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Blessings Overflowing

Faith~Family~Creativity

January 1, 2018 By Jackie 3 Comments

A Look Back at 2017

When I was little it seemed like the days, months, and years went by slowly. As an adult, it feels like the hours, days, months, and years move at the speed of light, and 2017 was no exception.

This past year was a year of endings and beginnings for our family. My oldest daughter graduated from high school and started college. My oldest son started high school. My youngest daughter “graduated” from Kindergarten. My time as a stay-at-home/work-at-home mom (15 years) came to an end when I returned to teaching.

During the summer of 2015, I tried to will time to slow down. My little Janna was going to go to Kindergarten, and Julia was going to be a high school senior that August. I really just wanted more time before everything changed. That obviously didn’t happen, though.

Despite my desire to keep things the same, changes happened. And, you know what? With God’s help, I survived them all.

Julia has thrived at college (I am thankful she lives at home and commutes.). Janna is doing wonderfully in school, and she reads anything she can get her hands on. My boys are all doing great, and they are growing like weeds. I just finished my first semester of teaching 8th grade language arts, and I have lived to tell the tale.

When I started this blog over 10 years ago, I didn’t have a plan. I just decided to start it and fumbled my way through. For many years, I shared bits and pieces of our lives. Then, for some reason, I held back.

Maybe I thought that this blog was supposed to be something else; that I was supposed to be writing for other people. If I followed the blogging “rules”, I guess that is what I should have been doing. Yet, I feel like the more I tried to do that the more I lost my desire to write and my sense of purpose for even having this blog.

So, I am going to try to get back to what I loved about blogging. Sharing my story. I have come to realize that if I don’t enjoy this space no one else will. Even if no one ever reads another word I write, someday my kids will be glad I took the time to write about our lives.

With that in mind, I am going to share some of the highlights of 2017 for our family. There were many highs and a few lows, but God was with us every step of the way.

January 2017

While there may not be anything that seems special about two boys playing a game of basketball in their driveway, let me assure you it was a big deal for my son James. When he broke his leg, just below the knee at the growth plate, on October 31, 2016, the basketball season he worked so hard to prepare for ended.

By late January, he was able to move around without a brace. If you look closely at the picture, you will notice his right shoe isn’t even a shoe but a slip-on sandal. When his cast came off in mid-December, we found out that he had a pressure sore on his heel that was about the size of a half dollar.

I am over being upset that we weren’t listened to, during the first week of having the full leg cast on, about the heel pain he was having. It took until sometime in March before James was able to wear a shoe again, but, as someone who tries to look for the positives in situations such as this, there are a few things I am thankful for.

First, I am thankful my son didn’t need surgery on his heel and that he was able to heal without losing his part of his heel (no pun intended). It took a long time, but he has no lasting issues with his foot (other than being dented in about 1/4 inch in the center of where the pressure sore was).

Second, I am thankful that James had even more time for his leg to heal than he would have if he had started working out again right away. Since he wasn’t able to wear a shoe, he couldn’t run and jump as soon. I feel like this was probably a good thing.

February 2017

This picture was taken after pulling into our driveway on my birthday. I had been substitute teaching, and my husband and kids surprised me with flowers. The semester I substitute taught was kind of crazy because I switched between two different schools 2-4 days per week. However, it was a good way to transition back into full-time teaching.

March 2017

I love living in the country and having plenty of space for my kids to play. It is also pretty cool that they are growing up in the house I grew up in. We have made some changes since my husband and I bought it, but it is still a special place to live.

April 2017

My four youngest kids had so much fun hiding, finding, throwing, and catching the hard boiled eggs we decorated at Easter time. I am not into the Easter bunny or even buying my kids a bunch of “stuff” at that time of year. However, I like to let the kids decorate eggs.

May 2017

Julia went to her Senior Prom with a good guy friend, and she had a lot of fun. She wore the dress she made for 4-H in 2016.

When she was probably 9 years old, we found a few vintage patterns at a yard sale. The pattern for this dress was among those we purchased. Julia told me that she wanted to make and wear that dress for her Senior Prom, and that is exactly what she did.

My little Janna “graduated” from Kindergarten. She had such wonderful school year, and her teacher was awesome.

Julia graduated from high school with several honors as you can see from all of the “bling” she is wearing. My girl worked so hard, ended up with 26 hours of college credit, an almost 4.0, and enough scholarships that we won’t have to pay a dime during her four years of college.

When she was little, we didn’t have any money to set aside for college. I am so thankful for the blessing of that weight being off of our shoulders.

My dad graduated from high school 50 years ago. 25 years later I walked across the same stage to receive my diploma. This year my daughter did the same. I think it is pretty cool that 3 generations of first-born children have all graduated from the same high school 25 years apart.

