However, I made sure to be able to travel to a very special event. Moose and Jackie Parker and their family have basically been our adopted family since Mom and Dad started at camp. When Uncle Moose died in a truck accident 5 years ago it was really hard but through the last few years it has been amazing to watch Aunt Jackie rise from the grief more radiantly beautiful.

I received a call from Aunt Jackie late last fall, sharing with me some exciting news. God had brought someone into her life and she was in love...with Milo Thompson. So, our trip down was to attend her wedding! It was such a beautiful picture of God redeeming the sorrow and transforming it to beauty.

After the wedding, we were able to go out to visit my Mom's family in Smethport, PA. My grandfather is now in a nursing home and doesn't always remember who we are, so we try to visit whenever we can. All of Mom's surviving siblings live in the area as well as a bunch of my cousins so it is fun to see everyone.

Since becoming a stay at home mom with two kids, I having been feeling a sense of losing myself in Mommy hood. So, last year I decided to start stretching myself in different ways. The first challenge was taking up running again.

I began to see some easy sewing projects on blogs of various friends of mine, I started to think about the possibility taking up sewing again. I decided this will be my next challenge. I was able to find a GREAT deal on a machine on Black Friday and purchased it to put up as my birthday present.