January - I started the year by accepting the task of reviewing fiction for New Wineskins magazine. Books started arriving in the mail and, for the first time, I had more to read than I could keep up with. Tabitha celebrated birthday #5 with a few friends.
February - Our home school co-op, First Class Clark County (West) gives the kids a place to take elective classes. I pitch in by teaching beginning French. I also teach violin to a little boy in exchange for piano lessons for one of the twins. The other twin took harp lessons.
March - I was privileged to receive a scholarship to attend the Mount Hermon Christian Writers conference in March. It was a great place to hone my writing skills and network within the Christian writing community.
April - As part of a push to re-awaken missions involvement at our church, we hosted a Mission Sunday. I tripled the size of my vegetable garden this year and also started a small berry patch and a perennial flower bed.
May - I volunteered to teach at Outdoor School so the twins could attend. We spent a week at Camp Yamhill learning about different aspects of biology, geology, and chemistry. The highlight for the kids was their time on the challenge course, especially their flight over the river on the flying squirrel.
June - Our big trip of the year took us up the Al-Can to Alaska. Beautiful as the voyage was, the best part was watching my baby brother get married. Edwin's parents joined us in Juneau, then traveled back south for a week in Washington.
July - We were adopted into a family this year and enjoyed a few days with them on their property for their 4th of July campout. 4-wheeling, fireworks, and lots of good food and fun. The twins turned 12 and celebrated by hosting a movie night/campout in the back yard with 26 of their best friends. We also took a couple of camping trips at the Washington coast.
August -the end of the summer means harvest (we had some terrific tomatoes this year - wish I had some now). It also means gearing up for the new school year, which means pulling together the year's curriculum. A couple more camping trips and the Portland to Coast walking relay rounded out the summer.
September - Everything seems to swing back into gear with the beginning of school. This is the first year I've had to handle 2 different grade levels and it's been a challenge. Both my writing critique groups continue to challenge me to write, write, write. Edwin closed in on 2 years as a foreman for Shaffer, Inc.
October - We were able to attend the Together for Togo conference in Dallas as a family. Several of our former teammates were also there and we had a wonderful, tear-jerking reunion.
November - The kids and I spent a week on the Olympic Peninsula with friends. It was a whirlwind of visits for me with my friends and the kids with theirs. We spent Thanksgiving with my parents and older brother and his kiddos.
December - Our 20th anniversary came and went with little fanfare. I spent a weekend at the coast having some much-needed quiet writing time. We're spending Christmas in New Mexico, where the sun actually shines. Edwin has gathered all the tools he needs to build a boat in the garage, but that will be news for next year.
2 comments:
Hi Patty! I found your blog through a friend! I would like to invite you to join a brand new forum for sisters of the church of Christ! Its small but growing - please join us for encouragement, support and much more!!! We have a section just for "missionary sisters" Here's the link: http://sistersinchrist.forumotion.com
Hope you enjoyed your Christmas in New Mexico. I like the idea of spending Christmas someplace warm. We had 4 feet of snow and it was 20 degrees. When I was 18, my parents took me to Hawaii for Christmas. It was absolutely wonderful.
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