Julia gave the closing speech, and you can listen to it here if you would like to know some of the reasons I am so blessed to be mama to this young woman.

June 2017

At the end of June, we took a big family trip to Disney World. We stayed in a big house with my parents and my brother’s family. We had a wonderful time, and I am so thankful for the memories we made that week. We did nearly the same trip in 2012. It is amazing how much the kids have grown in five years. (Sometime I will share about being in charge of food for 13 people for a vacation.) 

July 2017

The 4-H fair happens in July, and this year was Julia’s tenth year. She has participated in sewing each year, and this year topped the prom dress you saw above. She has learned a lot since her first year of 4-H sewing.

Not only did Julia make a beautiful wool coat, but she decided to make a dress to wear under it. She was grand champion of the fashion revue and grand champion of sewing. It was a pretty awesome way to end her 4-H sewing career. She even got to model at the State Fair again, and she was chosen as a top-15 winner again this year.

August 2017

For the first time since 2004, Julia wasn’t in a first day of school picture. This year, James is a Freshman, Joshua is in 7th grade, Joseph is in 4th grade, and Janna is in 1st grade. They have all been having a good year so far. I am praying we have a great second semester as well.

September 2017

On a Saturday in late September, the three youngest kids and I headed out into our woods. I don’t think I have ever seen our creek as dry as it was that day. I am so thankful that our drought ended, and that we had a fairly normal fall.

Even though it was very dry, the kids and I enjoyed our walk. We even scared a Great Blue Heron, or he scared us, when we finally got close to some water (I should probably say mud puddle.).

October 2017

We got a week off for fall break (Well, Julia didn’t, but that’s the way college is. 🙂 ), and one of the things we did was to go to a pumpkin patch that was more than just a pumpkin patch.

It was very hot for mid-October, but we had a great time. There was a train to ride along with many other fun activities. We had a great day, and it was a nice break from the norm.

November 2017

I hosted Thanksgiving again this year. We only had 17 here this year, but we still had a great time. Even though I worked outside of the home, I was still able to do quite a bit of cooking ahead of time. I enjoy having everyone over, and I hope everyone else enjoys being here.

On the day after Thanksgiving, we put up our Christmas tree. Joshua had been sick, but he felt well enough to put the angel on top and pose for a picture.

Now, if only I could get as excited about taking down the tree…

December 2017

December was a whirlwind of basketball games for James and Joshua, Christmas concerts and programs, and family gatherings. We have been enjoying a slower pace during the past week, and I am sad to see our break end.

I pray you had a great 2017 and that 2018 will be even better. What was your favorite memory of 2017?

 

Filed Under: Family

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jackiesblessings

I have mixed emotions when I reflect on all that h I have mixed emotions when I reflect on all that has happened in 2020. There have been so many negatives for so many people. I can’t say it has all been positive for me either. However, there are some things that have happened in 2020 for which I am so grateful. 
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The main thing I am grateful for is the extra time I was able to spend with my kids. We had so much fun during quarantine and this summer. I know this wasn’t the case for everyone, but I do not regret the days when we had nothing planned and could just have fun together. Whether it was walking in the woods, playing games, watching a movie together, or even doing chores, I never once heard an “I’m bored.” 🙂 
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In addition to the gift of more time together, I am also grateful for all of the milestones we have celebrated this year. In June, my parents celebrated their 50th anniversary, and then we had four milestone birthdays. Julia turned 21, James turned 18, Joshua turned 16, and Joseph turned 13. (Janna felt left out, so we told her that her birthday was special because it was her last birthday in single digits.) Also, today marks 25 years that JT and I have been married. 
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While I won’t be sorry to see 2020 go, and I hope
and pray 2021 is better for so many people who are hurting right now, I don’t ever want to forget the good times we had this year. 
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P.S. I took all of these pictures over fall break.
The girls and I recorded our parts for our virtual The girls and I recorded our parts for our virtual church service yesterday, and I couldn’t resist getting a picture with them in front of this beautiful Christmas tree. ❤️
James has been playing school basketball since he James has been playing school basketball since he was in the fourth grade. Tonight he and his fellow Seniors  were recognized at their game, and I just can’t believe James is this old. 
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Normally, Senior Night is the last game of the season. However,  because everything in the world seems so uncertain right now, we wanted to make sure the boys got a chance to be recognized. We wanted something “normal” for them. I am thankful James and his teammates not only got recognized but also won their game. 
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P.S. We had our masks on at all times other than when we took pictures.
We have another teenager in the house! Joseph is t We have another teenager in the house! Joseph is turning 13 today, and it just doesn’t seem possible. The beautiful baby boy who was placed in my arms on a cold and foggy day in December is still my “little” guy. However, after looking at this picture of the two of us, I don’t think he will be shorter than me for long. Joseph is still my shy guy, but he is also sweet, loving, kind, and just an all around good kid. We also lovingly refer to him as the cat whisperer because the kittens and cats follow him around like puppies. 🙂 It has been so much fun to have Joseph at school with me this year now that he is in junior high, and I am so thankful that I get to be his mama. Happy birthday, Joseph! ❤️
2020 has been challenging in so many ways. One of 2020 has been challenging in so many ways. One of those challenges was self-inflicted. 🙂 I just finished my fourth master’s level course of 2020 through Ball State, and I passed the high ability licensure exam last Thursday. This means that I will soon have high ability added to my teaching license. 
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When I signed up to take my first class in January, I had no idea what 2020 was going to entail. Teaching in a pandemic isn’t for the faint of heart. Taking classes and caring for five kids while teaching in a pandemic has allowed me to see what I am really made of. I don’t mean to brag, but I am pretty happy that I received straight A’s. Beyond that, I learned so much, and I am grateful for this opportunity even though I felt stretched to my limits some days. 
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Yes, 2020 has been challenging, but I have been blessed with more time with my family, knowledge gained, and challenges met and overcome.
I almost forgot to post this here. 🎂 Joshua is I almost forgot to post this here. 
🎂
Joshua is 16 years old today. It doesn’t seem possible that my little pip squeak of a baby boy is now about 6’4”. Joshua is now the tallest of the family, and I’m not sure he is done growing. There hasn’t been a dull moment since Joshua arrived, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. He is a fun-loving, hard-working, kind-hearted, and intelligent young man. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for him. I am so thankful God thought I was up to the task of being Joshua’s mama. ❤️
My little 7 pound 20 inch baby boy, who didn’t c My little 7 pound 20 inch baby boy, who didn’t cry as soon as he was born but first looked around to see what was going on in the world, is now a 6’2” handsome man. I truly never thought the years would go by so quickly, but here we are. James is 18 today. 

