2014: Appreciating Health

This was the last year that you would be healthy for the full year, but it was like one of those "last time you hold your child" moments. We didn't know yet to appreciate health as we should. We take health for granted until it isn't there. Yet, it was like the Lord was preparing us, because we packed a lot in this year:

• First Easter with the Grandbabies. We made their Easter baskets to somewhat match David and Lauren's Easter baskets that we used at our house for Olivia and Noah. You built them, and I painted them.

• Spring Break in Gatlinburg. The Rardon crew joined us for the old traditional annual trip to Gatlinburg.

• Building a playset for Olivia and Noah. 2014 was the kid's first summer in the Jeffersontown house, so we bought them a playset and spent a weekend putting it together.

• Back to Madeira Beach and Disney World

• Splitting our time. In the Spring of 2014, I was promoted to Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at University of the Cumberlands along with my continued role as Director of School Counseling. This required that I be on campus during the week. So, you and David helped me move into an apartment, and I began the drive to UC on Mondays and then back to Louisville on Thursdays to be with you. I missed you tremendously, but you kept assuring me that you were working most of the time I was away and were so proud of my accomplishments in Academia.

• Halloween was festive this year: Hubers, Boo at the Zoo, Bon-fire at the Indiana Farm, and Trick-or-Treating in the Brown's new neighborhood

• And, we ended the year with a bang. UC's School of Education was just made aware that we would have to personally visit all our students. (We had previously been having the out of state and international students send in videos.) As I was the only one on the leadership with a current passport and a husband that had been in the NAVY with ties to the Naval base in Rota, Spain, we were sent to that DOD school in Rota for observation. We flew out Wednesday, December 3, so that I could do four observations: one each on Thursday, Friday and following Monday and Tuesday. The observations took a total of 3 hours each day, so we had quite a bit of time to enjoy the country on our own. It was a wonderful international trip just the two of us. What a memory!!