2024 Recap
Wow, it's hard to believe another year has come and gone! What a good 2024 we had. We of course saw so much growth and change in the kids, but also in ourselves, our home, our habits and rhythms. We had our challenges, plenty of fighting and tears, but overall we shared so much joy and happiness as a family, and reflecting back over these last 12 months has brought me much gratitude to the Lord for the many ways He has blessed us this year.
-JANUARY-
This is the very first photo I took on January 1, 2024. I remember that it put a lump in my throat when I pondered all the ways in which Peter would change throughout the year. I knew that he wouldn't at all be the same baby that sat on my lap that morning, and it grieved me. I'm so thankful to say that as I look at the little boy he is today, I love him even more than I did then! He is so much more full of personality and brings even more joy into our home than he did 12 months ago. I believe this will be true of any picture I take of my children at any age; that while I'll look back on the child they were at one point with love and nostalgia, I'll feel an even deeper love for the person they are in the present. At least I hope that's how it will work. :)
We had a huge freeze in January with temps in the single digits for several days on end, coupled with some snow, that left the roads solid ice with a nice dusty layer of snow that kept them from being too slippery. I don't even really know what you would call it, other than a rarity and an extra special treat. We stayed outside for hours sledding down our street with a sled borrowed from a neighbor. It was unbelievably fun!
Henry continued in 1st grade at home, and we pulled Claire and George out of preschool to be at home after Christmas.
We spent hours reading the whole Little House on the Prairie series. These were precious winter mornings spent together, immersed in the world of Laura Ingalls Wilder. I will always cherish these slow, easy days and the way they have shaped my heart and mind. I hope that the kids will remember them fondly as well!
George was potty trained very quickly and easily, praise the Lord!...
...and Henry lost his first front tooth! I'm so used to his big boy smile now that I hardly recognize it with those little teeth.
-FEBRUARY-
Peter entered the game-changing phase of bottle holding...
...but more often than not he was held while holding his bottle. :)
One of the practices that I started this year was making a batch of homemade cinnamon rolls every 5-6 weeks to freeze and then baking a pan on Sunday morning before church. We enjoyed this immensely!
Yogurt Mountain and short sleeves one week...
We hosted our small group for a Super Bowl/Valentine's party and the kids had fun making their bags and passing out their cards. I've tried to be intentional to organize some stuff like this for my poor homeschoolers. 😜
We celebrated Valentine's Day with our annual "I love you" dinner...
...followed by ice cream sundaes! We gave each kid a small present afterwards. This has become a tradition we all look forward to!
We reveled in the longer, warmer days with friends...
...as well as in these scrumptious baby rolls!
...and these matching brothers was a simple joy to my heart!
We met extended family at Handel's for ice cream and presents and it was the perfect way to conclude our celebrations! We love Claire so much. I still thank God often for giving me the daughter my heart desired. What a blessing she is!
...even though juggling 2 baseball schedules was chaotic and I complained about it more than a few times. ;)
...and of course Bamboo had to go! I think this was Bamboo's 4th zoo to visit. :)
...and then of course we also had a pool party at Aunt Kyle's! This is one of my happy places. :)
We wrapped up the month with a BIG birthday! Our baby Peter turned ONE!!! What a delight this son of ours has been to our family. Wow. I am indescribably grateful to the Lord for his life. You can read more about his big day here.
We celebrated July Fourth in a big way! Pool in the morning...
We did our annual fireworks with family the next day, and it was a great time like always!
...and ended a great swim season with City Meet...
...followed by cake and presents at home!
...hot chocolate in the afternoon, while listening to a good book...
...gingerbread cookie baking...
-MARCH-
Our living room got a makeover when we found a very gently used Bassett sectional on FB Marketplace for a great price! One thing led to another and we ended up with a new entertainment center and a completely new room configuration, and we absolutely love it! Moving the TV off of the wall over the fireplace had been a desire for a long time, as well as having a sectional. This majorly upped the cozy factor in here! :)
I cannot overemphasis how proud I am of Henry and Claire and the way they have stepped up as huge helpers this year! The way they have loved and cared for Peter has been truly special to witness.
Four sweet kiddos! It's always a delight to get outside in the early days of spring.
