Good Bye 2010

It's amazing that another year has come and gone. If you've dropped by the ole blog lately, you though that we've been sick a lot recently. Some of us are are still sick. In fact, I've slept a good portion of the day because it's me this time. It's also Grace and Elizabeth. At the moment, I'm sitting with a sick baby who is too stuffy to lay down and sleep well. Poor baby.

I've been reading through some of my favorite blogs, and I love how everyone has been posting about their Christmas', reflecting on this past year, and sharing their new year resolutions. I am a resolution girl. I love ringing in the new year with big dreams and goals. I also love reflecting on the past year. I've not had many opportunities to sit down and write about all this lately, but I've been making plans in my mind.

Our Christmas was good and very blessed in spite of the fact that 3 kiddos were under the weather. For us, Christmas started the weekend before and isn't officially over since there's still one family to get together with as soon as we are all well. Unfortunately because of sickness, we did not get to attend the Christmas Eve service at our church. We also did not get to go to church the day after. Just tonight, Luke was talking about how sad that we was over that. We also did not get to deliver a "Blessing Basket" on Christmas Eve which is one of our church's outreach ministries. I think the lose of those activities combined with a number of other factors (the fact that we hosted at our house this year which meant a lot of cooking and cleaning, sick children, a nursing newborn, and all the gifts the kids got from us and all the relatives) led me to be a bit distracted. I definitely have regrets over Christmas this year. But, I know that all I can do is focus anew today and tomorrow. Christmas does not have to be just one day, one week, or one month out of the year. It should not be. Christmas is about remembering the birth of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to remember the fact that He gave up everything to come to this Earth as a baby, to be born in a stable no less, to live a less than glamorous life, to die an unthinkable death - all for ME. And for YOU! Oh how I want to remember and focus on this daily. Yes, I regret that's not where my focus has been enough lately, but His mercies are new each morning. So, I'll move on and start fresh.

There were many very good and wonderful things about this Christmas. It was spent with family. We enjoyed our first ever white Christmas. I so enjoyed having my mother and mother-in-love in my home helping me prepare. I was thrilled to have our newest family member (Baby E) to love and care for this Christmas. It was exciting to learn that my brother and Priscilla will prayerfully welcome another new family member before the next Christmas. Our family made many fun new memories together. I wish I could just bottle up the memories. I hate knowing that it's impossible to remember it all. I want to just soak up every detail. Life is so short and the kiddos grow oh so fast. I want to always remember the cute things they say and do, the way they look and sound, the way they laugh, they way they smell and feel when I hold them tight. That's one of the reasons I love blogging. I want to record all the details. But of course it's still impossible to record them all. I often think, "oh, I have to write about that." But then, the moment passes and there isn't time. And then I forget. Sigh.

So for the sake of remembering and all, here's the "minor" highlights for 2010...

In my heart, the new year began a couple of days before the calendar read January 1. We traveled for Christmas last year, and we were sick last year too. We were anxious to get home, to recover from being sick, and get the new year started. We were looking forward to getting back to normal. Then, I vividly and clearly remember all the details of December 29 and December 30. Precious friends of ours welcomed and said good bye to their baby girl. I was at the hospital for most of those two days. It was a deep and heavy time. Janie Beth made quite an impact in the lives of many in the 22 hours she lived. For her family, the old normal would never return.

My family was missing me and my husband and children needed me, so we celebrated and rang in the 2010 with another precious friend and her family. We all had a good time, but our hearts were all so very heavy.

As January got under way, it seemed I just could not get over the sickness and fatigue. It started to occur to me that maybe it was more than just a cold or virus. Then a few days into January I learned that indeed there was something more going on. Elizabeth was on her way. And I was looking forward to the new year so that things could get back to normal. Ha! If you've missed the funny story behind how I delivered the news to Wesley, you must click here and go read it now. You might still remember the story but decide to read it again just for a good laugh.

The next 2 months are mostly a blur. I was so, so, so, so sick this time around. The first trimester really, really did a number on me. All that I remember is being sick and on the couch a whole bunch. I can't recall really seeing or talking to family and friends. In fact, I think I probably avoided talking to my mom, because I didn't want her to worry about me.

As I recall, the sun finally came out again in March and I was finally able to get off the couch. One of the first things I did when I was feeling better was to take my big girls away for a mommy/daughter getaway. Unfortunately, the friends we went with ended up getting sick. And then you guessed it, so did we! :( After recovering from that, we hit the books hard, enjoyed visiting with family and friends again, went on some fun field trips, and learned that our baby would be a girl.

