Happy Birthday Mom

When a person passes away, there are no more pictures and no new memories made. When I look back over the years that I've been blogging, I think I write about my mom 3-4 times a year. On her birthday, Mother's Day and the day she passed away. I have to use the same picture every time because there are no new ones. The beautiful smiling face below is the one that is forever etched in my mind. It will never get older, her hair will never get greyer. Her face will always shine with a glorious beauty that will never change. Today marks what would have been her 59th birthday. Not a day goes by that I don't think of her, wonder what her thoughts are on how I'm doing with my kids or wish I could ask her opinion of something. On special occasion days, such as this, I miss her just a little bit more. 

Happy Birthday Mom, you are loved and still so very missed.

Sunday's Song - How Marvelous

I'm so thankful for the talented men and women who can take words, put them into music and have it mean so much to me. I think the promising words of this classic song are so powerful! His love for me is marvellous and wonderful!!

Happy Sunday!

I stand amazed in the presence

Of Jesus the Nazarene,

And wonder how He could love me,

A sinner, condemned, unclean.

Refrain

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!

And my song shall ever be:

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!

Is my Saviour’s love for me!

For me it was in the garden

He prayed: Not My will, but Thine.

He had no tears for His own griefs,

But sweat drops of blood for mine.

Refrain

In pity angels beheld Him,

And came from the world of light

To comfort Him in the sorrows

He bore for my soul that night.

Refrain

He took my sins and my sorrows,

He made them His very own;

He bore the burden to Calvary,

And suffered and died alone.

Refrain

When with the ransomed in glory

His face I at last shall see,

’Twill be my joy through the ages

To sing of His love for me.

Refrain

Because He Lives

Over the past two days I read through the book of John in my Bible and the amazing stories that are found in it. I've been "reading" my Bible for many years now, at least since I learned to read and it was as if I read it for the very first time. So many wonderful accounts of Jesus' life were brought to such clarity for me and even the glorious ending when he visits his disciples after he rose from the dead. This got me to thinking about how wonderful it will be when all His people are reunited in Heaven and we will get to be with those who have gone before us. When I think of this kind of thing, my mind often thinks of music...

I was reminded of my junior high years... I had befriended an old man named Leonard who also attended the church I grew up in. It's been many years since he has gone to be with the Lord now but the memories I shared with him are still really clear. There was just something warm and welcoming in his eyes and we spent many hours visiting. Some of these hours included me visiting him and his wife in their house with music. I would play my flute, his wife would play piano and he would sing. I'd bring my family's old hymnal and play whatever he wanted. This particular song was one of my (and actually one of his) favorites and it was played on a weekly basis. When I think of the power the lyrics hold, I am moved to tears that Christ loves me SO much. He lived, He died, He bought my pardon! What a gift! And then the joyous end... "I'll see the lights of GLORY and I'll know He lives." I don't need to fear, I can deal with tomorrows, my future is in His hands! 

Because He Lives

God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Saviour lives! 

Chorus

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives;
But greater still the calm assurance:
This child can face uncertain days because He Lives! 

Chorus

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

And then one day, I'll cross the river,
I'll fight life's final war with pain;
And then, as death gives way to vict'ry,
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives! 

Chorus

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

Sunday's Song: I Surrender All

This week I did a prayer exercise which meant taking time to surrender everything to God. He is my only Lord and at His feet I can lay everything down; my emotions, my fears, my relationships, my family, my health, my successes and failures. As I did this, the words of the familiar song "I Surrender All" kept pouring out of me and I've been doing this almost daily.

1. All to Jesus I surrender;
   All to Him I freely give;
   I will ever love and trust Him,
   In His presence daily live.
   • Refrain:
     I surrender all,
     I surrender all;
     All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
     I surrender all.
2. All to Jesus I surrender;
   Humbly at His feet I bow,
   Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
   Take me, Jesus, take me now.
3. All to Jesus I surrender;
   Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
   Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
   Truly know that Thou art mine.
4. All to Jesus I surrender;
   Lord, I give myself to Thee;
   Fill me with Thy love and power;
   Let Thy blessing fall on me.
5. All to Jesus I surrender;
   Now I feel the sacred flame.
   Oh, the joy of full salvation!
   Glory, glory, to His Name!