My brother, Nathan, got married in April, so in March we had some fun wedding festivities to attend. Claire and I got to go to a beautiful bridal tea...
...and then the whole family enjoyed a couple's shower.
Easter was at the end of March, and we enjoyed this special day so much. Lunch at Tracy and Derek's...
...Easter baskets at home...
...and an Easter egg hunt with cousins.
-APRIL-
In the midst of a busy and exciting month, this is what our everyday looked like. It's in these ordinary, mundane moments that extraordinary things happen: Scripture is memorized and applied; ideas are discussed; arguments are resolved; Godly instruction and training occurs; goodness and beauty are experienced through poetry, art, and stories. I love this life of experiencing it all with them.
We had a solar eclipse visible in our area...
We had 2 baseball players in the house; Henry started coach pitch and Claire started t-ball, and we had so much fun watching both of them try something new.
Claire got her ears pierced for her 5th birthday, and she was all smiles until she saw the sharp earring posts. Then she panicked, and it was hysterics for a solid hour before we finally held her down and forced her to do it. It is a story we will enjoy teasing her about for years to come. :)
We celebrated Claire's birthday with a trip to the Nashville Zoo. Grandparents came with us and it was such a beautiful and fun day!
Our beautiful birthday girl (with pierced ears, as you can see ;))
Caleb, Henry, and George went on a father/son campout with our small group...
...and Claire and I enjoyed a girl's movie night at home, with Peter. :)
Nathan and Tara got married and Caleb, Henry, and Claire were all in the wedding. It was beautiful, and such a good time with family!
My small group besties and I had a sweet night of blessing for Mary, as she got ready to bring our 23rd small group baby into the world!
I turned 34 at the end of the month, and I don't remember what we did, but I know I was given the sweetest gifts; a small collection of cash and change emptied out of piggy banks, half a dozen homemade bracelets and necklaces, hand-drawn pictures and cards, and some Polaroid photos. :) I consider myself a very rich woman. 💗
-MAY-
Claire had her ballet recital at the beginning of May and it was so sweet to watch her perform the dance she'd been learning all year.
We loved watching these two finish out their baseball seasons...
Peter moved right along from grocery carts to Publix cookies. He's now a full fledged Horton kid. :)
Speaking of cookies, George and I took some up to the balcony of our Publix and it was so sweet and special. He had asked to do this every time we went and I always said "not today." One day when it was just the two of us, it was fun to make it happen!
Chubby Bubby got his first pair of shoes and wasn't quite sure what to think.
We took our panda loving girl to the Atlanta Zoo over Memorial Day weekend to see the pandas before they were returned to China...
Some of our Atlanta cousins joined in on the fun...
-JUNE-
School was out, swim was in. The month of June was spent at the pool nearly every day, as Henry particiapted on swim team for the first time. This was something he was very nervous to do, and he wasn't the fastest, but he definitely wasn't the slowest either. Watching him conquer a big fear that had held him back the previous summer, make new friends, be coached and cheered on by the teenage coaches, and compete with kids across the city filled us with pride and joy.
Claire and George did swim lessons during Henry's practice, and this guy hung out in his stroller eating snacks for nearly an hour every morning...
...and many a lunch was also eaten poolside. It's a little bit of a hectic month and packing the pool bag and washing swimsuits gets old pretty fast...but honestly, who's going to complain about too much time spent by the pool in June? ;)
Beautiful kids ready for church!
Henry learned how to play chess this year and wanted to play every chance he could get.
The highlight of our month was a good old fashioned family summer road trip to Missouri. 😆 We spent 3 nights in St. Louis and our itinerary included the St. Louis Zoo, Magic House children's museum, and the Gateway Arch, and then travelled a little further south to visit Mansfield, MO to visit the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder (remember when we read the Little House series earlier in the year??). This was not a dream trip for Caleb...but it was for the kids and me! Haha. We had so much fun in both cities! Honestly I need to do a separate blog post for all of the pictures I have. I'll just leave a few here. :)
We made such good memories on this trip! And see, I can barely remember the agonizing hours on the road with 4 kids or cramming 6 of us into a hotel room. The fun vastly overshadows all of the hard. :) This is a lesson I would do well to remember in 2025!
