2014: Appreciating Health

The Last Year Without Health Problems

This was the last year that you would be healthy for the full year, but it was like one of those "last time you hold your child" moments. We didn't know yet to appreciate health as we should. We take health for granted until it isn't there. Yet, it was like the Lord was preparing us, because we packed a lot in this year:

First Easter with the Grandbabies. We made their Easter baskets to somewhat match David and Lauren's Easter baskets that we used at our house for Olivia and Noah. You built them, and I painted them.

A little girl wearing bunny ears is sitting at a table with a pink easter basket.

Spring Break in Gatlinburg. The Rardon crew joined us for the old traditional annual trip to Gatlinburg.

A man is holding a little girl in his arms at a carnival

A large family is posing for a picture in front of a candy factory sign.

Building a playset for Olivia and Noah. 2014 was the kid's first summer in the Jeffersontown house, so we bought them a playset and spent a weekend putting it together.

A man and two children are playing on a swing set.

A little girl is playing on a slide on a playground

Back to Madeira Beach and Disney World

A group of people are posing for a picture in front of a disney poster.

A man is holding a baby and a woman is holding a little girl.

A man and a woman are posing for a picture while wearing ears.

A group of people standing in front of a castle

Splitting our time. In the Spring of 2014, I was promoted to Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at University of the Cumberlands along with my continued role as Director of School Counseling. This required that I be on campus during the week. So, you and David helped me move into an apartment, and I began the drive to UC on Mondays and then back to Louisville on Thursdays to be with you. I missed you tremendously, but you kept assuring me that you were working most of the time I was away and were so proud of my accomplishments in Academia.

An aerial view of a college campus with lots of buildings and a clock tower.

Halloween was festive this year: Hubers, Boo at the Zoo, Bon-fire at the Indiana Farm, and Trick-or-Treating in the Brown's new neighborhood

A man is holding a baby in his arms and the baby is wearing a monster costume.

A woman is holding a little girl in a costume.

And, we ended the year with a bang. UC's School of Education was just made aware that we would have to personally visit all our students. (We had previously been having the out of state and international students send in videos.) As I was the only one on the leadership team with a current passport and a husband that had been in the NAVY with ties to the Naval base in Rota, Spain, we were sent to that DOD school in Rota for observation. We flew out Wednesday, December 3, so that I could do four observations: one each on Thursday, Friday and following Monday and Tuesday. The observations took a total of 3 hours each day, so we had quite a bit of time to enjoy the country on our own. It was a wonderful international trip just the two of us. What a memory!!

A large white building with palm trees in front of it

< Older Post

Newer Post >

A woman in a blue jacket and white shirt is smiling for the camera.

I am a school counselor turned counselor educator, professor, and author helping educators and parents to build social, emotional, and academic growth in ALL kids! The school counseling blog delivers both advocacy as well as strategies to help you deliver your best school counseling program.

A man and a woman are holding hands while walking in the woods.

I'm a mother, grandmother, professor, author, and wife (I'll always be his). Until October 20, 2020, I lived with my husband, Robert (Bob) Rose, in Louisville, Ky. On that awful day of October 20,2020, my life profoundly changed, when this amazing man went on to Heaven. After Bob moved to Heaven, I embraced my love of writing as an outlet for grief. Hence, the Grief Blog is my attempt to share what I learned as a Counselor in education with what I am learning through this experience of walking this earth without him. My mission is to help those in grief move forward to see joy beyond this most painful time.