Go With The Flo: 2013, wow....

How can I begin to describe the whirlwind of a year 2013 has been for our family?

Nuts. Just nuts.

It's the year we went from being two school teachers in a town that's not even a dot on a map, to deciding in just one week that we would move across the world to work with 60 Feet. What can I say about that decision? Just one thing. God would not let me say no. I absolutely did not want to go, but I knew I had to say yes and my husband, wisely, allowed me to come to my own decision on that.

It's the year I began to homeschool my girls and found a great co-op to join in Kampala.

It's the year I went back to my beloved Hope International School. Seeing familiar faces, watching my girls (especially Grace) really pitch in and help, loving on the kiddos.....all goodness.

It's the year we joined in on our first international field trip.

My girls got the bonus of a camel ride that day...

It's the year of an 85 degree Christmas season and decorating cookies with new friends.

And where homemade Christmas ornaments decorated our 4 foot tree.

It's the year where my intentions were to have a small (ie. few presents) Christmas, but because of sweet friends and family back home sending all kinds of goodies, my girls enjoyed the fun of opening many gifts!

It's the year where right after opening our own gifts, we headed to Bwerenga Village to give out gifts collected by my home church thousands of miles away....the smiles and thank you's that day were amazing.

It's the year we killed and ate our first Christmas turkey present given by our friend, Odong.

It's the year where our family and friend flew in for the holidays.

Just in time, too, because we were missing home quite a bit during Christmas.

It's been an incredible year. Full of faith steps, growth, growth, and more growth.

It's the year where I learned a lot about myself, to be honest. I peeled back a few ugly layers and put in some work. It's the year where I learned that my marriage to my handsome husband isn't a cakewalk, but it certainly helps if you know you are walking it together - in love and, very often, with laughter. It's the year where I've been SO proud of my husband, too, and the work he's put in with 60 Feet Uganda. The blessings on him with wisdom and leadership have been abundant. It's the year I'm realizing my oldest girl is growing and maturing into a young woman. I'm currently praying about how to earn her heart and trust now....before she really starts to fly. And at the same time, it's the year where my baby, my youngest, is turning her imagination up to full speed. I love watching her flit around.....

and then I wonder if she's really the last?