The Best of 2014

In 2014 I ended up reading some great books.

As the year comes to a close I am reading Fierce Convictions: the extraordinary life of Hannah More– Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist. I love biographies and am thoroughly enjoying this one. I especially love the limelight being thrown on a woman who helped change history. She may not be well-known but her impact is long-reaching.

In the fall I picked up the new release, Every Bitter Thing is Sweet by Sara Hargerty. I loved this book because it was a story of infertility and loss that went far beyond the typical. Sara dug deep into the spiritual wasteland that came with her infertility, and turned the reader back to the greatest love-story ever told– the passionate pursuit of our hearts by the Savior of the World. I really love books that leave me with a hunger to read the Word more, as this one did.

As I’ve shared before, I love fiction, and this year I also managed to get my hands on Julie Klassen’s newest book, The Secret of Pembrooke Park. I read this one aloud to my husband and we both enjoyed it. More of a mystery than a romance (which I prefer) with a really compelling plot that kept us both guessing. This is hard to do because my husband is REALLY good at figuring out who-done-it.

In cookbooks, I’ve been utilizing Trina Holden’s newest book Your Real Food Journey. Oh, yum. Talk about delicious recipes mixed right up with handfuls of encouragement.

This year I also purchased the ESV Single Column Journaling Bible and oh, my goodness, I am in love. Like, super duper in love. Like— I don’t know why I held onto my old tatter NIV for so long because this is like, heavenly. (No pun intended.) I love the extra spaces for writing. I adore the single column format. And I am enjoying the ESV. The first time I saw a journaling Bible it was leather bound and super expensive, but these imitation leather ones are between $20-35. Affordable and so, so amazing for studying.

As a small part-time job I work for a publishing company, Olive Press Publishers, which allows me to be one of the first people to read some pretty incredible books. This year we just released a children’s book written specifically for children with disabilities.  The Box of Red Marbles is beautifully illustrated and is going down as one of my favorite children’s books. (It’s also available on Amazon, though you can’t see the beautiful illustrations there yet.)

I have been reading the blog Pineapple Siblings, which is written by a sibling of adopted children. Their Facebook page is one of my favorites– full of excellent information on adoption and faith.

I have also been enthralled with Kristen’s (from Five in Tow) return to blogging after a break. Her blog is filling up with exciting news (their plans to bring a sixth child home) and her always gentle and encouraging words of faith and life and hope.

On this blog in 2014 there have been four particular posts that seemed to resonate with readers.

But Why Does She Get Babies? – the post where I am achingly raw about my questions to God– and His answers.
Redemption is for all, even me. — my happiest post ever.
True Mother-Love belongs to more than just Mothers — the post where I have something to say to those of you who have never born a child and think you’re destined to never taste mother-love.
How I was Surprised by Motherhood —-the post where I whisper about the ways motherhood appeared… without a child in my home.

As I glanced through the photographs I’ve taken this year, a few stood out as favorites.

These two were taken in Alaska. The ranch where we stayed had a few wild bunnies and I spent an afternoon chasing this little gray one around. While we were there, I did the photos for a friend’s wedding and loved how this picture managed to catch the reflection of the “getaway plane” on the truck.

This year we brought home our beautiful daughter and were able to take her to visit the town where I grew up. This photograph of my husband and daughter on Bishop’s Beach, one of my favorite places as a child, is so precious to me. It is a reminder to my heart that God knows me so well, and loves to provide even little things to show His presence in my life.

In the extended family, we also welcomed in a new little niece! My brother and his wife had a beautiful baby girl in August.

Along with everything else, our family moved to a few miles away from our farm to run a beef farm for friends of ours. I love this photograph of the lumbering Red Angus that I can see from my kitchen windows.

Tell me, what are some of your favorite things from 2014?