There are so many words I could use to describe James: hardworking, dedicated, persevering, intelligent, funny, curious, kindhearted, dependable, respectful, and helpful. I could also expound upon his accomplishments, and I could tell you how great he is. However, I don’t love James for what he has accomplished but simply because he is my son.

I have been so blessed to be James’s mom, and I thank God every day for entrusting him into my care. I don’t know what the future will hold for him, but I know he will do great things. 

For anyone reading this who is struggling with a tantrum throwing toddler, a strong-willed child, and/or a child who questions everything, I would like to encourage you. Look for the positive qualities your child possesses such as perseverance, dedication, and curiosity and build upon that. I will never regret the hard days of parenting because my prayers and hard work have paid off. Helping James reach his full potential and keep those qualities without breaking his spirit has been worth the effort.

Happy Birthday, James!
I’m not going to sugar coat it. Today seemed sur I’m not going to sugar coat it. Today seemed surreal. It felt chaotic. Nothing was normal. We are all exhausted. However, it was wonderful to be with my students again after five months, and my own kids enjoyed seeing their friends. I don’t know how this school year will play out, but I am ready to go back tomorrow and try to make teaching virtually and in person work to the best of my ability. My students are worth the effort. 
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James is a senior, and this was his last first day of school. Joshua is a sophomore, and Joseph is in 7th grade which means I have all three of my boys in the same building with me. Janna is in fourth grade, and she was very excited to be back at school. Julia will be a senior in college when she starts back next week. 
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I am praying we all have a safe and healthy school year. I plan to try not to think about the unknowns and what-ifs and take it one day at a time.
This morning I told four of my kids we were going This morning I told four of my kids we were going to go on an adventure. (No, I didn’t leave one out of the fun. James played in a golf tournament with his dad. 🙂) Anyway, it was quite an adventure. It started with my vehicle telling me one of the tires needed air, but it must be a bad sensor because it was fine. Then I almost ran out of gas. I drove us on all sorts of country roads we had never been on, and I even thought I was going south when I was actually going north for like 10 miles. 🤷🏻‍♀️ It was very obvious I have not been many places since March. 
.
Anyway, Julia, Joshua, Joseph, Janna, and I went to @maxandhoneys where we took some pictures and picked a beautiful bouquet. It was really fun. After that, we went to Greencastle and then to Lieber State Recreation Area. We finished by stopping to do a few things in my classroom, and we made it home before it started raining.
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I am so thankful for a day of doing something fun and “normal” but out of the ordinary. I don’t know if that makes sense, but that’s the best way to describe it. Yes, we had to wear masks sometimes and practice social distancing, but it was still a good day. 
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Here are some pictures from our day. The last picture is of James before he went to play golf. How is he old enough to be a senior? 😢 I am so thankful for my family. 💕 Also, kudos to Joshua and Joseph for being good sports about picking flowers. Their future wives will thank me. 😀

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