LOOKING BACK AT 2013

Ya'll.  I know I sound like the most broken of all records, but how can 2013 possibly be coming to a close?  Seriously.  It feels like it was sand running between my fingers that I didn't realize was almost gone.  But it is finished.  There are no more days or sand.

When I think back on this year, obviously, what stands out the most is the fact that we welcomed two more children into our family.



Where would we be without Violet and William in our lives?  Well, we'd be a lot more rested, but that is neither here nor there.  To see what God did in our family in this year is still stunning.  Our whole adoption story blows my mind, and to see God's hand through it all is the biggest gift of 2013.  It will forever be a watershed moment in the life of our family to look back on and know just how faithful the Lord is and how his plans are bigger and better than our own.

But, 2013 brought more than just babies.  Let's run through a quick list.

John caught a bad guy in our neighborhood, for real.

We had a  Cinderella night with the girls.



Celebrated eight years of marriage.

I wrote a series of posts about losing my dad, because 2013 marked 10 years without him.

We opened an Express CFA in downtown Little Rock.

We took some great trips -
the Keys,

Colorado,



Branson,



and St. Louis to name a few.



In all those trips, we really nailed down the differences between a vacation and a family trip.

We watched the babies grow from month to month - can you believe its been eight months?



We said Hello and Goodbye to baby Branch from afar, and I got to visit his awesome parents in November.

The first Walk for the Waiting was amazing, and the second Immerse AR banquet was a success!



We had a great first Halloween as a family of six - Cowboys and Indians.



I made a lot of cookies this year.  These CFA Christmas cookies were some of my favorite from the year!



All in all, it was a memorable ride.  I look forward to 2014 with enthusiasm and a teensy bit of trepidation.  So many things could and will happen, both good and bad.  I am so thankful to know the Lord and know that he will be walking with us and before and behind us.  Our lives are his.

Thanks for reading along with us.  This journey is much more fun and rich because of the people in our lives, and I include anyone who reads the blog part of that family!  I appreciate the encouragement and enthusiasm that I've found in this little online space of ours.



Peace out, 2013.  Happy New Year from the Spenst family!