The Longmires 2017

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and all that jazz!  A New Year is upon us and we Longmires are oh so excited to welcome its arrival.

I won't lie, 2017 was a doozy of a year.  In both good and bad ways, this past year brought a lot of growth, tears and change.  It also brought much joy, renewal, repurposing, and direction.  2017 may have had many times of walking through a valley, but it also had many times of mountain top highs.  God is good, God is faithful, and we are grateful for a time of pruning.  I for one am hoping for a spectacular harvest!

Bob and I celebrated 13 years this year.  We are grateful for each other and have fought and found a sense of intense purpose and team work over the past 12 months.  Its been a harder season for us trying to recover both physically, and relationship wise from  IRONMAN. Learning to find balance in all of it has been strikingly big, and we have spent a year working through the want to's vs. the need to's.  The phrase, "just because you can doesn't mean you should" could probably wrap up a lot of what I have learned.  Through many tears and frustrating days we have always found each other.  We finished this year attending A Weekend to Remember.  Again, God is good, and I am so thankful that our struggles lead us to this event.  Marriage is hard sometimes, but doing hard is what makes good marriages great. You can't build strength unless you are faced with strong winds.  Our greatest prayer is that we continue to remember, Jesus first, Marriage second, Kids third...............and everything else after.  We still do!

Bob is thriving with PSPC and Matt (Bob's boss) is so thrilled that he has finally managed to figure out how to clone himself.  Bob is travelling more and more, but I am so proud of him and grateful that he can take some of the load off Matt.  His travel is really easy all things considered.  It ebbs and flows, but I will say it again, I have no problem captaining our ship while he is away.  The 3 of us girls manage life pretty great.  This year Bob and I had the amazing opportunity to TRAVEL.  We spent a week in the Bahamas and found ourselves in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Washington, Oregon, Colorado and California throughout the year.  We truly ventured this year and are so grateful that we have 2 little companions who LOVE to fly on an airplane.  A few of the big highlights for Bob this year was the second bathroom remodel, completeing the Petrified Forest Marathon,  and convincing his wife to let him buy a golf simulator (he worked hard for this).  He got it about a month ago and now has perfected the art of his swing.....and we now have our own backyard theatre.  The girls LOVE wrapping up in blankets and watching a movie.  You were right honey......its awesome.

I have had quite the year working through health issues and trying to find my place being athlete Bethany and everything else Bethany.  Here is one fact.....I am an incredible athlete.  I have great potential inside of the triathlon and running community.  I could do anything I wanted to.  BUT........that doesn't mean I should.  Wrestling with this strong, driven, hyper focused, no limits part of me, and the wife, mother, daughter of Christ, friend, laid back part of me has been a challenge I wasn't quite ready for.  I have had to work to master the art of letting go, and it hasn't been easy.  I pray that there will one day be time and space again for me to drive towards something like IRONMAN again, but its not now, and I have had to learn to let it go.   I am ever so thankful for a host of fabulous friends, travel, and photography that has given me other things to strive towards. 

 

Speaking of photography, my 5th year in business proved to be every bit as wonderful and smile filled as ever.  I am simply so grateful for the incredible people that allow me to photograph them.  I am looking forward to the coming year as I already have several weddings and numerous trips already on the books.   

A few of my own highlights this year were taking first place in my age group at the Rocky Point Triathlon, Reading all of the Harry Potter books and going to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a girls weekend in Oregon at the Fueled by Wine Half Marathon, visiting Seattle and seeing my dear friend Anna, the Bahamas, adding a new doggie to the mix, and finally helping my parents find their new home here in AZ.  Its been a good year.  There is always joy.

Our girls are spectacular and the changes and growth we have seen in them this year has been one of the most awe inspiring and joyful experiences.  Parenting is such a gift.  Lily turned 7 this year.  SHES 7!  Its both hard to believe and perfectly true.  She is a bold 1st grader and loved by many.  This lady LOVES to learn, simply thrives on education and her teacher is ever so grateful for it, Bob too.  Her most requested thing this year was a "ton of national geographic kids books."  She teaches me about weather, and turtles, and frogs, and volcanos.........anything.  Ask Lily and chances are she can tell you something you may not know about our world.  She is amazing.  

Lily is creative and enjoys solving problems.  She and her Daddy are like two peas in a pod and are convinced that nothing broken is beyond repair.  She has also found that strong spirit when it comes to voicing her opinion.  She hates to be interrupted and is always ready to defend her stance.  She is bold, she is a fighter.........but she is also unbelievably tenderhearted.  Her compassion is a deep well that I am only beginning to understand.  While I see injustice, Lily feels it, she swims in it and it affects her spirit.  She has a deep sense of what is wrong and I can only be amazed at the Holy Spirit's sweet presence in her life.  This year is the first time that I can see the future when she and I get to be friends.  She loves me and cares deeply.  This year is the first year that she has shown any understanding for what I do. "Mommy, you do everything for us, how can I help you?"  She's special.

 Lily loves swimming.....still does, and when she is not doing swimming lessons, you will see her on a gymnastics mat, riding horses with her Memaw, riding her scooter, or running with her puppy.  This kid delights me.  She is beautiful, courageous, and a destined world changer.

I won't lie, this next kiddo I could write a novel on all that she is.  WOWZA,.  The Bible talks about being made in God's image.  The love this kid has gives me a daily dose of how great the Love of Jesus is.  This kid LOVES.  She does not go one day without telling me she loves me at least 3 times.....unprompted.  It just flows from her.  If you have experienced this little girls love you are a special being.  

Evie is in her 2nd year of preschool and doing awesome.  She is spicy and spunky and likes to constantly challenge her boundaries.  Yes, I have been called into the principal's office on a lot of occasions, but let me tell you........this kid is big.  She is going to do GREAT things.  She is a warrior.  She is our Wonder Woman.  Where Lily sees injustice and weeps at its sorrow, Evie straight up shields up, raises her sword, and heads into the battle, deflecting the bullets and leading the charge.  To know Evie is to know courage.  She has even made ME want to be a little bit bolder.  

Evie loves to play.  Her favorite activity BY FAR is tickles. Daddy cannot get into the house before Evie is antagonizing him to tickles.  The Bee and I spend a lot of time together still and I am constantly reminded that this year marks the last of the pre elementary years.  Time is a special thing and I am blessed to have been able to share it.  Evie loves gymnastics and playdates.  She is a good swimmer, but not in love with it under direction.  That's okay, she is good at a great many other things.  She loves her Memaw and Papa and is so happy that they are close. Evie loves having a constant revolving door of Grandmas.  She was treated to an amazing birthday celebration at Disney World with Grandma and Grandpa Longmire.  The kid came home simply joyous.  She met the Grand Canyon with Grandma and Grandpa Hill and has enjoyed a host of amazing opportunities with her Grandparents.  She is a giant, and she is special.

Our year has been marked with many great adventures and we exit its doors a little bit stronger and with a lot more wisdom.  We have experienced many adventures and ended our year one furry friend heavier.  The Lord has been gracious to us and we are blessed to be here at the beginning of the next chapter.

Merriest of Christmases to you!  May you be filled with joy and hope as you remember the true reason for the season. God's blessings to you as you embark on 2018.