It's the beginning ot a new year once again. The year went by so fast. The year 2024 was a both a hard year and a full year. So many things happened. The lessons I learned this year were so very many. They were both hard and much needed. We had many conversations, ate many dinners with so many people, and served others in so many ways.
I don't know how your year went, whether you had a good year or a bad year, whether you felt you accomplished many things or you felt you didn't. It could have been that your year was amazing, that you connected with friends, grew in your faith, and really felt God's hand in your life. Or it could have been that you had a hard season, that your year was a lonely one, you felt like you'd lost your faith, and you didn't feel God anywhere.
But as I learned several times throughout the year, when you feel that God isn't there, that you'd been abandoned, you aren't. God's always there. And when it feels like He isn't there, He's carrying you. And when it seems like the clouds and storms in your life are overwhelming, don't forget to look for the rainbow.
So live life to the full, look for the rainbow, and don't forget to look for the good.
Here's a monthly recap from 2024:
January- Not much happened in January. We got back into a regular school routine after Christmas and I started a graphic design course. Ruby Mae acquired a new bunny, Jasper and we all had fun with the kittens. Mom, Ruby Mae, and I also had the chance to attend a Nancy Guthrie workshop, which both interesting and informing.
February- We battled safari ants, hyrax in the attic, and water problems during this time. We girls hosted a fancy tea party one afternoon, our family saw the play Stuart Little at an international school here in Nairobi, and we had a lot of kitten and baby bunny cuteness. I wrote a research paper that also produced an article which was published on the Rebelution. It was my second published work, the first being a contest story a couple years ago.
March- March was kicked off to a great start with one of my brother's birthday and the acquisition of a real piano. Not a lot of other things happened in March, though. Easter was celebrated with several different pieces of writing, which included a poem, the first one to be published on the blog.
April- Another article of mine was published on the Rebelution. We had a homeschool showcase, which was basically a recital of different things from different kids and families. Mom, Ruby Mae, and I saw the musical The Sound of Music at an international school here. I celebrated one year of blogging. I recieved an email telling me the college I planned to attend had suspended their midwifery program for an unknown period of time. A new bunny, Miles, also came to join our family!
May- My third and final article was published on the Rebelution. A friend also came to stay for the month of May. We did many things during her time here. A visit to Kijani Farm, Malewa, the Giraffe Centre, and Nairobi National Park were in store. We also took her to some of our favorite resturants and places around Nairobi. I finished high school, much to my great relief. High school is hard! Miles was discovered to be a girl and was subsequently renamed Hazel. I began volunteering at summer camp here in Nairobi.
June- I volunteered at a camp called Blue Sky here in Kenya for ten days, which was quite the experience, since I'd never been a counselor at an overnight camp before. Dad, one of my brothers, Ruby Mae, and I were priveleged to be able fly up to Northern Kenya in one of the planes my dad works on for an overnight trip. It was amazing to see what they do there and I wish we could have stayed longer. When we got back, Hazel had a surprise waiting for us- baby bunnies! They were absolutely adorable and we all enjoyed having them. Kenya had a period of turmoil and unrest concerning some bills the president was trying to put in place. I got never got well from a cold I had in June and also pulled some rib muscles.
July- Our grandmother and her sister came to visit for just under two weeks. We had a lot of fun together, going places and hanging out. We got to take a little vacation for a couple days while they were here. We went to the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy Animal Orphanage, Trout Tree, and Barney's while we were away. We also visited the Giraffe Centre again. We also said goodbye to two of the baby bunnies who went to new homes. After our grandmother and her sister left, we three oldest kids went down south to help out some missionary friends for a couple weeks. My health still wasn't getting any better.
August- Our time at Kijani Farm extended into August. We had a lot of fun and I took a lot of sunset pictures, some of my favorite things to photograph. Several weeks later, our family took a vacation to the coast of Kenya, which we hadn't done in several years. It was a fun experience. We ate a lot of good food, went snorkeling and boating, ate lunch with a missionary friend, visited the ruins of Gedi, went walking at night (something you never do in Nairobi!), ate lots of gelato, and swam in the pool to cool off. We had an amazing time as a family and got to do a lot of fun things.
September- I had a graduation/going away party and began preparing to go to Capernwray. We starting seeing a natural doctor and I began getting treatment for the beginnings of asthma. I saw friends for what I thought was the last time until December and watched my brother run his second cross country race. The doctor heard me coughing during one of my treatments and sent me for a chest x-ray. I was then told I could have pnuemonia or tuberculosis and needed more tests. Going to Capernwray was postponed. It turned out I had bacterial pnuemonia and POTS and needed more treatment. I was also nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award.
October- I had more treatments and continued to get ready to go to Capernwray when they were finished. I was able to watch more of my brothers races and was priveleged to be able to take photos for them. I did more hanging out with friends. Our family went through a tough time with several other things. Capernwray told me I couldn't come until January since they didn't want me to potentially get sick on their hands.
November- I kept pushing through daily life despite all the disappointment. I started sewing more, making pumpkins, dog bandanas, and a cat house. Our grandpa arrived to stay until February and I watched my brother run his last XC race, coming in under the top ten. Thanksgiving was celebrated with much food and too many pies.
December- I got approval to attend Capernwray for the second semester of Winter Bible School, went to work with dad for a couple days a week for two weeks. We went to a couple Christmas markets, hosted various families and events, and welcomed two new pets, Mrs. Tiggywinkle the hedgehog and Einstein the hamster. We celebrated Christmas, one of my brother's birthday, and my grandpa's birthday. Ruby Mae and I also got to have a girls afternoon/evening with some of our good friends before they left for a conference.
Each year, I also write out a book list of all the books I want to read that year. They're mostly books I want to read, but haven't. I'll share last years list and this year's list. You'll notice I didn't get some read last year and they made it onto this year's list!
This year was a full and crazy one, but even though it was a struggle at times, we got through it. I know the only way I made it through this year was through faith and trust in my Lord.
So, what are some of the things you do every year that you start fresh on New Years?