I was especially caught up with the simple word "ALL". I surrender ALL to Jesus. I believe amazing and wonderful things will happen in a relationship with Christ once we have surrendered ALL to Him. 

May you be blessed this Sunday morning.

Image from HERE

The Mornings

Oh little girl of mine, you should not be up so early. My first thought as Sarah greeted me with her chirpy "Good morning Mum!" was not entirely happy. I was quickly frustrated knowing that my quiet time was likely not going to happen. Yet, almost instantly a voice in my head said, "Choose Joy." Feeling slightly reprimanded, I picked up my soft, fuzzy five year old and we headed down to the main floor. I turned on the Keurig and got Sarah a bowl of her "pink Cheerios". Once she was settled down with a movie and something to eat, and I with my coffee, I sat down and opened my Bible. My time with God did not need to be non existent because Sarah was around, it would just be different. 

I opened my Bible to the Psalms and read in chapter 143, verses 8 & 10. 

8) Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,

    for I have put my trust in you.

Show me the way I should go,  for to you I entrust my life.

10) Teach me to do your will, for you are my God.

I love how this begins with "Let the morning...". I am that morning person and it's like it was a personal note from God when I got up that he was up with me as well. What a wonderful way to begin a day with a little message from him!

"Show me the way I should go...". Parenting, homeschooling, teenagers, special needs and the list goes on. 

I need his guidance as I live my day to day life and every day I surrender my life, my family and my choices to God. As I do this, I know that I am filled with the Holy Spirit and His everlasting love. He is unfailing, he is all that I need, he is life and he is my God. 

Pediatrician Appointment {03.04.14}

Why does it not surprise me that the night before an appointment, the snow would blow in? Once again (like last time), the usual 35 minute drive to the doctor's office took me nearly 90 minutes. The roads were really slippery and SO busy.

Her regular doctor was away so we saw the other pediatrician in the office. I wasn't overly impressed as she was very business-like and it seemed like all she was there to do was fill out the required paper work. Sarah needed a pre-op done for her dental work which is in a month... Yikes! We've waited for this appointment since December and I can't believe it's this close already. Although Sarah was unhappy at the doctor's office, she wasn't nearly as frantic as she has been in the past. I believe that people were praying for me and I could feel the calming peace of Jesus as I sat there. I'm so thankful for friends who care so very much.

After all was said and done, she has gained a couple pounds and her head size has stayed the same. 

The majority of her afternoon was spent cuddling me and shedding many tears and that was mostly because I wouldn't take her to a friend's house. I needed to get a few things from the store and so I grudgingly packed up all four kids and headed out. This is what Sarah does when we go to a larger, busier shopping center (like Wal Mart). I really think I should just stop bringing her and stressing her out. One day I'll learn!

I was exhausted after all that. It was a stressful drive in, an appointment, complete with the usual tears and an afternoon that was full of more crying. I think she was more than happy to have her bath and go to bed. Hopefully after a good night's sleep, she'll be doing much better today!

Sunday's Song: How Great Thou Art

I grew up in a time when the classic hymns were sung on a weekly basis at church and over time the more modern worship songs were slowly introduced. Lately I've found a few albums on iTunes that still have the hymns but with a bit of added modernisms :) . One morning I was playing them and this song came on. Both Joshua and Arianna said how much they love this particular song. Part of me was so excited that I have been able to instil a love of these timeless songs into my children!

How Great Thou Art

Verse 1:
O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Chorus:
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

Verse 2:
When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Chorus

Verse 3:
And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Chorus

Verse 4:
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"

Chorus

Happy Sunday! And if you live near me, stay warm, it's cold out there!