-JULY-
The kids and I squeezed in blueberry picking right at the tail-end of the season...
...and Henry and Claire had eye exams!
...block party with friends in the afternoon...
...and dinner and sparklers at our neighbor's house in the evening!
Caleb and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary on the 14th with homemade chicken parmesan and fettuccine alfredo. We ate as a family in the dining room by candlelight and the kids had so much fun "decorating" for the event. :)
We still spent plenty of time at the pool...
...and a wonderful banquet, complete with individual paper plate awards! Henry said "I can't wait to do swim team again next summer." as we were leaving the banquet, and it made my heart swell with love and pride for him!
We did our fair share of cheering on the USA in the Paris Olympics...
...and did a "family Olympics" swim competition with our small group, which was amazing and hilarious.
We also went to the movies with small group friends! These kiddos and their parents are truly the best. 
...popsicles...
...and backyard playing. Better not mess with those Horton brothers. 😉 The trampoline was given to us by Dion and Marge this year, and it has been one of the best gifts EVER!
Peter in this sand pail Jon Jon is something I truly never want to forget! 😍
...Claire and George started soccer...
...and we did school! Morning time has been one of my favorite things we've done this school year. We have read poetry, studied composers, artists, and hymns, and have read many wonderful books. It's been a delightful addition to our days!
...and we spent 2 afternoons a week at the tennis courts. Henry took lessons for the first time and really enjoyed it, and the other kids loved helping pick up the tennis balls from all over the court.
...and ice cream sundaes with family. It's so hard to believe he's 8!
Caleb added a baby seat to his bike and Peter enjoyed rides with him...
...we played games...
...and trick or treated! It poured rain on Halloween night and the kids got soaked to the bone. It cut our trick or treating short, but they still hauled in plenty of candy!
...but he also tried to be helpful...
...and was just unbelievably adorable so that nobody could ever be mad at him. :)
We knew winter was near on this cold and blustery day at the playground!
...and excelled at his piano lessons, which he began at the beginning of the semester...
-DECEMBER-
-AUGUST-
We kicked off our school year in August, and Henry started 2nd grade, while Claire began kindergarten. George began doing a little preschool work, but mostly spent his days playing, as a 3 year old should. :)
...and Peter started walking!
George and Peter rocked matching outfits twice...
We enjoyed the many offerings of summer, like bike rides on the Greenway...
We got away to the beach for a few days with Tracy, Derek, and Kendra. It's always the perfect ending to summer!
-SEPTEMBER-
The kids and I started the month with a trip to Marietta over Labor Day, while Caleb travelled to Japan! He was gone for about 9 days, visited 3 Japanese cities, and had the time of his life. I was glad that this bucket list trip worked out for him this year!
He travelled with my cousins, Johnny and Jacob. They had so much fun together!
Meanwhile at home, the kids and I had some very ordinary life going on. Claire started ballet for the 3rd year...
...the kids and I took an outing to the new Culver's 😂...
One weekend my girlfriends and I went consignment shopping, followed by coffee and pastries...
...and Claire and I got lunch at the mall followed by shopping on another weekend! This was the sweetest time with her. She talked and talked and talked and I just sat there listening and thinking how much I love having a daughter. 😪
We celebrated my brother's birthday and George thought it was his birthday when he got to go for a ride on this zero turn mower. His face absolutely kills me in this picture. You can just feel the joy! Haha!
-OCTOBER-
October is always busy, but fun! We had a huge rain shower and I let the kids play in it. This is proof that I'm a fun mom! 😉
The kids had dentist appointments...
Henry turned 8 and we celebrated with presents...
...bowling with friends...
...and one of my favorite rhythms of our year was movie night on Fridays. We always do pizza, followed by popcorn. These 4 waiting for the popcorn to pop was so cute!
There's a man around the block from us who puts up a dozen big inflatables in his yard for Halloween and Christmas, and during the weeks they're up, the kids ask to drive by every time we leave the house. George called them "man's 'flatables" a couple years ago and now that's what we all call them. 😂 Peter loved them this year and would yell "bay-ble!" every time we went by. We enjoyed walks past man's 'flatables...
