Happy Holidays 2018 - From the Steeds

Here's a quick look at our 2018 in a non-sensical minute: 
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He got braces, we skated, we retreated and vacationed. She made the team while he tickled the keys, but Graves had me grounded while he made the meat.  We said goodbye to Perkins and welcomed some kittens.  We traveled a little to visit our family, started new school years, and chopped off lots of hair.  We worked and we played, sometimes in costumes, and she got to go to the Capital City!  And wouldn't you know it, 40 came fast, and no one's surprised we like it best on the ocean!

2018 has not been quite what we hoped it would be.  While there were certainly plenty of good times sprinkled in there, it ended up being a year threaded with emotional and physical hardship in many areas of our lives and in the lives of the people closest to us.  Looking back, that sounds much more dramatic than it probably is, so don't get too concerned, we're doing just fine!  

So, while there were more downs that we would have liked, it made us appreciate the highs more than ever.  And through it all, we learned some lessons, experienced a lot of growth, and matured a little more along the road. 

We're thankful to God for taking care of us in the good times and the bad, and for the friends and family that enrich our lives everyday with their presense.  We're looking forward to 2019 as a little older, a little wiser, and hopefully a little stronger too.

And lest anyone think a family photo shoot is easy -- remember this: No one needs to know how many outtakes there are for one good family photo. 

Wishing you and yours a happy holiday season and 2019. 

Love, Andrea, Ben, Ayla & Paxton