Welcome March

Well, it seems like this month is coming in like a raging lion. Woke up to the furnace running for all it's worth and when I checked the weather online, this is what I saw:

I'm not even going to convert that to Fahrenheit for my US friends because once temperatures look like that, it doesn't matter. Here's hoping this is the last cold snap and that spring is on the way...

Baking

When I bake, I can't help but let my mind take me back to my childhood days. I had it in my mind that I wanted to bake buns yesterday. So I rounded up my Oma's homemade bun recipe and got started. Of course, this meant first running to the grocery store for milk and yeast. It's an old fashioned recipe with the traditional yeast that needs proofing and stuff like that. I love it. I love baking with bread and there's nothing quite as satisfying as seeing the tiny ball of dough rise to overflowing!

Then, it's just as exciting to see the little lumps of dough rise into their yummy bun shapes. For me, it's a thrill. If I could bake bread or buns daily, I would!

And oh how good it smells in my house today. The aroma of fresh baked buns takes me to a little house in Neerlandia, Alberta where I remember spending many, many visits with my Oma and Opa. I can recall how the kitchen was always being used to bake and a special treat was these buns with a pat of butter and a sprinkling of white sugar on top. Always. Every. Single. Visit.

My Oma was a wonderful baker and although she died when I was only 8 years old, the memory of these hot buns still is so very clear in my mind.

My mom was also a busy baker. The house often smelled of loaves, cookies or cakes. We often would come home from school and could eagerly anticipate something delicious that she had baked for a snack. I love how when I bake, the time is spent remembering the women before me who have left their skills and talents to me and maybe even one day, my own daughters will delight in baking. I am so thankful for the memories I have.

Five Minute Friday

I'm hoping I'll stick with five minutes but who knows...

This week has just flown by with school for the kids, piano, appointments and all sorts of other things. I'm glad it went by quickly as Doug has been out of town since Tuesday. I can remember him doing this same road trip a few years ago when all the kids were much younger and feeling so stressed and alone. Although I miss him still, it's not nearly as bad since the older three kids are (fairly) self sufficient and they all help out with Sarah. Gone are the days of me needing to bath and tuck in three kids on my own which would make for long, stressful evenings. I am so thankful that he is willing to work so hard for our family. All through my childhood, I saw myself as a stay at home mom (like my own mom was) and I am loving what I'm doing. My children are good and pleasant. They are so much fun to be around and I love them with all my heart!

 

Winter Break

Joshua's school board is off this week due to Family Day, two Holy days and then two PD Days. I figure if he is off, then so are the girls! This week we're going to hopefully clean up the basement and watch the rest of the Olympics together. I'm looking forward to a bit of a break from the regular school days and beginning some spring cleaning!

Sleep...

Sarah has woken up during the night nearly every. single. night. That is about 2,069 nights of me waking up with her. She is almost five years and eight months old. My parenting style was to ensure that she knew I would respond to her no matter what. Communication for her can be hard and I never wanted her to think I wouldn't come and help her.

For about the past couple weeks now, she has not woken up to sleep in my bed. I decided shortly after my birthday, that I would (again) try to see if she could learn to stay asleep all night. In the beginning, she still woke up because either a) she lost her soother or b) had a nightmare. She'd come to me, with a teary face and the ease of popping her into bed beside me was tempting. I knew she would quickly go back to sleep and we'd continue on with our night. But, I stuck with it... I would snuggle her in my arms and carry her back to her own bed and re-tuck her in. I would lay on the other bed for a bit so she knew I was still close by and then I'd go back to my bed. This only lasted 3-5 nights and now, she goes down at 7:30 and sleeps straight on until morning. What a big difference this has been!