...carved pumpkins with cousins...
-NOVEMBER-
Peter's "toddler" really started showing; he got into everything!...
Henry did a 2nd round of tennis camp...
...and Claire continued doing great in kindergarten!
Peter got really good at playing alone in his bed for an hour or so in the morning while the big kids and I did chores or morning time. We adore him and love having him around, but taking a breather from the chaos of a baby toddler is necessary. 😂
We started a little late in the month, but we still got some good feathers on our thankful turkey! "Lawnmowers" is on here twice, courtesy of George. :)
We travelled to Marietta for Thanksgiving and had a great time with family, like always!
George turned 4 at the beginning of the month, and we loved taking a break from the Christmas festivities to celebrate him! We went to Chuck E. Cheese with family...
Several of us went in on the gift of George's dreams...a ride on zero turn mower! He was so excited and has played with it so much. This boy absolutely loves to do yard work, and we hope he keeps up the interest and hard work ethic as he grows. Caleb will gladly put him to good use one day. 😉
And to end the fun day, George picked Cheeseburger Bobby's for dinner. :) We love our 4 year old boy!
The month of course included so much Christmas fun, like chocolate advent calendars...
...yearly ornaments from Mama and Daddy...
...and gingerbread house decorating!
We made dozens of cinnamon rolls for friends and family...
These girls are my best friends! I wouldn't even want to try to make it through life without them.
...and went to the Galaxy of Lights with friends.
...followed by a candlelight church service!
We had a delicious breakfast...
...followed by presents!
...and Henry and Claire had fun delivering simmer pot bags to neighbors.
Claire and I went to see the Nutcracker together...
...and we surprised the kids with "Polar Express" tickets one night to drive around and look at Christmas lights. :)
Beauty seems to abound at Christmas time! I love the house when it's decorated.
I had a Christmas party with my book club friends...
...we travelled to Centreville for the Horton and Langston family Christmases...
...and we attended a fancy dress, couples only Christmas party with our small group. We were missing the Rices, but including them, those 10 people are some of my favorites in the world!
We decorated Christmas cookies with cousins...
The kids and I have read so many books set in the "old days" and we decided it would be fun to decorate a little live tree in an old fashioned way. We strung a cranberry and dried orange garland, made ornaments out of the leftover gingerbread cookies we had baked, and make a popcorn garland. I thought it was the cutest little tree. We hope to make this a yearly tradition! The best part were the little nibbles taken out of cookies by Peter. 😊
We spent Christmas Eve at Tracy and Derek's with presents and dinner...
We had the most special Christmas morning...Mamaw and Daddy Wayne drove up the night before to spend Christmas with us!
We went to my parent's house in the evening for presents, and thus concluded a wonderful day!
This is the happiest mess of the year, and one that I delight in! The day after Christmas was so relaxing and restful for us. We had no where to go and spent the whole day building Legos, coloring, reading, playing with new toys, and napping. :)
We spent the week between Christmas and New Year's slowly putting away Christmas decor, finding homes for new toys, and taking plenty of time for leisure. We spent New Year's Eve with some small group couples and their families and it was the perfect way to end the year!
When I look back through here, I see so many special moments we experienced this year, but there are still hundreds more I couldn't possibly include. So many visits with family, dinners with friends, dates, and outings, and laughter, and games. There were also hard moments of sickness (like, changing sheets and scrubbing carpet in the middle of the night when the stomach bug unexpectedly arrived), spankings and discipline given, shouting, and fights, and tears (not always just from the kids). But 2024 was marked by so much joy for me. I can honestly say that I woke up almost every morning excited for what the day held and full of expectation for good to be experienced. Slowing our pace of life by having all the kids at home was a huge factor in this. Some days I thought I wouldn't make it, but I look back over the year as a whole, grateful for every single moment I spent with them. When the year started they were 7, 4, 3, and 7 months. We're well on our way to having an 8, 6, 4, and 2 year old. And by the time this year ends, Henry will be 9!! It's hard to believe, but the time really does rush on faster than we expect. I'm grateful for every minute of this beautiful life with the dear ones God has placed around me.
Happy 2025, friends!
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