Two Thousand Fourteen

Well, it's been a while. sorry. again. I've even been on break from teaching for two and a half weeks and done nothing. I guess that's what break is for. I've decided to make sure I did something this last week of break. so I went to buy a new 2015 calendar, fill said calendar out with all the birthdays, anniversaries and upcoming weddings, and hopefully get some paintings done for the shop.

I also wanted to take a look back at 2014 and try to remember what we did. Here it goes!

warning: tons of pictures. that is all.

We started off the new year by camping in Yuma. Something we definitely don't do quite enough. In the future we have plans to camp at the Grand Canyon!

I traveled to Michigan at the beginning of February for my Grandmother's funeral. Obviously, not the most fun reason to travel, but I did get to see Vegas from the sky at night and I got my fill of real snow and cold weather in Michigan. I also got to spend time with all of my sisters!

A group from Yuma went to Big Bear, California to enjoy a ski/snowboarding weekend on the mountain. We made the best of it - even though the snow was more like slush during the day and ice at night. We really want to go to Colorado for some great skiing before we leave the west.

I think one of my favorite things to do is be a pit stop for people heading out to San Diego as they are PCSing. This year we had three friends stop by before finishing their cross country drives. We've been to San Diego many times since living in Yuma and it's truly a great escape especially during the hot summer months here. I traveled to San Diego for the NAEA Conference over Spring Break and was able to visit with some of my professors from JMU! 

I coordinated my first art show for the middle school students at the local library. The Spring 2015 art show will probably definitely be on the local news! One of the secretaries at our school said she could contact the local news channel and have them there at the show to interview students and such! 

In the spring and the fall, we celebrated lots of new babies in Yuma! Baby showers galore!

David promoted at the end of May - aka a day away from the crazy middle schoolers for me. ;)

I SURVIVED THRIVED TEACHING MY FIRST YEAR OF MIDDLE SCHOOL ART!
I seriously was in survival mode for a portion of that year. whoops. 

OPENED TULIPS&LACE!

TURNED 25! Hello quarter century. 

Celebrated our two year wedding anniversary & traveled to Jamaica! We went with our wonderful friends, the DeVines and really enjoyed time together. After Jamaica, we traveled home to Maryland so David could see everyone before he deployed at the end of June.

David headed out for deployment and then I headed to Minnesota for some cabin time with the Phillips Family.

Also EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO NOTE: 

I READ ALL OF THE HARRY POTTER BOOKS IN THREE WEEKS. 

Probably sat on my reading chair more than I slept in my bed over those weeks. #harrypotterforlife

While David was gone I went with our good friends, the Ices, to the Grand Canyon for a whirlwind weekend trip. #NanNans

Started teaching another year at RW Middle School (I wish it stood for Ron Weasley). Decided to take a trip to Utah mid October to visit the marvelous Noelle Ulman. Once I got back, we were in the home stretch of deployment being over.

David came back on Veterans Day and then a few days later we went to the Marine Corps Birthday Ball. I always love an excuse to actually dress up and take a day off of work ;)

Kathleen Payne Photography

My family traveled here from Maryland (and Uncle Buck Leo from Michigan) for Thanksgiving. We did the most touristy thing in Yuma aka seeing the territorial prison. Trekked up Telegraph Pass and ate lots of delicious food!

This December we've enjoyed weekends on the couch, the gorgeous warm weather and a great visit from Noelle right before Christmas.

Most importantly this year we've found a church family who truly has the word of God and the spirit flowing through them. We have both grown more in our relationship with Christ and can't wait to see what God has in store for us in 2015! We've truly seen that Jesus is better than anything we could ever have or want and we pray that God continues to use us for his glory this next year.

CHEERS TO TWO THOUSAND FIFTEEN!