Year in Review 2009

Here in Arizona we start our year off with weather good enough to ride our bike outside so we take advantage of that. This picture is of our four kids and their cousin, Jaxon. Jaxon was the newest member of the “no training wheels” club. They had a great time.

In the Wilcoxson household, we also started off the year with our continued efforts to train our then four month old puppy, Snickers. Very cute, but very much a puppy who while never in real danger of being sent back, was nevertheless considered many times. (only by mom).

By March we were in full swing...school and church with all it’s related activities. January was the beginning of our new church, Second Mile, so by March we were ready

for our first baptism. As parents, Geoff and I, decided to take a step of faith and have our two oldest baptized. They both have made professions of faith in previous years and we felt it was time. Only God knows their hearts, but seeing what we believe to be the fruit of repentance and obedience, Geoff considered it a God-given privilege to baptize them.

April brought Easter, Ryan’s birthday (5 this year), school concerts, and an art show. We were busy but everyone was healthy and doing well.

May brought Sean’s birthday (11 this year) and the end of the school year. This of course starts our swimming season and summer vacations. We had a lot planned for this year. Swimming lessons for Ryan, art classes for Sean and Jakob, a visit from Jason (Darcy’s brother) and his family, a trip to Northern California, and our annual trip to Colorado Springs to visit Grandparents.

__________________________________________________________________

Being realistic about how motivated you will be to read this entire post and to look at all our pictures, I have decided that the majority of the pictures will be from our summer trip to Northern California. As a family, we spent 1 ½ years saving for this trip. The kids took time off of sports and other activities in order for us to be able to save enough money in order to enjoy this trip the way we wanted to. We flew into San Jose, CA and rented a van. We started by heading down to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The next stop was San Fransisco – Alcatraz, Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Ghirardelli. Next on the list was Eureka (home of the Samoa Cookhouse), the Redwoods, and the Northern CA Coast. Next stop was Fairfield, CA and the Jelly Belly Factory. Last on the list of stops was Yosemite National Forest. For those of you familiar with the area, yes it was a lot of driving, but we had A LOT of fun and it was worth it. Take a look -

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Chinatown - Fortune Cookie Factory

San Fransisco - Alcatraz

San Fransisco - Lombard Street

San Fransisco - Ghirardelli Square







- oops, all gone. SO SAD!

San Fransisco - Fisherman's Wharf

Eureka

Northern CA Coast

Redwoods

Fairfield, CA - Jelly Belly Factory

Yosemite National Forest

After all the summer vacations the kids had one week before school started again.

__________________________________________________________________

Fall was filled with ASU football for Geoff, flag football for Sean, soccer for Ryan, a birthday for Jakob (10 this year), church activities for the whole family, and oh yeah, school. All the kids are in school this year which means that Darcy is home by herself during the day. That is a whole post in and of itself so I won't go into it, but it is sure interesting and different. Geoff's job is with the same company, but his role has changed a bit, so he travels a bit more and he is really enjoying the new challenges that a new role brings.

That brings us to the fact that as I write this, Thanksgiving is just now over and we are into the Christmas season. We are looking forward to our trip to Colorado Springs to see my parents and for Kyra's birthday (8 this year) which is the day after Christmas.

Our family wants to sincerely wish your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

I leave you with these verses that convict and encourage my daily:

Isaiah 6:5 & 7

Isaiah is having a vision of heaven when he says "Woe is me! For I am undone; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!" and then after an angel touches his lips with a burning coal from the altar of heaven the angel says to Isaiah "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for."

Christ did that for us on the cross. He atoned for my sins. What an awesome thought!

This is why I can surely say "Merry Christmas"