14+ pictures for the 14th of December 2014

Ty: making crepes for a special Sunday breakfast.

Michelle:  Family selfie on the way to church

Eliza: the backpack and my sippy cup kept ALL of us sane at church today.
2 more weeks of 1pm church!

Afton: Singing "Flying in an Airplane" with a quail hairdo.
(Jane speaking here:  Ty tried to do Afton's hair using the vacuum as a blowdryer.)

Michelle: The best belly picture I could get!

Zeph:  Levin "Wevy" and Atlas "Ah-Ah" and Cali and Ray left this morning.
Zeph is going to go through a lot of withdrawals this week
(he loves those little boys and loved that they got to watch extra
Curious George while Cali and I did projects).
I think I'll go through withdrawals too.
Our house is too quiet and lonely.

Ande: After a great Sunday at church.
Joe forgot he was supposed to speak, 
but gave a wonderful talk about the Savior and the Atonement. 
I got to teach Young Women's. 
Zeph sat through all of Sacrament Meeting 
with the help of marshmallows and looked at books of Jesus (who he calls "JeJe"),
 and got to play with balls in nursery. A very good Sunday.

Joe:  Ande wants to remind Cali of another great reason to come back soon . . .
the fact we forgot to light a fire while they were here.

Cali:  Leaving Joe, Ande, and Zeph

Ray:  Who wants to sit by us on the flight home?

Atlas and Levin:  Trying to keep from crying on the plane.

Abe and Grace and Henry:  post Church photo

Grace:  Henry's new curtains courtesy of me and Mom

Abe:  Reading and singing to Henry before nap time.

Henry:  my healthy legs

Calvin and Jane:  post Church picture with Henry

It was another successful year of 14 on 14.  It's fun to look back at the growth, opportunities, challenges, and changes in our family month by month through the last four years of this photo project. Good thing next year is 15 on 15, because we keep growing.

Thanks to family for sending pictures in each month, and thanks to you readers for viewing each month.

I hope your 2014 was a good year too.

Life in Our World - Fourteen Pictures for the Fourteenth of November of Two Thousand and Fourteen

Michelle: A laundry-folding party in my bare house with Jack Bauer.
(Jane speaking here, Ty and Michelle and the girls will move to San Antonio, Texas next week for further training.)

Ty:  Enjoying dinner at The Steam Plant in Spokane, WA
(Jane speaking here:  Ty's first meal after completing a week of
survival training in sub-zero temps.)

Eliza:  Having good dreams during nap time.

Afton:  Family movie night watching Dusty Grasshopper.

Ty:  At the mall in Spokane.

Abe:  After spending the last month in my hammock (while training), I'd say the
investment was worth it.

Grace:  Just one more day until Abe gets home from his 4 week training!

Henry:  Devouring my first cheeto

Ande:  This picture pretty well sums up my day.

 

Zeph:  Zeph has been learning to put away all of his toys and books.  Today it took him a good
5 minutes to round up every single ball scattered through the house, but he did it!
(With me reminding him to "put it away" every 10 seconds or so.)

Jane:  Each weekday I teach 89 students the scriptures.  It's a very rewarding and challenging job.

Calvin:  With Brandee and Andre Guzman (our Branch President and his wife).
Calvin fixed them a steak and seafood dinner tonight to celebrate Andre's 40th birthday.
Pres. Guzman and Calvin are kindred carnivores.

Calvin & Jane:  After the Guzmans went home we laid down in front of the fire and fell asleep.

Calvin & Jane:  This is true.  We know it.

It Says . . . the Family is God's masterpiece (Almost 14 pictures for the 14th of October 2014)

Calvin:  The red vest is back.

Jane:  A student made me a caramel apple
all by himself.  (My first apple in 14 years of teaching.)

Abe: Showing Henry videos of himself.
He watches them just like Grandpa Calvin
watches himself: with interest and a big smile. 

Henry- His face pretty much sums up his day.
The poor little guy has been sick and teething.

Grace- Abe and I made dinner together tonight.
Apple cider pork chops (from the pig we just butchered).
 It was delicious!

Eliza: being cute while trying to rest up and feel better.

Afton: watching Sesame Street because
I don't feel good either, and wondering
why mom is taking a picture.

Michelle: Ande and I went shopping at some fancy-pants stores today
and found some great deals to dress me up for Ty's pilot training graduation next week.

Ty:  Making Asian street food for the Nehila's.

  Zeph:  Me and Afton throwing rocks from the porch.

Joe: Zeph insisting he get pickles . . . 

. . . lounging with a self-satisfied grin as
he enjoys the spoils of saying "please."

Ande: Today my major accomplishment
was growing another human
while keeping a 1.5 year old alive and happy.
And that seemed like good enough. 

Levin:  Doctor's appointment with flu shots.

Atlas:  Flu shot celebration.

I really do believe that families are the hub in God's plan for our eternal happiness, and I really do believe that families are ordained of Him. Even on days when our family is anything but harmonious or satisfying, I repeat to myself, "Families are central to God's plan.  Families are central to God's plan.  Families are central to God's plan."  And on those days when being a family is so incredibly fulfilling and beautiful and inspiring and peaceful, I repeat to myself, "Families are God's masterpiece.  The family really is God's masterpiece."

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(This post is part of a 31 Day Writing Challenge hosted by Myquillyn Smith  To see other posts in the series, click here)

[About 14 on 14] Each month we have a family post that correlates to the date.  For example in 2011, when the tradition began, each member of the family took a picture of what they were doing on the 11th of the month.  Each month's post that year (theoretically) had 11 pictures in it.  In 2012, each member in the family took a picture on the 12th of each month and each month's post (theoretically) had 12 pictures in it.  Now, here we are to 2014 . . . and (theoretically) there are 14 pictures on the 14th of each month (but realistically, there will be more like 12 or 17 pictures).

. . . more than 14 pictures for the 14th of August of 2014 . . .

I graduated from BYU with a Bachelor's degree and it just so happened that graduation fell on the 14th of August 2014.  Serendipity.  Because of that, this event is well-documented.   

Jane:  Picking up my cap and gown and wearing a bracelet my good friend
Melanie gave me. The bracelet says "1980 -  ngu-nngu  - 2014."
That stands for the year I began college,
"she never gave up, she never, never gave up"
and the year I finally graduated.

Calvin

Ande

Ty and Eliza

Michelle

Grace

Abe

Cali

Ray

Nephew Ryan

Niece Haley

Brother-in-law Bruce

Niece Charlie

my sister Chris

Nephew Justin

Niece Jesse

My very own cheering section:  L-R
niece Jesse, Abe, Grace, Henry,
niece Haley, nephew Ryan, great-nephew Cooper,
My sister Chris, niece Charlie, brother-in-law Bruce,
me and Calvin,
 Afton, Michelle, Ty, Eliza,
nephew Justin holding Atlas, Levin, Ray, Ande, Zeph, Cali

The Grandkids.
I just needed a few more laps and legs and one more arm and we'd have had a postcard picture.
I'm sure of it.

Ringing the victory bell with Levin, Afton, and Atlas

With the exception of Joe, who wasn't able to come, everyone came to cheer and support.  It was such a generous outpouring of love.  Victory.  Happy 14 on 14 indeed.