Another frustrating factor that has been a big issue in my sleep quality is that Doug snores (or used to). I know many many people snore but, it was a huge problem due to volume and the fact that the snoring lasted all night long. For a while Doug would even sleep in the other room so I could get rest. This was (at the time) the best solution for everyone to get the most sleep possible. A few weeks ago, Doug went to a sleep clinic and took a sleep test to see if he has sleep apnea. The results were unbelievable! Something like 125 respiratory distress episodes and over 7,000 'snores' in a seven hour period. It's no wonder he always looked tired! The sleep clinic gave him a loaner C-Pap (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine and I noticed a change the very first night! For the first time in a long while, we actually went to bed together and woke up in the same bed. Thinking it might have been a fluke, we went to bed the next night and... no snoring. I was shocked and amazed that this breathing machine made such a big difference. We are currently in the process of applying for the insurance company to cover a portion of the cost of it. (They are not cheap.)

So, with Sarah sleeping (mostly) all night in her own bed and Doug's snoring issues being fixed, I'm finding that we are all at last, sleeping well!

Sunday's Song

"Everlasting God"

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord

Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer
You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won't grow weary

Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer
You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won't grow weary

You're the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles

If you go to church, you likely sing. Lately I've been really focusing on quieting my soul. This has allowed me to absorb what I'm reading in the Word and really reflect on the words of songs. 

• He does not faint
• He will NOT grow weary
• He's the defender
• He's the comforter
• We will lift ME up

I've been taking songs like this and bringing them to a deeper level of understanding. And if we think of this as a prayer to Him, I can see it being a step in strengthening our relationship with Him. Wow. He is amazing and oh so good!

Here's a video of Arianna singing this song acapella:

She was at the end of a cold-bug and it was first thing in the morning so her voice is a little croaky.

Just Write

Writing on my blog is something I love to do but sometimes I get into a slump and don't feel like there's anything worth sharing. I love the feeling of my thoughts flowing onto the screen and the clicking of the keys under my finger tips. It's my outlet of frustrations, joys, tears and celebrations.

Life these days seem to be going by so quickly. The kids are busy with school and I've reduced the amount of respite I receive. Sarah has been doing so well at playing on her own and she does so every morning for hours.

Parenting is not an easy task. Right now I have two teens, one (almost) preteen and a very young (delayed) five year old. The extremes of my tasks range from helping a 14 year old boy write an outline and essay, to working through the emotional ups and downs of adolescent girls, to teaching a five year old her colors. It's a tiring job. I often end the day feeling exhausted and praying that the teaching and influence I pour into my children will be a great benefit to them one day. I hope they look back and are thankful for the choices we made for them and that what we did will help them become strong and independent adults. To make decisions that better themselves, to think before they act or speak and to make the world just a little better of a place.

I love my family. I have a wonderful husband and four amazing children. God has been so good to me and I am blessed.

Daybook {02.01.14}

FOR TODAY

February 1, 2014

Outside my window... I can see the sun slowing rising in the horizon. The sky is tinted with blue, yellow and orange.

I am thinking... that it is going to be a very good day!

I am thankful... for the wonderful people in my life. I am blessed with family and friends who are so valuable to me. I appreciate them all.

In the kitchen... still clean from last night but no one has been up to make breakfast yet. 

I am wearing... leggings and an oversized hoodie that belongs to Doug.

I am wondering... 

I am reading... The Fault in Our Stars

I am hoping... that the choices I make for our children are in their best interest and that they will feel like I've done a good job parenting them.

I am looking forward to... celebrating my birthday this afternoon! It will be a great day full of friends and the people I love. How many people can actually invite their entire church to come hang out for the afternoon? 

I am learning... that beginning my day in prayer and spending time with God makes the rest of the day go much better, regardless of what time I woke up.

Around the house... the usual clutter of living with six people.

I am pondering... the potential to deepen my relationship with Jesus. This week has been full of spiritual growth and maybe one day I'll be able to share about it.

A favorite quote for today...

A few of my favorite things... messy haired, sleepy kids, that first sip of coffee in the morning, my birthday, my family and friends!

A few plans for next week:

Ten Minute Tuesday

It is 7:15 on Tuesday evening and I'm going to take the next 10 minutes to write about how the last few days have been.

