Looking Back Through 2008

This idea came from Jenny's blog. The trouble I had was choosing which pictures to use. There were so many of our daughters and grandbabies that just.grab.my.heart! Here's a look at 2008 ~

The most significant change in 2008, to me,

was Noah's growth and maturity~

He's taller, there are more curls,

he got his first haircut,

and his confidence has grown~

We got snow in January!

and we were living at 204 Spruce,

our favorite house thus far!

We celebrated Christmas with our daughters
and their families in January,
the weekend it snowed! A white Christmas!

February brought my 53rd birthday!
March was quiet. Windy. Fun.
And I got one of my very favorite
snapshots of Jenny & her sons~
(I love the protective way Ian is
holding onto Noah's hand.) Leslie & Austin drove over to visit
and we had such fun. But then,
we always do. Austin spent the night
with Ian, and we pampered Leslie.
It was her birthday month!
The last weekend in April,
found us on a quick trip to Gatlinburg,
where we made the decision
to see what 204 Spruce was worth,
and if anyone was interested.
They were. Ten days later it sold.
And we moved into a new apartment complex,
as there wasn't anything on the market
that we liked as much as what we sold.
We moved in the first of July.
May was a time of welcoming spring,
with many sweet moments along the way.
And we packed.
And packed.
And traveled to Mississippi.
And packed.
And watched the grandbabies grow.
and packed and moved!
The first of July, John & I celebrated
25 years together.
It's still nice to be married
to my best friend. Jenny planned a gathering of our friends
to help us celebrate at Marchelle's
and it was such a nice evening.
Perfect. In August, Austin turned 5 years old
and we wondered how it was
that just the week before
we were driving over to welcome
his birth~
September brought Brandon's birthday
and hotter weather.
This was to have been the school year
I returned to my classroom.
I didn't. And it was a drastic,
and traumatic, difference.
Brett had a birthday in October,

and the weather finally,

finally, began to cool off!

I had one last surgery to correct problems

from the accident of 2006 and began to enjoy

early retirement from the work force.

Thanksgiving was celebrated at Jenny's home,

and it was also her birthday month!

After having so many holidays at our home

over the years, it was great to be treated

to a meal and not have to clean up afterwards!

Ian made the placecards

and stole another piece of my heart~

Alaina turned three, and more beautiful~Stacey celebrated a birthday!
My mom had her 79th birthday,on the same day Ian turned five~John and I are healthy & happy,and I can't wait to see what 2009 will bring!