Happy New Year!

2016 in a nutshell

2016 was full of "adventures" that built my patience, enlarged my heart and taught me things I needed to learn.

 2016 was also full of accomplishments within these Milkbarn walls.

I could not be more proud of Clay and how he has handled new responsibilities in his life and how I have seen our children grow as individuals.

*on a side note, the kids grew a collective 8 inches and the Milkbarn is currently in slow motion

So here is 2016  

January brought us a broken well pump. First adventure of the year:)

and a trip to see my niece and nephews

February

Lucy's All State Choir evening in Denver

The Broncos won the Superbowl :)

My new year's resolution began in February because I wanted all the crowds to leave the gym. It worked!

 With the help of a trainer, I got my body healthy again.

We were at a lot of basketball games too.

March

I turned 45.

I'm halfway done.

The older I get the less I know.

I'm hoping by 65 it will all come back to me, lol.

March also brought the Milkbarn a new driveway!

Can a driveway be gorgeous? Yes... yes they can.

And the best spring break we have had...Vegas!

April

Summed up with green grass and Audrey's pneumonia.

May

is for Mother's Day

And leaving middle school!

June 

was for kids traveling to Alaska

and leaving us with more projects

 

July was spent exploring Colorado

August is best spent squeezing out every single summer minute here in Colorado

September

brought us a new temple in Fort Collins!

and a spectacular golden fall

October

was for football

He has plans for the NFL. 

I kid you not, he really came up with a life plan with Clay and I yesterday morning.

November 

where all the leaves get their last hurrah

and the snow begins to fall

(but it always melts...)

December 

lights up Boulder and Audrey 

I look forward to the new year.

But it seems fuzzy. Why is that? It feels different this year.

Still not quite sure as to what a new years resolution will be. Maybe eat less cookies?

I'll go with:

Come what may and love it.

Each year brings new hope, new challenges and adventures. 

Whatever awaits, I want to embrace it all.

And as far as the Milkbarn goes, a new roof and painted exterior:)

Thank you for your encouraging words throughout this year(it means so much to me!) and charity in refraining from thinking we are out of our minds for still working on this labor of love.

"Collins family, are you ready to see your fixer upper?"

Let's go 2017!