I don't remember a lot about April other than the fact that we worked very hard to finish our school goals so that we could be done by the end of April. Luke and Grace became really good readers, and Mary Ruth is not far behind. Oh and for Grace's birthday, we planted our first garden. That's really what she wanted to do for her birthday. She so very domestic! The garden turned out great and yielded much fruit.

May was amazingly busy. It seemed there was something to do on our calendar every day. The biggies include the fact that Grace graduated Kindergarten. The girls got really big hair cuts giving them the shortest hair in years. So cute!! We took away Bella Peace's pacifier, and she was potty trained rather easily right after her 2nd birthday. We had several opportunities to visit with Wesley's family.

June was fun, but began a long, hard, exhausting search for a new vehicle. The search lasted all summer long and was excruciating. I'm so thankful for the fun couple weeks before it began. My mom visited us. We visited out of town family. And we went on vacation with Papa and Nana Mathis. Luke and Grace came really close to learning to swim on the trip. June also had some note worthy medical events. Grace had surgery to repair an umbilical hernia. And my life change in a pretty big way when we learned I had gestational diabetes. At first it was hard to learn the new diet, but it didn't take long for me to get it all down. I ended up embracing it and doing quite well.

In July, the Blakeman family paid us a visit (that so, so seems like just yesterday), and we celebrated Independence Day with them. We also cut down a tree in our front yard on that same day. I know, crazy way to celebrate. That may not seem note worthy to everyone else, but it was to us. We hated to lose the tree. Grace even cried. However, watching the men folk cut it down helped us get over our sadness. When we were not scared for their lives, Bridgett and I were in stitches laughing at our hubbies. It was hysterical to see David in the tree wrapped around it like a squirrel, no a monkey, while Wesley was on the ground directing the tree as to where it should fall. I'm sure that our neighbors loved the free entertainment. :)

It seemed like if we could ever get a new used vehicle to fit our family, things might really finally slow down. Then August came and proved that to be wishful thinking. Finally in early August we bought something. It was so good to have that behind us. So we tried to settle down and get a new school year started so that we could have a head start when the new baby arrived. It was difficult for me, because all I could think about was getting ready for Baby E. I had no idea what drama laid before us in August. First, there were the big job changes for Wesley. These took us by surprised and quite honestly rocked our world for a while, but finally we can say that ultimately it was for the best. Then late August brought the the biggest surprise for our family in 2010: the discovery of Wesley's heart condition followed by the 2 procedures that led to him being cured of the problem that he had apparently been born with. I must say if one has to have a heart problem this is the way to go. Diagnosed on Wednesday. Cured on Friday. It was an amazing, stressful, crazy, scary 3 days! But it ended with a great big Praise the Lord!!

Finally, September. The month I had most anticipated in 2010. Baby E was welcomed with much love on September 14th. We were so blessed to be surrounded by family and friends when she made her debut. It was a very special night. We were even able to document everything in gorgeous photographs taken by a new friend who also happens to be a professional photographer. If you've not Baby E's birth story or seen the amazing photographs, you can check it out here.

It's hard to remember a lot of specifics since then. We are all so in love with this precious baby girl!

I stayed around the house for the most part for about 6 weeks following Elizabeth's birth. September and October were full of fun school opportunities and Wesley was able to work his schedule in order to take the kids on many special field trips. Grace and Mary started ballet lessons. And Luke started Cub Scouts.

I can't end my 2010 recap without sharing personal details about each of the kiddos. The kids personalities and interested continue to grow, and I feel as if I see glimpses of who they will be as adults.

Luke is a natural outdoors man. He loves hunting, camping, fishing, and sports. He's really hoping to get a "big one" (a deer) this year! But, he still has a very sensitive side. He's a leader and a very good big brother. He's also a very early bird. It's very hard for me to beat him out of bed each morning. If he can't be outside, he enjoys learning and playing computer games. He's also a big talker in more ways than one. He's always got something to say or a question to ask and expects to be in on everything. In his mind, it's us (me, him, and his Daddy) and the girls. He's a big talker too in that he's very confident about everything! It's not always easy on him being the only boy in our family, but I think it leads to an even closer bond between him and Wesley. No boy adores his daddy more than Luke adores Wesley. He's such a good help to me and in his Daddy's absence, he takes his role as the "man of the house" very seriously. I love how protective and helpful he can be to me and the girls.

Unless God changes her, Grace was born to be a wife and mother. In many ways, she's a lot like me, both good and bad. She loves, loves, loves babies, (like me) and is a very good helper with Elizabeth. She also gets easily stressed and frustrated when things don't go her way (also like me). She's very crafty and very creative (not like me). She is maturing into quite a talented young lady. She got some of her Grandmother's (my mom) talent when it comes to things like party planning, catering, decorating, and arranging flowers. My Mom should really go into business one day as an event planner. Then she can hire Grace to be her assistant. They are like two peas in a pod in this area. Grace also loves to cook, to garden, and is teaching herself to sew since I really don't know enough myself to teach her much. And I should add, she's quite good.

