Year in Review...in no particular order

A while back I put a whole lot of photos from 2014 on my computer desktop. I thought it would be fun to select a few of them (in no particular order, because that's how we roll here...) and tell a little more of the story than what you'd get if you just saw a little Facebook post. 

May 2014: Kelly was awarded the Bandung Alliance International School (BAIS) Eagle Award. It's the highest award that a student can receive, and it is given to one boy and one girl from the high school each year. It's given to the student who displays Christ-likeness, academic commitment, and a bunch of other awesome things. The staff vote each year on who should receive the award. Prepare for a little (more) boasting: this is the SECOND year that she's won it. What's great about Kelly is that she was just being herself and her personality and love for Jesus is just pretty awesome. She puts a great amount of effort into everything, she takes the time to help people, she makes an effort to befriend the kids who are not fitting in well, and much more. When she was little she was such a handful, and I prayed A LOT that she would be a joy to others when she grew up. God has answered my prayer beyond what I could ever ask or imagine. She's a joy to us and others. Praise the Lord!

 January 2014: We were so blessed to be able to travel back to America for Christmas and stay a few weeks into January. It was the year of the "polar vortex" and the coldest that it had been in a super long time. I think those are the exact words that the weatherman used. Super long. Point is, we had a great time playing in the snow, but also realized that we have lost our American edge. I'm no longer able to run outside without a coat or basically function in any capacity when it's cold. We went to the plaza one day to do some last minute Christmas shopping and I was actually reviewing my Anatomy and Physiology class from college, trying to remember if it was possible for your eyeballs to freeze. Mine didn't, but it was close. Caleb and Nate liked the snow but hated the cold. Caleb's fair tropical skin didn't tolerate the cold well at all. His lips and cheeks chapped and bled, and he looked like a big mess. In Indonesia his hair was curly and adorable, in cold America it was straw like and he looked like a miniature witch.

July 2014: This entry is called "The Third Wheel." I had the wonderful, if a little awkward, opportunity to return to Lombok (my favorite place in Indonesia) with one of my favorite people and her new hubby. I joined them for the first four days of their vacation, and while it was totally weird for me to be there, I had a great time. We went to some beautiful beaches and visited some beautiful people that I hadn't seen in a super long time. More than anything on that island, I miss visiting with my dear friends. It's not every day that you come across people who are ... your people. I have lots of friends, but few (if any) are my people. Ya know??