The End of 2016

2016 was pretty good for me.  My business grew and kept me really busy every month of the year, especially during the holidays.  I had many opportunities to travel with the family, most of those trips I've already posted about, so here are some things my family and I did this year...in no particular order.  : )  Of course, we did do more than just these highlights I came across in my pictures and journals.  
 
We helped quite a few different friends/neighbors with cattle work, sometimes only we three kids got to go without Dad or Mom. 
We continue to run our own ranch as well. 
 

 
I helped at Vacation Bible School and loved it as always.  
We made some new friends and were reacquainted with others.
I had Mom cut off 20 inches of my hair in June. 
 

 
We got some nice rains and had a wonderful green summer.   
 

 

 
Dad, Big J., my uncle, and I went to a cattle marketing school in KS for a day.
We entered quite a bit in the county fair and got anything from nothing to a blue ribbon.
I branched out and got Wattpad and Instagram and Twitter and Snapchat.
We saw a lot of beautiful, breathtaking sunrises and sunsets.

Dad took we three kids to a plant identification school.  It was one of the most interesting things I've gone to. 
 

 
We went to some rodeos (to watch).
As I already said in another post, I flew in an airplane for the very first time.
We got to see some different, pretty terrain.

Mom and I got to see the Dr. Temple Grandin!  See my post http://happyfaceranch.blogspot.com/2015/10/movie.html to read about her movie.  Yeah, it was pretty amazing to see and hear her speak in person!
 

For Thanksgiving, everyone came to our house.  One night we three and a cousin stayed up till two o'clock I think it was, watching movies and eating loads of popcorn.
We went to town for Christmas on Douglas, where businesses had free food, cookies, hot chocolate, etc..  There were also horse drawn carriages which anyone could ride if they donated a canned food.

For Christmas, the five of us opened gifts on Christmas Eve.  On Christmas Day, we went to our church's candlelight service.  It was amazing.  Afterward, we stayed for the potluck meal.
And actually, we got a thunderstorm and rain on Christmas morning.  Go figure.  It was such a blessing, though! 

On Tuesday after Christmas, we went to Grandma's for Mom's side of the family Christmas.  During the day we played Frisbee and Jumbling Tower, visited, had soups for the noon meal and sandwich stuff for supper, and opened presents, mainly consisting of stockings since some presents had to be mailed and/or were forgotten at home.  Still, we had a good day. 

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Rejoice evermore.

Pray without ceasing.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18