A New Year, A New Beginning

I have been taking these Year to Year portraits on New Year’s Day since 2005.

This year… my Year to Year photos look a little different.

In July of 2016, when I was five months pregnant, my husband of 12 years (and boyfriend for 10 before that), made the decision to leave this family.

It has been incredibly hard these past months. You will see many of my posts lately were either me trying to maintain some sort of norm or simply a bit of scripture. I am heartbroken, not just for the end of our marriage but for my son. This was not the family and life that I had imagined for him. I have got through it with the help of my friends, family and church family. They raked my leaves, accompanied me to childbirth classes, sent plows in snowstorms and always lent sympathetic ears. I am forever in their debt.

This month Jackson and I will be moving back to Pennsylvania to be with family. I will miss Rochester and all of my friends but 2017 will be a year of fresh beginnings.

Scripture says God uses trials to bring you closer to him. Indeed my faith has been strengthened and carries me through each day.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12

And just this morning in church these two verses jumped out at me.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Philippians 4:4

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

Jackson is here now and is all I could hope for. I am very blessed and we have lots to look forward to in 2017. Happy New Year everyone!

Year to Year update for 2016

I just updated our Year to Year page with our 2016 photos.

Some notes:

• I didn't realized my hair was so similar or I would have got it cut before New Years!

• Once again Stewie has the best photo.

• Wyatt is not as easy to photograph "I'm a KITTEN!" but we finally got him for his first New Year's Day photo.

• I added images of our Christmas cards starting with 2002. I wanted a place that had them all together so there you go.

Year to Year 2015 Photos

We took our traditional Year to Year photos today. They look a little different this year because we took them at my parents' house rather than my Grandmother's house. Aaron is pleased to announce that after years of commentary, he now has a new hairstyle. But once again... Stewie steals the show with his saucer-eyed photo. Pretty good considering he had two German Shorthair Pointers to worry about while his picture was being taken.

Year to year 2014 out-takes

I almost forgot about the out-takes from our New Years, Year to Year photo session.

Stewie takea moment to moisten his lips.

Oscar tries to go for the "wind flapping through the ears" look.

Hugo has something to tell Aaron real quick.

Then he photobombs me.

Year to Year 2014

We took our TENTH New Year's family photos for our Year to Year Page. I'm starting to run out of room on the page.

Everyone is looking pretty good. Stewie looks like he put on a little weight but he is as handsome as ever.

Year to year 2013

Here is our ninth year of New Year's family photos! We got pics of us in front of my grandma's fridge before our sauerkraut dinner like we do every year. Looking good! Happy New Year!

Year to year 2012

Another year and another addition to the Year to Year page. Like every New Years Day, after dinner at my Grandma's we lined everyone up in front of her fridge and took the pictures.

Stewie continues to have the best photo and Hugo is looking more like the Muppet's King Prawn than ever.

Year to Year 2009

It's the first of the year, so time to take our traditional year to year photos.

I think this proves that Stewie is the most photogenic of all of us.