she stood for family, optimism, finding the light in the midst of the dark, smiling and laughing in the most challenging of times... and all that was good. when you think of her and all that she lived for, it is hard not to embrace those things. she wouldn't want 2014 to go down in anyone's books as the year that they lost their light. and so tonight i dig deep, i push beyond the ache in my heart and i choose to reflect on the good. and truly, 2014 was filled with a whole lot of good.
(in no particular order...)
no.1
getting a half marathon under my belt. with this girl. she is a pro and she walked (ran) me through so many challenges with encouragement, laughter and tolerance. i wasn't fast, but i finished. it is something i never even knew i wanted to do, but having done it makes me feel confident, strong and maybe even a little bit fierce. i know, running is all the rage, so 13.1 doesn't sound like a lot when you look at iron man races, double doubles, full marathons etc., but to this girl it was huge. and i couldn't have done it without the amazing lynn by my side. aside from being an amazing athlete, she is an even more amazing friend.
no. 2
soccer season and our inaugural parade. i have been hesitant to jump into the sporting life for my girls. i was reluctant to give over our free time to a hijacked weekend schedule. i wasn't sure how i would juggle homework, dinner, practices and all the driving to and fro.
it was worth it! both littles wanted to join and with our fingers crossed, we did. it was AH-mazing! the coaches, the kiddos, the goals, the parents... and yes, even the seven am P-town parade. we loved every minute.
no. 3
the first graduation of my eldest nephew. he's an awesome kid. he marched (or should i say tackled) his way to west point. not only did he accomplish the skills on the field but he had the grades and determination to land him a spot on a college football team. i am one proud auntie. seeing him walk across the stage with my momma and sisters and brother by my side was a cool experience. it was a fun weekend for so many reasons.
there was also something pretty special about oldest nephew graduating while getting to hand with newest nephew. little william was the cherry on top of that weekend.
no. 4
watching the sisterhood. my girls can fight like the rest of the sibs of the world. but sometimes they don't. i savor the moments when i catch them in love. they giggle, they smile, and they live in a world that is uniquely their sisterhood. it makes my heart happy to see them in full action together.
no. 5
swim season. i had no idea what this family was about to take on, but take it on we did. coach brett, the dooley family, the volgraff family, the muise family, the krekorian family... and so many others made this an out of the park pool experience for the buser 5. i love everything that i saw my girls accomplish and i love everything that our pool community was to us this summer. it doesn't get much better than watching your kiddos and their kiddos take on challenges and overcome them. a high five at the end of the lane, a towel clad gang huddled under a tent playing games, conversations with mommas pool-side during practices. what can i say? i am in love.
no. 6
sleep away camp for e was off the charts. i missed her like crazy but she had a blast. raising kids is all about preparing them for life outside of your home. e passed with flying colors. i was skeptical, but that girl rocked her week away from her comfortable life and took on the great outdoors with flying colors. i wish i could have seen every moment, but the smile on her face when she told me about it spoke volumes.
no. 7
what do you say about these peeps? it's hard to put it into words- but when friends become family... it makes my heart nearly burst out of my chest. love. love. love. every minute is filled with adventure and every adventure is filled with joy.
no. 8
i said it last year and i'll say it again. these girls. they were the beginning of my 5 year love affair with p-town. they continue to be part of my core and i just know they will be part of my future. i cherish our annual adventures and can't wait to see what happens next.
no. 9
the buser family trip to puerta vallarta. i'll admit, the buse was reluctant to let wifey take on the family trip planning. thankfully, it was a grand time. we surfed, we kayaked, we swam with dolphins, and we spent a whole lot of time hanging together and making memories as a family. loved. every. minute.
no. 10
did someone say "sprint triathlon"? yep. they sure did. the timing wasn't perfect (who knew that training with kids over the summer wasn't going to pan out exactly right?), but none-the-less, we did it. i might still be nursing an injury but an open water swim, crazy bike ride and run with these mommas was certainly worth it.
no. 11
i know. my love affair with bethany hamilton is becoming tired to some of you, but it isn't loosing mileage with my girls. listening to her speak, worshiping with other fans from all over the tri-valley and time with the volgraff and dooley besties is never lost on me. while it was a hectic night- sitting front and center listening to this lovely couple share their journey, will not soon be forgotten by my clan.
no. 12
surviving a bathroom remodel- diy style with the hubs. yep. we didn't plan for it, but tackle it we did. i played the role of general contractor and scott played the role of manual laborer. he tiled, he dry walled, he painted and he plumbed (with a tiny bit of outside help). six months later, the darling daughters have a new and improved leak proof bathroom to call their own. amen.
no. 13
seeing my girls and their gravitational pull towards besties. each one of them has found that go-to peep that they mesh with in an amazing way. we all need that, don't we? it feels refreshing to have that person with which you can be totally yourself. e has her norah. d has her ava. p has her indy. i love each of these kiddos so much and watching them be in relationship with my girls is a truly amazing experience. 2014 has held many occurrences of this momma with her ear pressed up against a door, listening in on the friendship, and smiling.
no. 14
while i lost my grandmother in 2014, her memorial will forever stand in my mind as one of the great events of my life. yes. it was filled with loss and sadness. but more prevalent was the feeling of family. the buser 5 had the opportunity to travel to my grandmother's home town of wellsville, ny and spend a weekend with our entire extended family (and more). we had a town wide scavenger hunt taking us through the places in town where my family called home, we had an open mic night to share stories of the childhood that my grandmother nurtured, we ate texas hots together and we celebrated an amazing life that was lived to its fullest every moment. the weekend even ended with a family track race- browning style. it's hard to explain what that means to me. my girls had a chance to see what living life with family looks like- if even for just a short weekend. i dare to bet that it will mark them in a beautiful way for life.
it's hard to sum up a year in just 14 things! there are so many people, so many moments, so much joy that has been had in this difficult but amazing year. dinners with friends, birthday celebrations, time spent on back porches and under the stars, new babies, encounters with God... so much joy. so much love. so much goodness. thank you for being part of our story. our family heart spills right over the top and it is because of the people that we get to call friends and have been given as family.
here's to 2015! i hope yours is filled with amazing!
