Year in Review

Because I was gone for six days (between Christmas and New Year’s) I missed my opportunity to do a “Year in Review” before we rolled over to 2014.

So….it’s a little bit late. Here are the highlights for 2013:

January:

I got a ticket: 😦

I also wrote a couple of good posts: here and here.

February:

I wrote quite a few posts during the month of February that I’m proud of: here, here, here, and here.

March:

I am proud of my husband here.

April:

I wrote this blog post.

This was my FAVORITE month–I got to go to Illinois!!! (Where my heart lives)!!! 🙂

Andi and me

Jeremiah and me

Paige and me

Rebecca, Andi, Hannah, and me

Jeremiah

Shannon and me

getting pedicures with Ember and Shannon

Ethan

Jacob, Rebecca, Andi, Hannah, and Ethan

I am SO READY to go back!!!

May:

I wrote a few blog posts that I love: here, here, and here.

We spent a lot of time lovin’ on kids at church….

Brooklyn, Mason, Heath, and Walker

Walker and Mason

Heath and me

Brae and me

Paul and me

We also went to San Antonio for Alika’s graduation from Basic Training in the Air Force:

Me, Alika, and Paul

Alika

June:

My life was CONSUMED with Vacation Bible School!!!! There’s no way I can recap that–trust me, it was fun, rewarding, exhausting, and worth it!

We also went to Youth Camp: here, here, and here.

July:

My other favorite month of the year (besides APRIL)!! We went on Mission Trip–

We met life-long friends (Kris and Heidi) and I got to Jamie and his family….

Emilie, Lauren, and Morgan

Jasmine and Macie

Paul and Aubrey

Paul and Aubrey

our group from FBC Giddings

Heidi and me

Paul, me, Heidi, and Kris

Jamie’s family:

Stephen, Teddy, Elizabeth, Jamie, Chris, and me

Oh, we also moved in July….directly after getting back from Mission Trip and before going to Pre-Teen Camp:

August:

We started August (ended July) going to Pre-Teen Camp

Paul and me

Paul, Lindsey, Victoria, Catherine, and Taylor

Victoria and me

Lindsey, Taylor, Victoria, and Savannah

Taylor, Jalisa, Savannah, Catherine, Jared, Lindsey, and Victoria

Right after Pre-Teen Camp, I turned around and went to Children’s Camp.

Luke

Sierra

Hanna and Ellie

The whole group

(August was a hard month for me, in regards to ministry at the camp–Children’s Camp was terrible for me and I really struggled in ministry during that month)….

August was also my birthday! We went to San Antonio for a little “mini vacay”

September:

I wrote a couple of good blog posts:here and here

We went to a Baylor football game with Heidi, Kris, and Aubrey. They beat Buffalo, 70+ to 13, I think. It was also 110+ degrees outside!

We also immersed ourselves in all things football: Middle School football, Freshmen football, and Varsity football…..

October:

One of my favorite posts:

We had National (Texas) Night Out at church and Fall Festival (another rough month of ministry for me). The Children’s Committee ALL work full-time, everyday, so it was up to me (and Paul) to do the entire Fall Festival by myself….it was hard and not something I look forward to again.

November:

November was a SLOW month in “bloggy world” because I only wrote ONE POST!! I can’t believe it…..but, here it is:

December:

Between November and December, I spent a lot of time going to Waco….4 times in a one month period, to be exact

Thanksgiving was so late that those pictures ended up in December….

Loved seeing the Derrick’s, as always! 🙂

The original Tanner 5: Donna, Susan, Paul, David, and Mike

Paul cleaned out his old room–never know what you’ll find! 🙂

I worked twice at Lights of Tej*as

serving dinner with Lillie and Lindsay

Paul and me

We had our annual Christmas hayride and then went to San Antonio for a mini-vacation, just the two of us! 🙂

“Have Yourself a Looney Tunes Christmas”

“Holiday Show”

The Majesty of Christmas

in front of Christmas Trees at Santa’s castle

in front of the Christmas tree

San Antonio Zoo

Then, Christmas with the Fam came…..

Paul and me

Leslie, Marcy, and me

Scott, Leslie, Marcy, me, and Paul

Dad, Leslie, Mom, me, and Marcy

Leslie, me, and Marcy

The whole Hubbard clan–missing 3

2013 was kind of a rough year for me, in ministry and in marriage. We laughed a lot, we learned a lot, we (I) cried a lot, we prayed a lot, we cared a lot, we fought a lot, but, we survived and came out better on the other side!

Here’s to 2014!!

 

 

 

Christmas with the Fam 2013

Well, we survived Christmas…..I’ve been gone 6 days (Paul was only gone 1), so I’m just now “catching up” despite 2013 being over….

This post is just full of pictures…..

On Friday (the 27th) we drove to Waco to my parent’s house. Marcy and 2 of her kids, along with Leslie, Scott, and their 2 kids were there.

