Photo Dump--aka Favorite Photos and Memories from 2013

This morning, as part of my effort to spend the coming few months organizing and purging my house and life, I started going through photos on my iPhone to clean them out and organize them in some manageable way. My phone is only a year old, purchased in early January last year, and I was shocked to realize how many pictures I have on it…1,394 to be exact. In only a year! I really enjoyed scrolling through them and reminiscing, and many of the photos I forgot I had taken.  While I wish I had been more organized with my photos all year, scrolling through them was like taking a stroll through the past year. I was able to delete many of them, but most, I kept, even if they aren’t the greatest photos in the world. 

 I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite photos and memories from 2013.

These first two are some of my most treasured-- Justin’s graduation-from-boot-camp day. He had a really rough time at the end, and we wondered if this day would come. Watching him march in with his division was a sight I will not ever forget.

Lauren took this picture of a sunset in February when I was travelling home from a day at my parent’s. She took it from the car window looking out over a field near Auxvasse, MO.

 

I really love this next photo, even though it is a picture of snow that was taken in late April. I travelled to a conference in Minneapolis, and the city got dumped on with snow while we were there. It was so post-card pretty, but I don’t think I could ever enjoy living somewhere that it snows this much at the end of April. It was a great trip though, with lots of fun memories made.

A special evening making bracelets with the moms from our support group. I love being able to share something I love doing, and I know they all enjoy it just as much as I do.

Our new kitten. Who is about 10 times that size now. Maybe 20. He is a huge, hairy beast of a cat who we have all grown to love. Most of the time anyway. He is also an awesome snuggler on cold days, and for that, I think I will keep him around.

The girls having a homework burning ritual with their friends on the last day of school.

At the beginning of June, I spent a very peaceful weekend at a Franciscan retreat center in Springfield, IL. It was a work trip, but we had plenty of time to relax and walk around the beautiful grounds.

Also in June, I turned 50. When I came into work the day after my birthday, I discovered that all of my coworkers had decorated my office with balloons and streamers. Lots of balloons, and lots of streamers. I hated to take it down, and some of the decorations are still there. Maybe it’s time to dismantle them…(yes, my office is a cluttered mess. Don't judge. :) )

At the end of June, I was fortunate enough to take another trip for work...a retreat for an organization I serve on the board of…this time to a mountain home called the Belfry in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. I took so many pictures that it was hard to pick a favorite, but for some reason, I especially love this one:

 

The next two photos were from July on a trip to Minneapolis with my girlies. The first one was taken in Hannibal, MO overlooking the Mississippi River; the second was taken somewhere in Iowa on our first night of travelling. I have developed a "thing" for taking photos of sunrises and sunsets, and I think this was the most spectacular sunset I have ever seen. Lauren said she wished our eyes could take pictures; it made me wish I own a better camera.  Again, I took so many photos on this trip that it was nearly impossible to choose a favorite.

This was taken in early August. We had a Keiffer family reunion, and this shot is of all of the cousin’s cousin’s kids. It was the first time some of them had met each other, and watching them all get to know each other was a priceless experience. By the next day, they were exchanging email addresses and friending each other on facebook.

 

I am kind of proud of the next few photos. In September, I helped decorate the tables at my boss’s daughter’s wedding reception that was held in a swanky downtown St. Louis loft. It was so much fun, and so different than anything I have ever done before.  There were 32 tables, and none were decorated the same; each centerpiece was unique with different flowers, herbs and succulent plants in milk glass bowls as well as glass and silver containers.  Shannon (the bride) absolutely loved how it all turned out. At the end of the day, the florist who provided the flowers and plants asked me if I would like to have a part time job helping her with weddings this coming spring and summer.

 

 I know, the next picture is a little bit weird. I added it because it was drawn by Lauren.  She has always loved drawing and painting (even on herself and the walls when she was little!) and I am completely amazed the way her talents have grown over the past few years. I can’t wait to see what she does with her skills in the future.

 

In September, we travelled to Omaha for our nephew Nick’s wedding. We haven’t been back there since Lauren was a baby, and we had a fantastic time. I only wish our trip would have been longer. Tony and I had a blast showing the girls some of our favorite places and haunts. They thought it was neat to walk across a bridge that spans the Missouri River between Council Bluffs, IA and Omaha and stand in two states at the same time.

 

This picture is from one of our favorite places to go when we were young and newly married. I so clearly remembered summer evenings sharing bottles of wine and laughter and camaraderie with friends.

 

Here are a few more random pictures taken in the Old Market area of Omaha.

 The next picture is a favorite for a couple of reasons…it is Rachel and her best friend before Homecoming. Her friend has had a really rough year. Right before Homecoming, she was in the hospital because of depression and suicidal thoughts, and only got out the day before. She was feeling down that she couldn’t go because she didn’t have a dress and she didn’t have anyone to go with as most of her friends have abandoned her through her troubled times. At the last minute, her dad took her dress shopping, and Rachel asked her friends, who didn’t even know Lindsey at the time, if she could go with them. Rachel has really shown a kind-hearted spirit and been a truly wonderful friend to Lindsay, and I am very proud of her because it hasn’t been easy. For that reason, I love this photo.

Glowing eyes and all, I love this picture. It is the first picture that was taken of me, all of my siblings, and my parents since 1982. I could write so much more about this, but it would be an entire long post all by itself.

I had to include this one because it is of me and all of my co-workers. Some days, I really don’t know what I would do without this crew. I feel very fortunate to have a job working with such wonderful people who make each day easier to get through. I love these ladies.

 

The next picture is probably my very favorite one of the whole year. It was taken just moments after I laid eyes on Brandon in the St. Louis airport for the first time in 10 months. No other words are needed.

 

We went to San Antonio when Brandon was home, and Justin joined us there. I have better, more “posed” photos of all of my children, but I love this one for the simple reason that is the first picture I have of all of them together since last Christmas. This was taken at the Alamo gift shop in November.

The next photo makes me smile. When we were in San Antonio, were shopping one day and stopped into a Restoration Hardware store. We wandered around for quite a while, and when we were ready to leave, we couldn't find Lauren. We finally found her, sleeping in this chair. Yes, my child took a nap in Restoration Hardware. We always tease her that she can sleep anywhere, and this is proof.

 

No special reason why I like this one, I just do. I looked out the window one night and noticed the reflection of the landscaping light on the freshly fallen snow.

 

I am ending with this photo taken on New Year’s Eve of Rachel and her boyfriend. Not only do I love this because they both look so cute in it, but I also love it because I am grateful beyond words that her first boyfriend is such a sweet kid who treats her well.