2015 was a full year for the Garmans. Looking back on it, our family has been able to do more and experience more than any year I can remember! Our cup has truly overflowed…
Haley (11 yrs. old) is enjoying being homeschooled this year and continues to improve her violin playing (and some beginner’s piano). She even finished off the year giving beginner’s violin lessons to some younger girls in her homeschool community. Haley has her sights set on someday traveling the world with her pet monkey while being an elementary school teacher (she apparently already practices what she’ll say to her future students in her free time).
Our sweet Darcy (9 yrs. old) has eaten a cheese quesadilla for lunch almost every day in 2015. We are thankful for her initiative to wake up and pack her own lunch…and pray that she begins to expand her diet in 2016. This year, Darcy is learning to design, build, and program robots with the Triangle Elementary School robotics team. She loves to read, run, bike, and chew on ice in her free time.
Little Gracie (5 yrs. old) is enjoying kindergarten so much that it is border-line insulting. Many Saturdays she asks me if she can go to school because it is “a lot more fun there.” This year has felt like one long, glorified phonics lesson as we have spent most of Gracie’s waking hours answering questions such as, “Mommy, what does W-h-e-a-t C-h-e-x spell?” Don’t get me wrong…it’s a teacher’s dream come true. Gracie continues to wow us with her health and even beat all the boys when her class ran the mile in PE. She loves to swim, color, and play the piano in her free time and is still obsessed with all things princesses.
Penelope (3 yrs. old) is home with us while I try to homeschool Haley (a.k.a. watches a lot of Sesame Street). Penelope loves her friends, her church, and her go-go (her pacifier attached to her bunny), and her cash register. If you want to see this kid do a happy dance, just tell her you’re taking her swimming or to Chuck-E-Cheese. This kid brings a lot of joy to our family…especially after her naps.
Colby and Annie (ages unimportant) are still plugging away at their responsibilities at church and home. Pillar Church is growing and changing and it’s exciting to watch it all. We’ve been able to start a new ministry this year reaching out to international students at our local community college. We continue to reach out to our neighbors and community with the good news of Jesus and have had the privilege of leading some of these people to Christ. I just finished the book documenting Gracie’s three surgeries and am looking forward to sharing it with all of you (stay tuned…).
There has just been so much excitement and activity this year. God has been gracious to give us more than we deserve and for this we are thankful.
Our prayer is that you would recognize all the good gifts God has given you in 2015! God Bless!
P.S. This is us enjoying the cherry-blossom festival this year (Gotta keep it real, folks)…
