2014 in Review

          Greetings. I hope 2015 is off to a joyful start for you! 2014 was a busy year for the Kepharts! In January, Byron celebrated his first year as a Safeway employee, as the manager of Special Projects for nineteen stores in the Greater Portland Area (he’s now celebrated two years and serves 20 stores). On January 31st, I attended a W.O.W. (Women of Wonder) conference at my church. I came away feeling like God was restoring dreams I’ve had for many years and that He was ready to open new doors—He certainly has!

            February marked a year since my mom took up residence in Heaven. I miss her greatly, but the Lord has been faithful to remind me of many endearing anecdotes, tender moments, and well-loved phrases she used. She’s making Paradise a lovelier place for sure.

                Also in February, our daughter, Kristiana, and son-in-law, Nathan, moved into a much roomier and more modernized apartment. They look forward to having a beautiful patio garden this spring—complete with gnome. :)

            Byron worked during our younger kids’ spring break, so we mostly hung out around home. Josiah spent some time over at Nathan and Kristiana’s. They like to play games with him and feed him (our daughter’s quite the baker!); and Kristiana and Josiah enjoy going to the downtown antique store, Engelberg’s. 

            We had a quiet time with our three kids and son-in-law for Easter. We cooked a ham and had a small egg hunt in the back yard.

In May, we celebrated Kalina’s 18th birthday with a dinner at Red Robin. The girls and I also made it to Paperback Exchange one day, Kalina’s favorite used bookstore—she was blessed with some amazing deals.

            June was a busy month. Kalina graduated from high school. Grandparents Bob and Nancy Vogel got to attend Kalina’s graduation—we celebrated afterward with ice cream. Kristiana and Nathan celebrated two years of marriage. And Kristiana also turned 22 on the 22nd. 

            We celebrated Independence Day with our friends, Bill and Marjie Cassell. Byron and I attended a Fourth-of-July concert with them in Independence, Oregon. Bill’s son performed with his singing group. There were some yummy food booths (I had my first street tacos!) and an excellent fireworks show, complete with patriotic slideshow and music. Afterward, we went back to the Kephart homestead to set off some fireworks with the kids.

            In August, Byron and I celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary. Kristiana took her little brother to the Oregon State Fair, along with Nathan—they had a lot of fun seeing animals, eating greasy food, and going on wild rides. Kristiana also managed to get Josiah to cooperate for a “school photo” shoot, commemorating the beginning of 8th grade. And Josiah made the Craigslist purchase of the century—he bought a ball python; he named her Galadriel, after the Lady of the Woods in the Lord of the Rings series. She eats one live mouse per month. Most snakes sort of creep me out, but she is a nice one—I have to admit.

            September marked the start of college for Kalina! She’s a freshman at Oregon State University. Other highlights include: me running the “Race for the Cure” with my friend Diane, who ran in memory of her mom; and seeing my cousin Tracy, who made a road trip from Reseda, California to see his Oregon relatives. I didn’t get to show him many sights, but we did go to Red Robin and Mission Mill Museum, went for a jog one morning, and generally had a great visit—the first we’d had in years! Very delightful, and our kids loved him.

            Also in September, Byron and I felt led of the Lord to start attending Life School of Supernatural Ministry, here in Salem (Byron had for two years previously, but this is my first year), as well as an 18-week Love After Marriage class. Both experiences have proven to be enriching and challenging to us in some very Holy Spirit-led ways.

            October seemed to race by, and our kids all celebrated Halloweeen/Harvest with various friends. Josiah managed to carve a pumpkin, which was accompanied by a few gourds—the extent of our fall decorations. 

            In November, I ran a 5K to help provide care packages for those serving in the military. Little did I know it would be so cold at Mt. Tabor Park in Portland—there was ice all along our running route. I also didn’t realize the route would be made up of mostly hills! But I finished and was glad I participated. Other highlights: Josiah reached the ripe ol’ age of 14; I got to preach a message at my church titled “Don’t Let Depression Rob You of Your Destiny;” I celebrated losing 43 pounds; we spent Thanksgiving Day with my in-laws, Bob and Nancy Vogel, at their home in Florence, Oregon--we were joined by Byron's oldest brother, Chris, his wife, Linda, and their son, William. A couple days later, we had a "belated" Thanksgiving dinner with Kristiana and Nathan at our house.

            In December, our friends of close to 30 years, Scott and Kari Moynihan, gave us an unexpected early Christmas present—tickets to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra in concert. It was phenomenal! Christmas itself was a delightful time with our nuclear family. We played some games, ate yummy homemade food, and had a relaxing time with lots of laughs and hugs. I was excited to receive (among other things) a toaster oven, as I’d been wanting one for some time. 
            To ring in the new year, we had a small gathering of friends (and lots of food), made up of Sam and Paige Franklin (and Hannah and Chloe), Scott and Kari Moynihan, and Rick and Amy Harris (and Liam). We played Scattergories and Bananagrams and shared riveting random conversation. :) The Harrises were the only ones who held out till midnight and got to share an official 2015 toast with us. 

            For 2015, our goals include getting a second car, getting my first children’s book published, and continuing to seek God for wisdom and direction. Josiah will begin high school next year and would love to continue on at Crosshill Christian. Byron has 21 credits to finish his CAD (Computer Aided Drafting) Design degree at Chemeketa Community College. He isn’t attending this term but plans to resume in the spring. We pray that your 2015 will be as blessed as our 2014 was!