Mary Ruth wants to do everything Grace does. She really looks up to her big sister. However she does have her own unique traits. Her favorite things include playing with her babies, pretending to be a mommy, cooking, and cleaning. She's a very good helper in the kitchen. She's very organized. She gets right up and makes her bed. She likes to keep everything in place in her room. The only downside to that good trait is that she's easily upset when a sibling disturbs anything. This may be because she shares my not so good trait of perfectionism. She has her own unique style which she likes to demonstrate in her clothes and hair styles. Mary Ruth is also quite a performer. She loves to sing and dance. Mary Ruth may be the middle, but she can totally hold her on with her siblings. She has no problem standing up for herself. She's the only girl in our group to have brown eyes which is a fact that she doesn't really appreciate right now, because she doesn't want to be different. But, they are the most beautiful brown eyes ever, and I love this unique feature of hers.

Bella Peace. Wow! What can I say. She's such a big girl. She's so super smart. So fiesty. She's a hand full at this age, always getting into everything, but we love her to pieces!! She's not afraid of anything and will try anything. She's one of the happiest 2 year olds ever. She lives life to the fullest every single day, and collapses into bed every night. She also loves, loves, loves for us to "read me" which is what she says when she wants us to read to her. She talks well and has a big vocabulary for age. She's super close to Luke. She's his little buddy. If he ever needs someone to play rough and tough, she's always ready! I think she loves the great outdoors as much as he does. But even though she loves those things, she's still a girly girl too. She loves to play dress up. I find her changing her clothes many times throughout the day. Like Mary Ruth she loves to sing. And anytime someone is at the kitchen sink, she wants to help. She is quickly becoming one of the best dish rinsers ever. Recently she's started trying to convince me that she's a grown-up!! Like I said, WOW!

And Elizabeth. Sweet Baby E. Her personality is still unfolding. I think she's not going to be the kind of child that blends into the background. She makes her presence and her wishes know, but always in the cutest, sweetest ways. She has easily fit into our family, our lives, and our hearts. (Not so much in our house, but I'll save part of the story for when I share about our dream of getting into a bigger house. That'll be another post.)

It's not alway easy raising these 5 but so worth it. So fun. Well, most of the time it's fun. :) As they grow and get bigger and bigger, it's bittersweet. We know our time with them is short, but each year brings new experiences. For example, this year we all went bowling for the first time. We went for dinner and bowling as a family the weekend before Elizabeth was born, and that night was one of my favorite memories of 2010. Another favorite is playing Monopoly with the 3 biggest just this past week. I've always loved playing games, and it's even more fun now that they are getting big enough to play. As I've said before, don't be fooled, our lives are far from perfect, but we do all really love each other.

I also have to mention how blessed we have been as a family to grow closer this past year to adopted grandparents, Papa and Nana Mathis. Like natural grandparents, they've become so important to us. We simply cannot imagine our lives now without them, and we thank God for bringing them into our lives.

We are so thankful for our family and our friends. So many have been here for us as we've lived this eventful past year. As I think about our family and friends, I realize it's been an eventful year for most. Many changes. New babies. Prayers and praises. Blessings and trials. New jobs. No jobs. Gains and loses. Births and deaths. All of these things change who we are, one way or another. Hopefully they grow us more like Christ. As I look back on 2010, I wonder and evaluate what the Lord would say of me. Of us. I pray that as individuals and as a family, we've grown closer to the Lord. More dependent upon Him. More Christ-like. The Lord has surely been faithful to us. He's given and He's taken away. He provided. He's had our good in mind at all times. I pray that I've demonstrated the love of Christ to my family, to my friends, and to those He's placed in my path even when I was unaware of it. I pray that as a wife and mother, I've ministered to my family. Helped my husband. Taught my children.

Well this is my 2010 year end recap. I know I've forgotten so much and that pains me. But I also know there's so much waiting just around the corner. So, I chose to look to the new year. To meet 2011 with eager anticipation. I'm looking forward to all that's in store in 2011. I definitely have my goals, my plans, and my very big dreams, but I'm reminded that Proverbs 16:9 says that a man makes his plans, but God directs his steps. Who knows what this next year holds, only The Lord Himself. Stay tuned as much as possible, because I hope to share it all here. I also hope to share some our vision for 2011 soon. And if you read this far, bless you. Now go take a nap or something. :)