Wednesday, December 31, 2014

2014 Year in Review/ What's in Store for 2015?

As I look back over the posts of 2014 and the top hits/most read blog posts, I see the good and bad of the McKinney family... sometimes I wonder why the bad things get more hits, but maybe people find pleasure out of reading the heartache of others... not sure...

January- We were getting ready for snow days and making sure we had everything ready for the power to go out... It didn't, but we always need to be prepared! 

February- KB was disappointed about cheering, but WOW... what a difference a few months makes and how thankful we are that we have seen time and time again how it's all about perspective... thanks Amberly for the letter... your letter is #2 for the year for most read posts!  Your words were just what we needed...and now that wound is healing... and we see how changing our perspective makes things easier to deal with...but most of all... thankful for decisions made that were out of our control! 

March- The big story of March was KB being in Miss LCMS.... I'm still proud of her being Miss Congeniality... because I would have never been that!  Smile and keep being sweet...

April-  I graduated from college!!!  For the third time... I'm so glad that I don't have school anymore... that's sad considering I work for the school system!  Colleges have missed the boat in having "actively engaged" students... If they had that... I might get my doctorate!  It's really simple... if the learner is doing something besides sitting and listening to someone... they learn... really...they do! 

May-  Ben's out of the mouth of babes post received lots of hits... I still tickle at some of the things he says.... he is my child... 99% of the time... no filter... tender-hearted... and quick to forgive those who are ugly to him! 

June- Ben and James went to basketball camp at Clemson... what a great experience it was for them... how in the world will they be able to go this year without a parent...at the hotel???? Ben won't have to worry about that though... he says he is never going to a spend the night camp!  Bless his little heart... he gets that from both Mark and me! 

July-  Our family vacation was spent at Edisto... it was fun, relaxing, and so exciting to wake up with the ocean at our footsteps... when  I am old and retire...I want to sit on a back porch that overlooks the ocean... in a rocking chair... and watch the tide roll in and out.... I'm dreaming of course....

August- The #1 post of the year with the most hits... Faith, Family, and Football.... who knew so many people cared about a little small town who focuses on football?  My heart was filled with the sweet comments about our love! 

September-  Katie Britt started cheering...and Ben decided he scored a 70 on the Ten Commandments... He  makes me laugh! 

October-  Ben's Heart Hurts.... he has had some growing up to do this year... many times when we pray for people... we want them to be better people... but ultimately, it's up to that person and his/her relationship with God... we can't change people... He is learning to continue to pray for those he wants to be better.

November-  We lost our Dabo.... through tears and hard decisions... we are getting better...

December-  Mark still doesn't think this is funny, but we are still snickering about him taking his gun (by accident) into the airport... he is tired of hearing, but I rib him every chance I get.... We are thankful he has a job back with his old crew... I see the spark/thrill of working in him again... he loves a challenge! 

And now... to 2015~

I say every year that I am going to lose weight... well... I may as well say that again... I am going about it a little differently this time... a few years ago at a SPED directors' conference two of my friends said they were going to the car to get a "spark"... I thought they might be going to smoke... or do drugs...or something illegal... but it was actually an energy drink... Mark has a bad habit of needing a kickstart with his job because he travels across time zones... doesn't sleep well in hotels... and never rests easy because he does crazy things in his sleep... so I signed up for this healthy form of  a 5 Hour.... The Spark is my favorite product... and this year to begin the year... I'm going to do the 24 day challenge... I'm excited...I think... I have eaten any and everything with sugar in it since December 1... I know that the inner tube that hangs over my jeans will immediately go down with no sugar and a few cleansing agents... I'm worried about the sugar headache though... let's hope it isn't too bad! 

This past year I went through the Jesus Calling devotional each morning before heading to work... while days weren't perfect, I was able to hold my tongue (or bite it) when I needed to... what a difference getting up a few minutes early has made instead of waiting until the end of the day... I hope I can continue doing morning devotions instead of night ones....

I am also hoping not to pile laundry up in a chair in the laundry room... As I'm typing this.... our house is clean, our laundry is all clean / ironed, and there are lines in the carpet... I'm trying to psych myself up to do a little every day to keep the house in order... I really need a plan of attack... surely the internet has that already done for me... somewhere! 

Blog- I taught a class this semester on the blog and realized that this is my therapy... I don't post everything I write... but I sure do like putting my feelings down on paper and seeing how I change my perspective over the course of a few days.... right now I am reading Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World.... I didn't know this, but...

What We Worry About...
40% are things that will never happen
30% are about the past- which can't be changed
12% are about criticism by others, mostly untrue
10% are about health, which gets worse with stress
8% are about real problems that can be solved....

SO....  worrying takes up a lot of time... when we can only do something about 8% of it.... If anyone is worrier.... you really should read this book... I bought it for all the girls in our office and I'm excited to see if they get as much out of it as I do! 

I hope that I can write at least once a week... even if I don't publish for public view....

I think four things are enough... I'm not going to set myself up for failure...

I'm thankful for this past year~ but I sure am glad to see it end too!  I like fresh starts... I'm excited to begin the year with family and friends... and before we do that... we are heading to our final Christmas event of the year!   Goodbye 2014 !

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