I was thinking that last year, I topped my highest number of posts and this year I would like to match or beat it. That means I need to write a post every two or three days. That seems like a lot and at times, I wonder if people even care. Then I think, this blog is about my journey and if what I write doesn't interest someone, they don't have to read it.

I blog a lot about Sarah. The Blogger website is not based out of my computer so if something ever happened to my laptop, then all my notes and information that I've noted will still be safe. I love looking back at the ways she's grown and changed over the years and how far she's come. Along with that, is how far I have come as well. I am confident in advocating for her and I am continuously learning new things about her.

I also blog about my other kids, school, birthdays and other events and milestones. I love to share about my family and I guess this is my way of journalling. It's interesting how the words flow when I have a laptop in front of me as opposed to pen and paper. My mind seems to flow quickly and my thoughts are easily formed.

Here's to a New Year of blogging, and thanks for joining in this journey with me.

Friday's Here (finally!)

• No guarantees, but I think Sarah is "almost" over her cold that has lasted for 20 days now. I'm sure the poor girlie is done feeling bad. That being said, Arianna woke up earlier this week with the same, or similar cold bug. She's complaining about a sore throat and a stuffy nose. I hope her's doesn't last as long as Sarah's. 
• The weather here has been such a relief from the harsh beginning that January welcomed us with. Some of the daily temperatures are above 0* which is still cold but not painfully so.
• Doug has now finished his second week at the new job. It was a busy first week for him but he's quickly falling into place and figuring it all out. 
• Sarah had a few "wins" this week. The first was she has played independently for most of the morning while I do school, without getting into trouble. She is becoming so good at the pretend play where her toys talk and do things with each other. The second thing that was really great occurred when she asked to watch a movie on the iPad. I had said no, not now. She putters off and I watch her clean up her toys in the living room and then she proudly says "See! I cweened up! Now I have a iPad?" After that great thinking, how could I not! The third thing is a food win: she has been eating about 1/3 of a yogurt cup each day. She chose it on her own out of the fridge and she is enjoying it. She's fairly sensitive with things to eat and I'm really pleased that she's getting another food item into her!
• I ended my week with a wonderful coffee visit with friends. We drank coffee, ate a slice of banana cake and talked and talked! 

Things Sarah Says

Sarah speaking skills have really taken off over the past few months and I've been noting them down as I hear and remember them.

Here's a few that I'm sharing tonight:


I tucked her into bed and shortly after she came out asking if she could sleep in my bed. I said she could, and she asked if I would cuddle with her. I asked her why and she says back "cause you wan' to."

As her respite worker was leaving in December, I asked Sarah what she needed to say to Shaneen. Without a thought Sarah says, "I love you Sh'eem."

At the checkout at Superstore Sarah asked for a treat "cause I'm a good boy!" (We are trying to work on that)

"I need a hug-uppy"

"Let's watch Prairie House"

"My nose is sick"

"I have a hip-puffs" (hiccups)

"So. What's new?"

"You came back!" (to any one who comes back to the house)

"My tummy is so hun'gy"

"My teef is so di'ty"

Almost daily Sarah's little antics and one liners cause us all to laugh. She is lovely and entertaining on a constant basis.

"Sarah, what are you doing?"
- "I doing getting something."

It's Been Two Weeks...

... since I last blogged. It's been a busy time here as we wrapped up Christmas holidays, started the next school term and have had a bunch of other things going on.

Let's see... our family celebrated New Year's Eve at our church and it was a great evening. I didn't make it to bed till almost 2:00 am and sadly Sarah didn't know that so she insisted that I get up at 6:30, just like every other morning. It took me almost a week to recover from that!

In late December, it was confirmed that Doug was changing jobs. He spent the end of 2013 and the first two weeks of the new year making long notes, saying good bye to customers and friends and wrapping up his 20 months of employment with The Bus Centre. On Monday, he headed to OmniSport which is the place that he worked a few years ago.

It seems that overall, Sarah stays pretty healthy, except for one good bout of a cold each winter. This year was no exception. Today is the 10th day of this run and although her energy levels have picked up, she still fighting a runny nose and head congestion.

