Year Review

It's hard to believe, but more than a year has gone by since I've updated this. So much has happened, yet I look back at my last post and feel like it was yesterday. 

But here we go! Starting in Spring of 2016.

We took an extended trip to California. Perks of having a motorhome! This was in the Chico area. 

Here we are at a wonderful, kid-friendly KOA in central California. This bouncy dome was the favorite attraction.

They also had a train that drove around the campsites!

A favorite hardware store.

A rare family picture.

Out to the coast. This is a famous beach with lots of beach glass. We had fun hunting, but it was brisk!

Then we drove north to visit some VERY big trees!

A quick stop by Grandma's house on the way home. Here they were playing Little House. We had Mary, Laura, Carrie, & Grace. 

Back home for the warm season. A little hammock play. 

We did swim lessons last year and had such fun!

We made an impromptu trip to Sherwood in August for my Grandpa's 99th birthday. I'm so so glad we did, as it happened to be his last. 

Back home for sweet Libby's 6th birthday.

Then came the first day of school! Fitting with my Figure-It-Out-As-We-Go Approach, we are using some of same curriculum from last year and adding some as we go. I started out the year giving them each a clipboard with a daily checklist of items to do. By the end of the year, the items were so routine, we didn't need the checklist anymore. The two biggest are still doing Math-U-See. While it is working well, we will probably transition to Teaching Textbooks, as it takes a little less parent involvement. The girls each worked through a generic spelling & grammar book. I added a Geography book to Evie's workload. She has loved learning about the world around her. 

And a silly pumpkin picking trip.

Miss Jubilee turned 2 in November!

And her big sister turned 8!

And on December 9th, we welcomed Emily Shalom to our family. Baby girl number FIVE!

Sleeping through Christmas decorating.

And about this time, our wonderful new home was making big strides. We began to spend more and more time in it as more room were finished. 

Lucy was the first to get to celebrate her birthday in the new house!

A sweet baby.

Here are a few highlights from the new place. My lovely aqua subway tile. 

The breakfast bar.

Our bedroom, complete with painted headboard.

Giant soaking tub.

Vessel sink.

School/sewing/crafting room. And a little girl blowing away on Mommy's old french horn.

We took another trip to Sherwood this Spring to show off our new baby and spend time with my Grandpa, who was slowly going downhill. Here are my girls watching a home video of their Aunty Kristy playing the saxophone at age 15!

Stair-steps of sweetness. 

These tulips were planted by my Grandma but hadn't bloomed since before she died, over 8 years ago. This Spring, the last spring that our family will get to enjoy at my Grandpa's house, they bloomed again. One last hurrah. 

One of the last times the girls watched Lawrence Welk with my Grandpa.

Grandpa saw his old Airforce hat sitting on display and asked for it. He didn't remember that it was his, but my Dad told him and put it on him. It made for a sweet moment for us and the Lieutenant Colonel. 

How many Grandchildren can this chair take??

The very oldest and the very youngest. Our girls brought Grandpa a lot of smiles in his last few years. I'm so glad we could do that for him. 

A few pictures of the farm to remember it by. 

And then we were back home, with an IKEA table in tow!

The school room is coming together. The two big girls each have a desk of their own now. They love having a space that's theirs! 

And then I was back on a plane with Emily just a few weeks later, flying over to Oregon. Grandpa had taken a sudden turn, and I was so thankful for the opportunity to spend his last few days at his bedside.

Emily played on the floor in his room. He always seemed to enjoy the sound of his Grandchildren, so we all thought it would be therapeutic to have her nearby. 

And in the hours right after he passed, surrounded by his family, my Mom's dog sat in his chair for the first time. It was as if she knew what had happened. 

We will miss our Grandpa so much. He was the rock of our family, and we could all count on him. What an honor it is to be your granddaughter. 

And there you have it. A year in pictures, a year full of new life and a life coming to a close. The fullness of it all brings tears to my eyes.