The Year in Review - 2013

Thought we'd start the new year with a pictorial review of the year just ended....and a busy year it was!

February saw the passing of my uncle Bill Sherrill, a victim of Lou Gehrig's disease.  We were able to make the trip to Gastonia for the celebration of his life.  It was neat to see all of his grandchildren clustered around his beloved Harley, which his son Randy had learned to ride just so he could ride it in the procession!

On a happier note, February included a late celebration of our anniversary combined with a Valentine's Day....all at The Biltmore, including an overnight stay in the Inn on Biltmore and a scrumptious 5-course meal at the Dining Room.   Of course, it didn't hurt that The Biltmore is one of our favorite go-to places when we need a little time away!

March and spring break included a weekend with Brandon while mom Jennifer and Matthew made a quick trip to Nashville.  Our time with B included a day at the Jonesborough Easter Egg Hunt and attending activities....one of his highlights was getting to hold the bunnies...

In April we were thrilled to be in Franklin for the wedding of Jon to Melodie Grace....a beautiful celebration of their love and soooo much fun!

May included a visit from Dot and Arky Beal....and we always find time to go exploring....or get in trouble, and sometimes both!  During our field trip to Watauga, we took a walk along the river and the butterflies and moths were everywhere....including this little guy on my shoe!

Willie had the opportunity to attend a Cincinnati Reds game on Memorial Day with son-in-law Chris before he (Chris, not Willie!) left for his multi-force deployment in Afghanistan.  The troops were honored on the field, and also by many in the stands who posed for photos with them and thanked them for their service.   And from us....a big "Thank You" to all who are currently serving and those who have served in the past.

June brought a Father's Day visit with Becky.....and another Carpenters 4 Christ mission trip for Willie....this time to Ina, IL where 100 men built a 20,000+ square foot church in 8 work days! 

It also brought a visit with our good friends Lee and Esther Smith, our partners in laughter and fun!  Willie had been itching to find an out-of-the-way place called "Beauty Spot".  If I were a swearing individual, I would swear that he thinks our little Saturn Ion is a four-wheel drive, but despite the less than gentle ride to get there, Beauty Spot lived up to its name!

We closed out June with a quick trip to Gulfport, MS to visit with Janelle and the boys and to bring Nathan back with us for his week with Mimi and Papa.

July 4th included a parade in the teeming metropolis (um, not exactly) of Jonesborough.  Nathan even had his picture in the local newspaper!

Zach was next on the schedule for a visit....and I'm not sure which he enjoyed more - the baseball game (local farm team) with Papa or the visit to the aquarium in Chattanooga.

Still on the schedule for July was a visit with Brandon.  And I KNOW he enjoyed the aquarium....

Then it was time for a quick trip to Virginia Beach to take Brandon home and to spend a few days with friends and family.  Did I mention that July was busy month?!!

 

August brought a visit with Sierra, who wanted to make dresses....so we did!  She also had several out-door adventures with Willie, including a bike ride on the 17-mile Creeper Trail.

Unfortunately, during her visit, my dad was admitted to ICU and then to hospice, so there were many trips to Nashville and back during that time.  On August 25th, he left his earthly body behind and entered his heavenly home....but he left behind a wonderful and treasured heritage...a heritage of faith.

A special thanks to Jon and Melodie for their hospitality, care, love and concern during those weeks....it made a tough situation just a little bit easier!

During September and October we spent a lot of time harvesting, canning, and, oh, yes....we did manage to get in some hikes....to Round Bald...

 ...to Blue Hole....

...and to Jane Bald.

November included a visit with family for Thanksgiving.....Ted (and friend Dawn Dehnert), grandson Nicholas, and daughters Becky and Amber made the trip to share the holiday with us.  Of course, they had to include "Speedway in Lights", a holiday staple in this area, in their agenda!

A recap of November would not be complete without including the early (and surprise) return of Chris from Afghanistan.   Janelle and the boys had NO idea!  He had painstakingly planned everything, even had the local news crew and a family photographer there to capture those special moments. Talk about emotion....

Our Christmas celebration this year was a little different.  After talking about doing it for a number of years, we finally set sail on our first cruise....a Christmas cruise to the Bahamas! 

We quickly decided that this type of "getting away" needs to be a regular part of our lives....well, at least once a year!  We had an awesome and relaxing time and can hardly wait to book our next cruise....it could become an addiction.

We closed out the year with the news of Ted's engagement to Dawn and with a visit from Jon and Melodie, along with their friends, Matt, Katie and Brandy....a good close to a good year.

2013 was not without its challenges and disappointments, but all in all, we know we are very blessed and are so grateful for all of our friends and family...but most especially for the grace of God which brings peace in the midst of the storms and comfort in the midst of pain.

Here's looking to a new year filled with an even deeper awareness of His grace and love and an ever-growing appreciation for His blessings!

P.S.  If you found your way here from the link on FaceBook, don't forget to subscribe if you want to keep up with what is going on around here.  As I stated on FaceBook, I won't be posting or checking FB very often, so this is the best way to stay in touch with what is happening in our lives.  Soooo....if you want to make sure you know when we have put up a new post, you might want to go to the "subscribe" link over on the righthand side of this page and subscribe.  That way, you will receive an e-mail notification whenever there is a new post.  Blessings to you in 2014!