Lily Crowder: Photo Journaling a whole year! Fall 2011-Fall 2012

Finding words to describe how thankful I am, when I look back at a whole year, is impossible. I am always amazed at where my life has lead. Just seven years ago, we were living in Alaska in a single-wide trailer, I had just given birth to our fourth baby and if you told me I would soon be traveling around the world and living this kind of life, I would have called you crazy! Every year since then, in the middle of homeschooling and trying to maintain a "normal" routine, we have been proper globe-trotters. It is wild, it is challenging and it is really fun! Each year, as I forage our photos on the computer, I am amazed at how much we have done as a family. Sometimes it seems like I have lived multiple lives in multiple places. I am really, really thankful! Traveling and meeting people all around the world through our ministry has been so enriching and educational, I would not change the perspective I have gained from a life on the road and in the air for anything. Although, my most cherished moments are those found in every day life, when I am rested and fully connected to random moments with my family, those stick out in my memory with more substance sometimes more than my trips to Europe. Life is the most meaningful when it is connected to the people you love the most.

Family photo shoot 9-1-12

Ezekiel (age7) Nova (age9)

Nova, age 9

Ezekiel age 7

Maile, age 15

Jonas, age 11

One year ago September, 2011, Ezekiel age 6

Nova, age 8. Strawberry picking out in Davenport off Hwy 1

Pumpkin patch in Davenport. 10/11

Brother love...This is shortly after they rode this wagon down a huge hill and ended with a HUGE crash.

Halloween 2011. Ezekiel as Black Bart

Nova as a woodland elf.

Halloween line up, 2011. John as King Kong, Ezekiel as Black Bart, Nova as the woodland elf, Maile and Clarissa as pumpkin elves and Jonas as a creepy alien.

Fall walk in the redwoods.

India trip. November 2011.

John with his buddy, Rauel. John has been visiting little Rauel at our children's home in Mumbai for four years now. They love each other! All the kids at the home call John, "John Uncle".

Me and beautiful Pinky. She is 13. I was able to go to the slums with Pinky and see where she once lived. She came from a broken home and spent her days digging in the trash. She is now getting an education and full of so much hope and Joy. I miss her!

Some of the sweet boys.

John and I visit Amsterdam and a country town in Holland.

This is how I wish I got my kids around. I spend so many hours in the car, taxing kids around. Wish I was getting some exercize!

Maile in her 8th Nutcracker, performing the wind up ballerina doll

Christmas morning 2011. Nova and her Ukelele.

Christmas 2011

The day after Christmas. Ezekiel breaks his foot in four places riding in his new go-cart! Poor dude!

After Ezekiel gets his cast on, the first request was to go to Trader Joes so he could ride in the electric shopping cart.

Jonas and I enjoying a school day at our favorite coffee shop, the Verve.

Amazing solo walk on the beach in Pleasure Point

Jonas wins two first place awards in a Jiujitsu tournament.

Alaska cousins visit.

Maile auditioning for Ballet companies.

Family road trip to Sedona Arizona. I love the desert!

Dune buggy adventure!

John surprised us with a hot air balloon ride.

Maile and her dance photo shoot with Helen.

Jonas takes 1st at the American cup jiu jitsu tournament in San Jose.

Nova and Zooks at there school play "Winnie the Pooh".

Enjoying the sweet community of ladies here in Santa Cruz at a baby shower for Janae Roberts.

I got to travel with John to Switzerland for a school he taught in Burne. Switzerland is by far, one of my most favorite places!

John's book translated into German.

Jonas performing the Beatles song "Blackbird" at our church gathering. He was totally in his element!

Biking became one of our families favorite activities. It is so fun to have all the kids big enough for "big" adventures.

Tide pooling

Backpacking in Yosemite in June 2012 with Maile and a group of girlfriends. Best trip ever. Here Maile and I are at the top of Yosemite falls. Last time I went backpacking up Yosemite fall was when I was 6 months pregnant with Maile :)

Maile and Kristen at our campsite on top of North Dome after our second night sleeping in bivy sacks. I don't think I ever laughed so hard in my life!

The girls, decending our 3,000ft climb and 20 mile loop! Amazing trip, however, my knees have never been the same.

John's best friend and his family visit us in Santa Cruz before moving to Ethiopia. We plan to visit them there!

Nova tattooing Dad

Ezekiel's 7th Birthday at Highlands park and swimming hole.

Nova totally dressed herself AND painted her own face for Forth of July.

My Dad turned 70 this year and bought himself a Harley!

Here is Ezekiel sporting his new shoes, red Ferrari Pumas. I bought him these after he returned from a "mens only" backpacking trip up feather falls with John and Jonas. While hiking back from there very wild over-night backpack trip, he fell in the river and lost one of his sneakers, having to hike back wet and shoeless on one foot. So, to make a long story short, we hooked him up with the most awesome pair of shoes of his life. He shows them to everyone and is so proud of them!

We surprised Nova with a baby Mini Holland Lop for her 9th Birthday. She had no idea and was literally in tears of joy when John came out with her new pet hidden in his bathrobe pocket. Amazing moment in parenting for sure. She named her Aurora and she is quite possibly the best pet ever in the history of the Crowder Family.