The HIGHS and LOWS of 2017

Some days are so long, and yet, here I am looking at my blog realizing a year has gone by without another post since early January.  I hope some day it will be fun for my girls to look back and maybe read some of these, so for that reason alone, I'll try to record some of our memories of the year. 

The blessings in our HIGHS this year: 

• Getting to take our girls snow skiing for the first time back at the end of December.  
• Celebrating Audrey's 4th birthday with my Grandma's 90th birthday.
• Seeing Audrey's love for coloring and drawing grow through the year.  She takes her time and does such a great job staying in the lines.  Maybe a future artist?  
• Watching Kayla perform in her first Spring Concert as a Kindergartner in March.  
• Seeing Kayla finally develop an enjoyment for Kindergarten last spring and such respect and love for her teacher, Mrs. Kiblen.  
• Watching Kayla make new friends.
• Surprising sister Bridgett with a girls trip to Leavenworth for the weekend to celebrate her 40th birthday!  What special memories!
• I was able to run in my first relay race-the Palouse 100K-with our team Pacing the Dream: Todd Kinley, Shelby Ledbetter, Heather Cammack, Dave Ledbetter, Brian Vandenburg, Lori Brown, Dana Repp and Steve Bretveld.  I ran the first leg of 6.8 miles and I did it in PR time!  
• It motivated me then to train for speed and run my fastest 5K ever with Jamie Kinley at the Seattle Rock and Roll 5K, meanwhile cheering Dave on in his half marathon! 
• Helping Kayla prioritize piano lessons under my Mom's direction and watching her perform in her second Spring Piano Recital.
• Audrey has enjoyed being in gymnastics.  She did a great job at her end of the year performance in May.
• Seeing how proud Kayla was on her last day of Kindergarten!
• Ben and I getting to celebrate 10 years of marriage with a trip to MAUI for 9 nights by ourselves!  So thankful for my parents being able and willing to watch our girls for us during that time.  
• We were able to take 3 "camping" trips with our camper down to Clarkson over the Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day weekends.  Extra fun is that we were able to do it with extended family as well.
• Special visits from our dear friends the Dalys' and Kuntzs'.
• Summer activities of Dance Camp, Cheer Camp and Swim lessons
• Ben's parents making two trips out to see us this year.
• Spending a weekend with the Vandenburgs on Lake Coeur d Alene
• Ben and I getting to go to Tim McGraw & Faith Hill, NeedToBreathe AND Garth Brooks all in the same calendar year!  Better yet--with friends!
• Our girls getting to spend a week in Montana with their Grandparents and Cousins at Granny Camp.
• Finding out we were going to add another baby to our family!  
• Getting to tell the girls they were BOTH going to be big sisters.  
• The girls coming up with their own idea to do a Lemonade Stand and helping make all the treats and items they sold.  It was a smashing success in our front yard!  
• Spending time with good friends at the park, water park, in each other's living rooms, at McDonald's or wherever the meeting was.  
• Boating in the hot summer sun.  Skiing, tubing-seeing the joy on the girls' faces as they road in Grandma's new tube!  
• Watching Kayla turn 7.  Where has the time gone?  She takes such good care of her dolls and loves to do crafts and coloring.  She also started up gymnastics again in the fall, and really enjoys it.  She learned Angles We Have Heard on High on the piano for this Christmas season and LOVED playing it!  
• The girls participating in their first 5K Fun Run in Pullman.
• Getting our cat Foxy from the Humane Society.  She has been a special addition to our family.
• Celebrating Thanksgiving in Vegas with the Kovanda Family!  
• Celebrating with Bridget in her College Graduation!  We are so proud of you!
• Having a peaceful Christmas morning together as a family of four.  
• Spending a week together as family at the "Christmas House."  This year, it took on a little different meaning, but we truly are family!  
• FAMILY--through sickness, health, joys and trials, I am sooooo thankful for my parents, siblings, nieces and nephews.  

The blessings in our LOWS this year:

• I was very sick the first 3 months of this pregnancy.  So sick, I didn't really feel like doing much of anything and felt nauseous all the time!  In this time, I was thankful for those that stepped in to help and minister to me and our family.  I was also reminded about times of resting and how they are just as important as times of play!
• Ben lost some great help at work this fall that had really been a huge blessing to him.  He is still figuring out what this new norm looks like
• Seeing our kids make bad choices from time to time, and feeling like failures as parents.  This reminds us that none of this is our doing.  There by the Grace of God go we.
• Getting a horrible cold at the beginning of December and being forced to miss some important activities.  A reminder to be thankful for our health when we have it.  
• Having our car broke into on Christmas Day.  (More on this later).  Still processessing.   
• Coming down with influenza A AND B the day after Christmas.  More on this later too.  :)

Congrats if you made it to the end of this.  Haha!  We praise God through each one of these highs and lows because HE is always our good, good Father.  Thankful for the past and looking ahead towards the future.