I was so bummed when Christmas came and went for the second year in
a row and I just didn't get it together to send out Christmas cards...so I gave
myself an extension and am now sending out (albeit most likely late to arrive)
Valentine's day cards! There have been so
many, many huge moments in our life these last two years - far more than I
could ever hope to include in one letter!
So I'll just do my best to sum up how these last two years have changed
us and grown us in so many ways...
Best and biggest change of course is the
4th member of our family, our precious little girl - Sophia Clair! Born after 24 hours of crazy
hard labor, my not so little 9 pld girl healed many wounds in my mommy heart
when she was delivered naturally with a successful vbac. Sophie is a gift to our family in so many
ways and we are so grateful that she is here with us now...there are many
moments when the challenges of being a mommy of two makes me feel like a crazy
wreck but we could not imagine life without her and are so excited to see all
the ways she will continue to bring us joy.
She's such a sweet and strong little soul...she's been through so much
with her mama...even before she was born comforting and encouraging me through
the darkest season of my life to sticking it out with me during our long labor
and blessing me with that redemptive gift of childbirth. We are madly in love with her...what a girl!
So now that I'm all teared up thinking
about our girl - let me brag a little about our boy! Caleb will be 3 this next month and is
growing up into such an awesome little man (as his shirt so correctly says!) His
grand entrance into our lives 3 years ago taught us in the most tangible way
that God is with us (Immanuel) and with all of the many ways we are still
seeing that through our son I am so grateful that God chooses to grow us as we
parent this beautiful boy. As I
mentioned before...being a mommy of two is - challenging, to say the
least! I'm struggling to stay sane most
times and have found that repeating the fruit of spirit scripture (Galatians
5:22) can be helpful to focus me and calm me down - I like to think of it as my
mommy mantra! Caleb can also recite the
fruit of the spirit scripture now (I'm not sure if that's good or bad - it's a
dead give away that I'm loosing it A LOT!) and is quick to point to the printed
versions around the house when mommy starts to get crazy...it's too funny! He'll look at me all serious like and say
"mama - do the self-control thing"!
He's just way too smart...there are so many times where we just look at
each other and think - how did he figure that out??? He's a beautiful, smart and discerning
kid...I'm praying that he continues to grow in that gift of sensitivity and
wisdom and that God will equip us to help him grow into the amazing man I know
he will be as he grows.
Jake's turn! My husband amazes me...we were so young and
clueless when we got married 10 years ago (can you believe it's been 10
years?!) and I am very grateful to God for our marriage and all the ways it is
maturing and growing as we keep walking together. Jake is an amazing provider for his family...I
never could have stuck it out as long as he did to reach the goal...after 5
Years of school, 2 years of work experience, 18 months of studying, and 16
hours of exams he finally has his CPA license!
And now we are smack in the middle of busy tax season at work and he is
regularly working 12 hour days- 6 days a week.
It's very hard to have him gone so much and we will be very happy to see
April 15th...but it is a really awesome thing to have a husband willing to work
so hard to be sure we have the things we need...and our kids are crazy lucky to
have him for a dad. After working 12
hours he still comes home and finds the energy to wrestle and chase and love on
Caleb and Sophie and then be involved in all the many steps to our bed time
routine. We are blessed...
The last two years have been so
wonderful, and so terrible for me...as many of you know I lost my daddy almost
exactly one year ago. Valentine's day
was actually the last time I talked to my dad.
I called him in tears after a very difficult nap time battle with
Caleb...4 months pregnant and exhausted.
He said all the right things, like only he could, to talk me out of my
crazy...it was the sweetest conversation and I am so grateful for it. Five days later my daddy took his own life
and the world will never be the same for me.
Loss like this has taught me much...until this experience my faith had
not been so tested...and I am grateful that it has proven true - even in my
darkest moments of horror and grief I am confident of God's goodness and love -
He is Love.
So many more changes in the last two
years...we moved to a new neighborhood and love it here - our old
house officially foreclosed just a couple of months ago...you win some, you
loose some. We now drive a mini-van, yeah
- we're cool! We had an amazing snowy
vacation to Arizona
"When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the
Father,
the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.
I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with
inner strength through his Spirit. Then
Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will
grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power
to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and
how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is
too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the
fullness of life and power that comes from God." Ephesians
3:14-19
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