2012: A Year in Review

Well, for the first time in 27 years, I won’t be sending out a Christmas card with my letter this season. My family has finally begun to reach far and wide, ending up in different places with different agendas now. But through the magic of social media, I can still give you a quick summary and a few pictures of our year. This pic was taken Christmas Day while I was recovering from back surgery, so that's why I look a little peak-ed! LOL

Ansley has graduated from the University of Georgia with a double major in English and English Education, while securing a great job teaching 10^th and 11^th graders in Gwinnett County, GA at Mill Creek High School. 

 

Of course she secured an apartment in downtown Atlanta FIRST, so now she is enduring a nice long commute back and forth to work each day. At least it’s against traffic! She loves her new life, being out on her own, but like most of us adults, doesn’t care for all the bills and responsibilities that come along with that. All part of growing up I guess.


Ansley has also been dating Sam Janjua for the past few months and they are enjoying their time together in Atlanta and Athens. 

Ansley has adopted a sweet little kitten to keep her company. “Romeo” helped to heal her broken heart when our family cat, Skittles, died of old age back in June.

Alyssa is halfway through with her final year of getting her baking and pastry degree from Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, NC.  After her full time internship at Amelie’s French Bakery in Charlotte, plus one more term of academic classes, she plans to transfer to the University of South Carolina and then work on a bachelors in Restaurant Management so that one day she can open her own bakery. She is also looking forward to being out on her own, already looking for an apartment for her time at USC. YES – USC is only about 20 minutes from here, but NO – she doesn’t want to commute from home. For some reason we are fine with this. :)

Alyssa also has a wonderful young man in her life, Hayden Antal, who also attends USC majoring in graphic communications. I have to say it's nice having another photographer around so that I don't have to be responsible for taking all the pictures of every event!

Alyssa did her first full-fledged wedding cake for my cousin Caitlin this summer  which led to several other wedding orders for the season.

 

She was also in a cake decoration competition hosted by the NC branch of ICF (the International Culinary Federation) and won the bronze medal for her 3-tiered wedding cake. 

John is still with Starbucks, now building a new plant located in Augusta, GA that will produce the Starbucks VIA coffee. Don’t know whether he will end up there when the plant is complete or not, but for now, it’s only an hour and 15 minute commute. He hasn’t done as much major traveling this year (just one trip to Malaysia) as he did last year, so we are enjoying our empty nest and working on some projects around the house. John and I also joined a couples small group at church for a 6 week bible study which we thoroughly enjoyed and hope to do another soon. Our Auburn Tigers had a REALLY bad year, but we are looking forward to seeing what our new coach, Gus Malzahn, will be able to accomplish next year.

As for myself, I am still loving my job at the church, serving with our youth staff and planning events for over 200 middle and high school students. What a blessing to work with these people and to make a difference in the lives of Lexington students.

My dear Memama passed away in August after almost 94 years on this earth. It was wonderful to re-united with most of my Mother’s family for a memorial service in my grandmother’s honor. 

We spent Thanksgiving with John's family in Fayetteville, GA where we took this family photo in his sister's front yard. Everyone is wearing their favorite SEC team colors, celebrating college football plus all we have to be thankful for. John's Mom used this pic for her Christmas card. 

I took a few small trips throughout the year: three times to the beach, on a business trip with John to Jacksonville, FL, to a church conference in Dallas, and a visit to my Dad’s in Orlando where he and his wife have now retired near my brother, Gary, and his family. But my favorite trip of the year was to NYC with my friend Zannett! Girlfriends trip to the big city – ain’t nothing like it! 

I guess the biggest milestone for me this year was having some major back surgery in December. The osteoarthritis in my lower back had gotten worse over the past two years, leading to degenerative disc disease (the last two discs in my spine had just about disappeared, so there was no “padding” left). After a 5 hour surgery (spinal fusion) and 5 days in the hospital, I now have 6 stainless steel screws in my back. Thank the good Lord for my Mom and my husband who both waited on me for the past 3 weeks of recovery. I hope to return to work after the new year…so far, so good. I am also very appreciative of my church family, my ladies bible study group and all my family and friends who prayed, nursed me (Claire, Robyn, Kelly, Alice), sent food, flowers and cards that helped me get well!

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas season and best wishes for the coming year. Remember that Jesus is the reason for the season! Blessings to all our friends and family.

John, Gayle, Ansley, Alyssa and Bagel Stephenson