for a large group of men. Rick and Leona were there too and we made many memories, learning to cook in skillets and crock pots only for some very hungry men! 😉 Quite an experience, to say the least. But we enjoyed it immensely. Also did laundry and cleaning…
Helped out with the annual school sale again. Babysat my three nephews and a niece for a week and kept a careful eye out for Jerilyn, after her accident. We are just so grateful she is still here with us today, after a softball hit her in the head, knocked her out, fractured her skull and caused bleeding on her brain.

And… December: We stayed home for the holidays this year! Felt so good! Of course, there was the ladies’ Christmas party to help prepare for and enjoy, a Holiday bake sale to put on for the school, and a few parties to attend…other than that, we enjoyed our vacation at home this year! So grateful, once again as I review this past year: For all the laughter, {with a few tears} the joys, {among the sorrows} and the Roses I got to smell often along the way. Here are a few more blessings I’ve enjoyed along the journey…

Blessing #1 Family! We married another sister off this year. Congrats again, Jalene & Darrell! And we welcome a new brother-in-law. 😉 Oh, the memories we made over the wedding…

Blessing #2 A Godly Heritage! {My Grandpa Hochstedler}

Blessing #3 Friendships and a church family! I’m so thankful for all the many friends He gave to me. Each one, near and far, is dear to me. God has been doing so many amazing things this year through our church. I can’t thank Him enough for His goodness to us. He has provided so many, many open doors here in our little community, He provided a really nice church house, and He continues to draw us all closer together and to Him. Thank-You Jesus for these blessings.

Blessing #4 How God can take a bad happening and completely turn it into something wonderful! From this…

…to this!!!

Blessing #5 Vacations in beautiful Colorado in the summertime! Many, happy hours out on the lake, laughing, singing, talking and hurting ourselves on the wakeboard. Ha!

Blessing #6 Going through a tragedy and my sister hospitalized for a few days, made me ever so thankful she is still with us! A skull fracture, and 8 weeks later, she is finally back to normal! We all love you, Jerilyn!

Blessing #7 Dorky little friends who enjoy shopping with you! 😉

Blessing #8 Nephews and Nieces…life would be boring without them, I’m quite sure!

Blessing #9 Beautiful scenery everywhere we go in the wild west!

Blessing #10 The open road that lies ahead, unknown and not yet tread upon. Only God knows the future, and for that, I am very thankful!