Year End 2012

Merry (belated) Christmas!!!

As the holidays approached and people asked about when our baby was due, I kept saying "he is basically here", considering that I KNEW December would be a whirlwind and then his due date would be here in a flash.  Well, I was right.  December really was a whirlwind and here it is, January already!

Our month included - in no particular order: baking treats, caroling, Christmas parties, speaking in church, the starter in our van going out, a few rounds of company in from out of state, Matt enduring inventory at work, a new calling at church, singing a solo w/the choir, stomach bugs/colds galore, enjoying our Christmas decorations, Matt's Birthday, the arrival of our NEW NIECE!, decorating the baby's room, Matt's car tricking us and acting like it needed to be towed one night (I talked it out of its nonsense somehow), Christmas shopping (go Amazon!), weekly OB doctor's visits for me, and more :)

Christmas was SO fun with the boys... if we thought last year was fun w/their ages, this year was even more so!  We had family over in the morning and visited more family in the afternoon/evening - it was a perfect Christmas.  Hands down.

We even got some SNOW the day after Christmas!  It was bitterly cold out and there wasn't much of it, but we bundled and headed out to enjoy what we did have!  They did NOT want to come in!  Here I am, the pregnant one who is usually exceptionally warm, saying "come on, lets go in and get some hot cocoa..." and they're begging to stay out longer!  Hopefully we get some more snow this year (last year we literally didn't get any!).  They even attempted some snow angels in what we got :)

New Year's Eve we were able to sneak away on a much-needed, last-minute, 'final' date night before sweet baby boy arrives.  We went and saw Les Mis at the theater and enjoyed some one-on-one time together.  We also reminisced that on New Year's Eve 8 years ago we got engaged!  Afterwards we joined my parents & Gram (where our boys were sleeping) and enjoyed some games and shrimp.  We even managed to stay up until midnight! :)  Call us party animals!

Looking back at the month, there were some moments of feeling and being completely overwhelmed, but there was also complete and utter gratitude, pure joy, and a needed re-realization that God is in control of all things. We have been abundantly blessed and I can say that I ended 2012 looking at life with happiness and a feeling of contentment, even while being aware of challenges that we have faced. I KNOW that Heavenly Father is in the details of life and that with faith and hope, we can find joy and peace through all the good and the bad we experience.

Happy New Year everyone!  May 2013 be a year of growth, love, and happiness for all!