2017 Thankfuls
Our Family and Friends,
Our “Thankfuls" are one of our favorite things to look back on and as a family focus on it more daily. We love to hear the girls’ comments throughout the weeks and in their prayers. We hope you find them encouraging as you think of the big and small things that we all have to be thankful for, and that they give you a glimpse into our lives over this past year.
Gracie: One year into braces! Middle School. Overnight summer camp (although I did get a little homesick). FirstWatch which has become our favorite breakfast spot. Summer full of swimming at our house. Grammy sleeping with me when they visit and back rubs in the middle of the night. Bella snuggles before bed and as I wake up. School football games. Converse shoes. My great group of friends. Youth Group. Swim meets.
Maggie: Having the mouth pallet expander turning process complete. Mastering math facts and improvement in reading (thanks Daddy for the DMC aka Daddy Math Camp). Deli Boys in Cleveland for weekend lunch. Learning to tie my own shoes! School supply shopping with friends. Grammy and Papa have moved close to us! Sunflower field. Camping trip with Daddy. Hurricane waves in Destin for Fall Break. My first soccer season!
Rachael: Coffee on quiet mornings. Watching the girls turn into fish in our backyard as they swam almost every warm day we had. Learning to provide the girls the appropriate balance of guidance with freedom to make choices (that is hard for this Mama). Jimmy’s hard work that earned us a trip to Arizona in March. Schmitz summer weddings of special ladies to our family. Thanksgiving home in Ohio. Quiet morning workouts to breathe a new life into me and fuel me for the job ahead (raising two spirited girls that God has created for big things). Friends that we do life with and encourage us! Hard moments with the girls that produce a greater dialogue and connection with the opportunity to love them deeper. Any time we can snag together as a couple, but especially trips away.
Jimmy: Visiting with our friends Thomas and Mika in Arizona after they returned from Uganda. Date Nights. Understanding how my girls learn so I can teach DMC to both of them. Watermelon Ball (a pool game). An annual trip to Las Vegas. Joining a hiking group and making it to top of Mt. Leconte with a kidney stone! Family fire nights on our porch. Watching Gracie thrive in Middle School (it was an easy transition) and watching Maggie enjoy life at her own pace. Night crabbing in Destin. Laughing with Rachael, even after 15+ years of marriage!
May you know His love more abundantly as we celebrate His birth this season! May you have a blessed new year!
Jimmy, Rachael, Ruth Grace, Margaret Faith, and Bella
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