On Sunday the 5th, we got a cold spell. I mean REALLY cold. Like -37* C cold. Which translates to -34.6* F. Funny thing though, the very next evening, we reached up to -4* and I confirmed with my friend in Alabama that we were actually WARMER than them! Crazy!

Oh yes, the door had frost on the INSIDE of the frame!

In early January, our former respite caregiver was leaving for a trip to Thailand. Thus began the search for someone to watch Sarah for me on a part time basis. So through the use of Facebook, a friend of mine suggested I call her friend and so far, she's working out really well. Sarah is easy to like, easy to please and pretty easy going. Sarah loves having M come and play for those mornings and I feel like it's just easier to clean, bake or homeschool. 

 One afternoon, Doug brought me one of these! Yummy!!

 I made these French Toast Muffins using a gluten free flour blend. Pretty good I thought!

Fuzzy socks and fleece pajamas. My favorite. 

Well, that's a quick recap of the beginning of our year. Hopefully I'll get back to blogging more and maybe even meet or surpass how much I wrote last year!

Welcome 2014!

Good morning and Happy New Year! I am remembering now why I don't generally stay up late... Sarah doesn't know the difference or the fact that I went to bed at almost 2:00am. Her little body received enough sleep and was ready to go at 6:45. *yawn*

Last night was maybe the third night in our marriage that Doug and I both (willingly) stayed up till midnight without the demands of an infant. Our little church held a New Year's event which included families, friends, games, food (we know how to put on a good spread!) and worship music. It was a really good evening and I'm so glad we went. To be with some great people and share laughs and stories was a wonderful way to bring in 2014. Arianna was the only kid who came with us and she was thrilled to start the first moments of the new year with two of her very good friends! Andrea willingly watched Sarah for me while Joshua had a friend over for the night.

If I look back to things that occurred last year, I can recall a few highlighted events and moments.

• I think last year was probably the biggest breakthrough in Doug's depression. The medications began to take effect and the doses at last were helping him maintain a more even keeled mentality. 
• In August, our family began to attend a little country church which is actually a campus of the main Alliance church in Spruce Grove. This transition has been a wonderful one for us and we feel very much "at home" there. Change has always been very hard and even more so when I had attended SGAC since I was two years old. I've told Doug and a few others that I don't know if we realized we were searching for something until we found it. We "found" Calahoo and have been blessed with new friends as well as a church home. This has also allowed Andrea to play an active role on a worship team and additionally Doug has led a few teams. I love that music is being brought back into our home and it makes me happy!
• My main blogging journey has to do with Sarah updates. The reason I do this is so that everything that she does or doesn't do is recorded for my own memory. Here's a recap of her year: *We had received inconclusive blood work results after waiting for 15 months. *Her 2 years of Early Intervention had come to a close once she turned five. *She saw the pediatrician four times to follow her growth curve. *She's growing, just doing it much slower than typical kids. *Her speech has moved ahead and her pretend play is taking off like a rocket. *We've had an amazing respite care giver (who we sadly have to say good-bye to) and even she noticed big changes in Sarah since April. 
• Another big part of my blogging is homeschooling. This fall has taken a bit of a different turn, especially for Joshua and I think the change has been really beneficial to him. He is doing three classes online and is receiving exceptional grades. I am extremely proud of him! The other two girls are continuing with a more traditional approach but are both excelling in their math and language arts programs. Sarah is doing a play filled *kindergarten* year. She's learning how to play pretend, how to clean up afterwards (much reminding is still needed) and she loves to match sets of toys together. She also can get fixated on desiring one specific piece and it's up to whoever is with her to help find it. She'll say "missing piece" and it's usually a small Duplo bit that simply MUST be found.

It's hard to look back over the past 365 and think of the most memorable events of the year. Nothing overly exceptional took place for us but life remained an exciting journey. The past is now behind us and we can reflect on it, see what we learned from it and then move onward. 

May you all be blessed in 2014!