Year in Review (Part 3)

Phew!  This year has been eventful!  I knew it would be valuable to look back over it and chronicle the many events...but I had no idea it would be so extensive!

In July of this year I was "set up" with a new friend.

On a Saturday morning I went on my very first blind date.

I voluntarily met my new friend at 9AM on a Saturday morning.

It's safe to say that the Lord was at work in me as I made this decision, because it's certainly not OF me to arise at such an early hour on a Saturday :)

Emily's recommendation was inspired!  Thank you for using your wisdom, Dear Friend Emily!  Kali is a new friend in my life who I'm confident will be present in my world to see me with far more wrinkles and sags than my 24-year old skin pictured above has to offer. The addition of her and her two offspring in my life has given me more joy than I could express here!

Speaking of new friends who mean sooo much to me...

I HATE, HATE this picture of myself here, but I love these people.

These women.

Between the four of them they have so much life experience, wisdom, love, comfort, knowledge, humor, and goodness!

I thank God for them regularly.

We meet every Monday night to review the week and catch each other up.

Some nights take a more somber turn as we recount the less savory moments of our weeks past while others seem to be a two-hour laugh fest.

Some Mondays I'll realize that hours have past and I've just been sitting quietly-present in the moment-a student of the women Our God has blessed me to know.

If I seem REALLY gushy, it's because I can't help it!

These women have given me perspective, a place to be TRANSPARENT and a community in which I feel valuable and safe.

April, Emily, Kali and Erin-I love you!  Thank you for MAKING my year.

This October marked the second annual meshing of three local youth groups for a fall retreat.

Selfishly, I love the reflection/alone time provided for the kids to read scripture and pray because it provides time for me to do the same.

 

I communed with God for while and listened to the cows :)  It was nice to be away from the laptop, my cell phone, the television...I loved it.

 I love these people too.

They show love so well and teach me to ask questions and wonder and dream.

It was nice to be here-away from everything-with ALL of these gorgeous souls!

In November, Abi and James, Grant and Me and Luke and Laurel got together for "Family Thanksgiving" as we call it.  Grant and I didn't travel-we've adopted the idea of spending each Thanksgiving with a different set of people every year.  We love communing, breaking bread, fellowshipping with a different set of friends (or strangers!) each new Thanksgiving.  Since Family Thanksgiving takes place on a Tuesday, we were able to accept the invitation to April's house for Thanksgiving.  We spent the afternoon with new and old friends and it was LOVELY!  As April so eloquently put it, "There is something so HOLY about breaking bread with others and looking around the table at everyone!" 

The Friday after Thanksgiving, Barbara and Steve came up to visit!  We caught sales, went antiquing, ate great food, laughed-it was a great ending to our weekend of thankfulness.

In December, I gave myself a gift (with the help of my girlfriends and my precious husband).  I invited those in my life (living in Wichita) who are nearest and dearest to me to my home for a pancake party! We ate pancakes and breakfast food...

 

...we wore dinosaur hats and ate from dinosaur plates...

 

...and after dinner we cleared our "dishes" and painted!

You know, just whatever we wanted-on canvases of course.

It was a GREAT night!

 

Maybe my favorite part of the whole affair was that my Stacie was there-all the way from Denver, Colorado.

Not only did she get to MEET my friends, she fell in love with them and they with her. 

The night was...enchanting!

I'm not permitted to upload any more photos :(  The uploader is not letting me!

The year ended with a trip to Austin.  Grant, Dakota and I loaded up and headed south for the Colwell Christmas!  We. Had. So. Much. Fun.  I wish it were possible to upload the madness that is my parents home when the twelve of us are all together.  My Mom and Dad spend so much time cooking, shopping, planning (okay so maybe the bulk of that is my Mom's doing!) and prepping for us to come, and we all appreciate(d) it so much! 

This trip more than ever, I realized how glorious (said in the voice of the guy from "Princess Bride") it is that my siblings and our spouses all love one another as much as they do.  We GENUINELY love one another and we're GENUINELY good friends! 

My parents have created a beautiful family and I'm proud to be a part of it.  A friend of mine recommended that during the visit I look around at my family and really SOAK in all that is happening around me-I did and I'm grateful for the suggestion.  Ruth and Bill have inspired me to work, sacrifice and LOVE as they have in the name of family. 

On our way home, we stopped in Dallas to spend time with the Mankins.  It was sooo nice!  Our visit was brief, but lovely.  I can't believe how much our nieces and nephew have grown.  They are giant!  Six, almost eleven and thirteen.

Weird.

They're not two, seven and nine as they were when I first met them!  They're sweet, gorgeous kids and I can't wait to see them grow more. 

I gushed over my parents and the legacy they've passed down to the four of us, but I would be remiss to fail to say how incredible Grant's parents are as well.  We've been so blessed with not one, but two sets of parents who model love as they do.  Barbara and Steve are Mom and Dad, two great friends, examples of hard-workers, FUN, FUN, FUN-I could go on. 

This holiday season I didn't bake sugar cookies, I didn't watch the claymation Rudolf movie, I didn't go carolling-but I most certainly soaked in the goodness that God has blessed me with.  I chose this year to be a student of my surroundings and I'm really thankful I did-even if I missed Burle Ives crooning as the credits roled!

Back in Wichita, we Mankins rang in the new year with Tim and Christi!  We sang and danced and ate-I am only genuinely good at one of these things...but I enjoy them all.

Thank you God for 2009!  I can't wait to see 2010--it's the future BABY!