Fourteen in '14

It has been SOOOOO long since I did a linky!! This is so exciting for my. My 3 year old is sitting beside me and she thinks I have lost it a little!!! Anyway I am linking up with the ladies from A Teeny Tiny Teacher, Funky First Grade Fun, and Miss Kindergarten to share fourteen memories from 2014! Here goes!!!

I was born to be the mother to my children. C and E came into this world to do something amazing and I know that. It is my job to set an example and lead them. 2014 has taught me LOTS of lessons but the greatest of which is that my job above all others is being their mother! 

I love this purple stripe shirt from The Gap! I wear it all the time. This particular picture came from March 26 (Epilepsy Awareness Day). This was our first year spreading awareness, since C was diagnosed with a seizure disorder in January.

First I don't go see movies. If I have a sitter than I am most likely working or have an errand that has to be done. I did go see Frozen this year, it was the first movie I ever took E to see. I almost picked that one, but I didn't. This Christmas E was really starting to get it. The whole thing, she understood Christmas was Jesus' birthday and that it was a time for family. She also understood the BoBo (our elf) was traveling to the North Pole to check in and that Santa would visit. She got super into our book/movie advent and LOVED the Santa Clause movies. We have watched them nonstop since we opened them earlier in December. In fact Santa Clause 2 is playing while I type this. 

I LOVE this show!!!! I mean LOVE!!!!!! So much of it hit home with me. Family struggles, marriage struggles, parenting struggles!! I could relate so much. One particular episode sticks out to me. Adam and Kristine and talking about Hank and that he could be autistic. Adam says "It is wrong of me to wish he is". I GET THAT!!!! I see people with autism that are successful and that gives me hope. If I met a successful photographer that had been able to marry and have children and they told me they thought they might be autistic, I can't lie I would wish for it too!!!

We live about 1.5 hours from the one in Asheville and it was so worth the drive, but then they opened one just 30 minutes away!!! YAY!! They have the best chicken and biscuits and gravy! I can't have pork (random allergy) so biscuits and gravy out anywhere is almost always a NO, but since they use chicken for the grease I can have theirs and it is so YUMMY!!!!

I tried Jamberry nail wraps for the first time and loved it so much I joined and started selling. I know this is a shameless plug (http://markeeta.jamberrynails.net). I really do love them though. I used to keep my nails done all the time, then I had kids. That meant no time and no money. These are super cheap compared to salon visits, they last forever compared to nail polish, and I can do them in my living room after the kids go to bed!

Okay so I technically bought this for myself, but that is how my husband and I do gifts. We just buy what we want and tell the other about it. Neither of us have the time to hint, snoop, or shop so this is just better! Want to know more about it check out this post.

I haven't been as good about it lately but I am a runner! BUT this shirt is SOOOOO true about my running ability!!

In May I wrote a post about the journey we were starting to raise money to get my son an autism service dog. It was an open letter asking for help. It definitely drew some traffic to our fundraising site! 

This relates back to the previous one! My favorite accomplishment is that we have raised $19,447 toward our $25,000 goal! We have 3 years to raise this money and we are only 8 months in!! I can't believe how many people have supported us and all the hard work we have put in that has PAId off big!!

I work at this school where we are more FAMILY than faculty. When one of us is down or in need we pull together. Just yesterday we had a prayer meeting to pray for one of our teachers in the hospital. This picture came from this summer when they surprised me with a Cold Water Challenge for C's Autism Dog! They all got together at a fourth grade teachers pool. They had one of my K friends trick me into going with her to drop off her kids to swim. There they all were ready to take the plunge and give me a donation. It meant so much to me. I love being part of this family!

This year has brought so much growth and change for E! She amazes me each and every day with her energy, personality, and love!

Pretty simple!

This past year I struggled a lot with focusing on the past, what I could have done different. There is nothing I could have done different because it was all part of God's bigger plan. It all happened as it should have so I just need to look FORWARD!

Cant' wait to read everyone else's Fourteen in '14!!! GO link up!