Grady’s favorite thing at Grandmama’s house is the hammock. It was not “out” but he got it out of the storage closet and put it up himself!

Mom and Dad under the tree…..

Playing a little “Gin Rummy”

Drake, Kainoa, Kainani, and Grady (4 out of the 5 grankids–Alika is missing)

Scott, Leslie, Marcy, me, and Paul (we’re missing Jeff)

Drake, Scott, Grady, Leslie, Kainani, Marcy, me, Kainoa, and Paul (we’re missing Jeff and Alika)

Leslie, Marcy, Kainani, and me (all the girls)

Paul and me-Christmas 2013

Santa stuffed our stockings full (at mom’s house) so we were all digging through stockings–chapstick, pens, almonds, klennex, Starbucks gift card–very important gifts as an adult!

All playing Ticket to Ride (we played 3 times)!!

While the “bigs” were playing Ticket to Ride, the 2nd cousins were all together: playing outside, watching movies, building forts…

Along with my sister’s and their families, my aunt/uncle were there (in Waco) as well as my cousin and his two kids.

Paul, Dustin, and me

Paul and Dustin (being cool)

Random thing….while we were at Mom’s house Kainani found a tree bark that was shaped just like Texas!

On Saturday Paul drove back to Giddings and I went to East Texas with  my parents and the rest of the crew…..in total, on Saturday, I think we had about 30 people there at Tom and Charlene’s house….

Kainani riding the horse, Ace. (She LOVES horses)!

Meagan (Carla’s oldest), she’s 12.

Judson, Dustin, and me–all talking

Some of the “grandkids”/2nd cousins–Stephanie (13), Drake (14), Kainani (14), Kainoa (16), Grady (9), and Ryan (16)

One of the crazy things we do when we all get together in East Texas is take pictures outside. It’s wild and crazy with too many chiefs (and not enough Indians) telling everyone else what to do…..the best thing you can do is to keep your mouth closed, stand where you’re supposed to stand and smile when they say “1,2,3” 🙂

Our family–minus 3 (Jeff, Alika, and Paul were missing)

Dad, Mom, Leslie, Grady, Scott, Drake, Kainoa, Marcy, Kainani, and me

The original Hubbard Five-Dad, Leslie, Mom, me, and Marcy

The 3 Hubbard girls–this one is my favorite! Leslie put this one on FB, and many of her friends thought Marcy and Leslie could be twins! (Apparently, I’m the “adopted” one)!

Mom and Dad with 4 out of their 5 grandkids (Alika is missing)

Kainani, Mom, Kainoa, Drake, Grady, and Dad

Ryan, Stephanie, and Dustin Hitt

Uncle Johnnie, Aunt Ila, Ryan, Stephanie, and Dustin Hitt

The original Hubbard cousins (7 of us all together)

Marcy, Dustin, Leslie, Carla, Judson, me, and Tom

Cousins with their spouses or significant others

Mike, Carla, Marcy (missing Jeff), Dustin, Scott, Leslie, me (missing Paul), Judson, Mica, Tom, and Julie

All the “grandkids”/2nd cousins (missing Alika)

Drake, Stephanie, Jonah, Michelle, Kainoa, Clayton, Hannah, Meagan, Clint, Kainani, Grady, and Ryan

The “outlaws” Mom, Johnnie, and Charlene

Dad, Mom, Johnnie, Ila, Charlene, Tom

The original Hubbard 3-Dad, Ila, and Tom

The Hubbard’s

The Coffee’s, The Hubbard’s, Tom/Charlene, and The Hubbard’s

The whole Hubbard “clan” (minus 3–Paul, Alika, and Jeff)

While we were there the Drake became “countrified” and got “gently used” cowboy boots from Judson, and then Judson bought him a pair of Wranglers and a shirt….

Looked good in East Texas, but I’m not sure Michigan can handle it!

(On a side note, my mom made this blanket for Drake for Christmas)!

If you remember, Paul cleaned out his old room at Thanksgiving. Well, his brother, David, was a big UT fan so he had a bunch of old Texas t-shirts in his room. So, I took them, gave them to mom, and she made Drake a t-shirt blanket! He loved it (and Paul’s dad was super impressed)!

I came back to Waco on Monday with Mom and Dad. On Monday night we went to the Baylor Boy’s basketball game. It was pretty empty (with “open seating”) because everyone was in Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl.

Mom’s first “selfie” with me….

Still being apart from Paul (:() I spent New Year’s Eve watching the Texas game, painting my nails by the fire….

New Year’s Day Dad made black-eyed pea soup (that was REALLY good)!!

On New Year’s Day night Marcy (with Jeff) and their kids came BACK to Waco to stay until Saturday. I, however, left yesterday to come home. Six days was enough for me!!

Now, I’m home….starting at a Christmas decorations that need to be put away and a duplex that needs to be cleaned!

Happy New Year!!