1. I was born
2. I began my walk with Jesus
3. I began at Maranatha High School my senior year
4. I began college
5. I began "real life"
6. I moved
7. I started a new job
8. I got a dog
9. Started a friendship with Ben
10. Got engaged to Ben
Sprinkled in there were new discoveries and beginnings with God as I learned lessons (hard and easy ones)
And now I get to start a new year! This means more opportunities for new beginnings! And now I have a pretty fantastic guy to experience them with me! So this New Year I dedicate to new beginnings. To starting fresh...clean slate. One to be written on with adventure, adversity, overcoming, joy, sorrow, love, togetherness, separation, growth...and all of those things covered in grace. I am so excited to begin this year!
Now on to snippets of the past few weeks for me! We celebrated Christmas from 12/20-1/1 this year. Pretty fantastic time! (there are a LOT!)
Eaton Canyon. I haven't gone hiking here in a very long time. But I really wanted Ben to see it, since it was a big part of my childhood!
I went with Ben and my brother Joe. They actually seemed to bond pretty well...it was fun to watch =)
Mmmm...love the sun-rays through the trees.
Love the contrast of blue sky and mountains. One of my favorite views is looking up out of the canyon.
Joey being a tour-guide and pointing out all the fun things along the way.
The Falls.
=)
Joey climbed to the top of the falls. Crazy kid.
Ben and I
Silly boy.
Karlina getting a "kiss" from Papa's homemade napkin-bunny
Joe, Kali and Jonathan
Traditional Knott's Berry Farm Chicken dinner!
Fantastic Christmas Concert at GCC
Took Ben to my favorite thrift store. This is where my mom bought most of my clothing until I was about 17 or 18.
Ben waited MONTHS past his normal hair-cut date to have my mom cut his hair. She was giving me pointers so I could learn how to trim it up. One of the things I've shared with Ben is how to have a maintained haircut. Just trim it up instead of cutting it short, letting it grow long and doing it all over again.
Karlina helping to vacuum up the hair.
Matching Cousins! steven and David.
Hannah, Mia and Kim
My younger brother is crazy. That's really all there is to it. But I love him, and miss him.
My five cousins singing WONDERFUL songs.
(L-R: Nathan, Caleb, Seth, Justin and Jacob)
Sierra had her lady-parts removed and had to wear a cone of shame to keep her from licking her stitches...which she promptly pulled off her her head and destroyed. So she had to be muzzled for a few days. It wasn't her favorite.
Jim, Maria, Seth and Kim
This is my cousin Jesse. Jesse is a jockey. Not jock. Jockey. Like rides horses for a living. That's how cool he is.
Luginbuhl cousins! Theresa, Bec, Kurt and his beautiful wife, Sonia.
Joe, Steven and Justin having way too much Christmas fun.
Uncle Dave and Aunt Nell's Christmas tree
All the grownups.
Jake with Enderpants.
KIDS TABLES!!! (those are the best...really.)
Listening to Dave tell a funny story.
Kim and I.
Klotzle cousin gang sign.
Flying Ender
Grampy's famous train...
Mimi and Karlina enjoying some gluten-free Christmas noodles with Grammy's famous cheese sauce.
Grammy Klotzle and Grandma Knochel.
Oh cousin Paula...
Karlina got a new black puppy for Christmas which she calls "Sierra" because it looks just like Auntie's puppy.
she also really enjoyed cousin Seth.
Every Klotzle Christmas, we have a gift grab called the $7.99. Every gift must cost exactly seven dollars and ninety-nine cents. It is epic.
back-rub train!
We're a lively bunch
A happy Ender in the arms of his studly father (who is wearing a fabulous lavender Christmas shirt)
Went on a long walk with cousin Steven...forgot how beautiful evenings are in the winter in California.
Karlina was fascinated by the train.
Above is all the grandkids, in-laws and great-grandkids with Grammy (Minus Johnny and Amy and Ben)
Below is all the original grandkids minus Johnny. What an impressive bunch.
All of the Klotzle girls with the middle name "Marie."
(Me, Annikah, Theresa, Janelle, Grammy, Sue and Hannah)
The outlaws. minus Amy and Ben.
(notice Krissa has a gun, so does Aunt Nell...and i believe Johnathan has a light saber? True outlaws)
Papa having a phone conversation with Karlina
Daddy and Karlina snuggling
Joey waxing poetic on his Christmas card to Grandma K.
Delightful Christmas fire.
Our Second Annual Christmas Tree!
Cute Mumzy and Dad
They even cook together!
Bear Bottom!
Read the Christmas Story
We have a lot of fun together
Wine and cheese table.
The gorgeous day on the way to the airport to leave
Ben's mom, LaRae and *our* niece Maria
After a fantastic weekend in IL meeting both sides of Ben's extended family...we road-tripped home so I could work last night.
The weekend held lots of laughter, gifts, food, introductions, stories, couples-convos, singing, more food, hugs, and even a standing ovation! (apparently they really like us as a couple) It was a smashing good time...and as the weekend was coming to an end and I was reflecting on all the great people I had met, I was really excited to realize that they were becoming MY new family and I'd get to see them a lot in the future! Definitely a fun prospect.
On the road again! (we road trip quite nicely together...which was a relief to both of us. I may need to use the bathroom more than Ben would like to stop, but he's very sweet about stopping when I need to go)
Eyes on the road. Such a cautious driver ;)
All the holiday loot
And now here I sit, by a nice warm fire with my dog right beside me, writing this blog.
Hopefully any of you reading this who were part of the last few weeks can remember those times with fondness...and those of you who weren't...it's ok to be a teensy bit jealous. Both Ben and I have pretty awesome families!
Blessings on your New Year...embrace the new beginnings coming your way...Cuz they WILL come...ready or not!
3 comments:
Chewed up cone, muzzle, power-steering type collar with little teeth that poke in and did I see a bark collar too? Y'all are loaded for bear! This dog must really be something!
This dog is becoming something. This is what they called being equipped. =) Hey...ya gotta do what works, right?
Is that a spray bark collar? I hope so.
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