"The
greatest of these is love."
I remember when this was read at our
wedding. As a 27 year-old young woman, love meant something totally
different than it does now. 2013 has brought wonderful memories and
even some difficult ones. With each of them, his love has never been
more evident in our lives. I am thankful to experience love
everyday. As I reflect on our year, I am
amazed at the simple things that have shown me love and made this year
complete.
I
love when Robbie kisses my forehead.
He has done this since we were
dating. It makes me feel loved and safe. After 12 years of marriage
and two kids, we have to steal moments. One of my favorite "stolen
moments" was this summer on a convertible drive up the
river. With no words, wind in our hair, and a great summer playlist,
I was reminded how valuable these simple moments are. Since we don't
get them often, I cherished the moment to save for later. I couldn't imagine sharing this life with
anyone else. He is the perfect partner for me.
I
love holding Tate's hand.
In the car. Watching a
movie. Walking out of school. This boy is a hand holder
and I love every single minute of it. He is our sensitive one that
always acts in kindness and love. Speaking of love, he has found a
few. He has extended his love of art and auditioned for his school
show choir. Imagine our surprise (since we don't have a singer in
the family) when he actually made it! Spend 5 minutes with Tate and
you quickly know his 1st love. Sundays at our house have turned in
to SportsCenter. I treasure watching my son and his daddy sitting on
our deck talking about "The Game".
I
love the sound of Lily's laugh.
There is no question about it. This
child loves life. Whether she's helping me cook in the kitchen or
twirling around at basketball practice, Lily is light and airy about everything
she does. She is a self-proclaimed "Teacher's Pet" and has found her
way back in her old Kindergarten classroom reading. My favorite Lily
moment this year was when we introduced her to Ginger Bean, our new boxer
pup. The sound of her squeals is something I will always remember.
Simply stated, Lily oozes the love of the people she's around.
I
love having dinner with my family.
For the first time in several years, I sat at a
table and dined with my parents and brothers. We are a close-knit family,
but due to logistics, our time together, as a complete unit, is
limited. What better reason to dine together than Rev and Red's 40th
wedding anniversary? We took our 1st Willemsen family
vacation in over 20 years to Punta Cana and enjoyed many meals, and even more
laughs together. The time together was long overdue and will be
something I cherish my whole life. Even more fitting, mom and dad
renewed their vows, officiated by Tate and Lily. There wasn't a dry
eye on the beach that day. I am blessed to have such an amazing
model of unconditional love.
I
love hearing teenagers sing their alma mater.
They are the reason I do this job and every 3rd
quarter when they sing the alma mater, I am reminded of that reason. Cleveland High School continues to be a
perfect job for me. The principal job will never be easy, but I am
blessed to work at a place that makes it a joy. This year brought a
state title in wrestling, almost 300 diplomas presented, our first Hall of Fame
ceremony, a new freshmen class of almost 400 students and a semi-final finish
for our football team.
2013 is a year I will always remember as a year of
love. I hope each of you will take time out this holiday season with
those you love. But most importantly, our wish for you is that you
find HIS love in your life. It makes all the difference.
Peace. Joy. LOVE.
~Autumn, resident writer for Robbie, Tate, and
Lily (and Max & Ginger too!!)
I also LOVE writing! To keep up with
our family escapades, check out www.lilytate.blogspot.com
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