To
me, January never really feels like the right time for the New Year to
begin. Maybe it is because we're still in the midst of winter, or the
fact that I'm a teacher and in the middle of the school year, but since
this is what the rest of the world recognizes as the transition from old
to new, I join in on the reflection almost out of duty. I guess it
doesn't really matter when we pause to consider, as long as we take the
time to do so at some point.
I was going to pick out one highlight for each month of 2012, but as I think back and look through pictures, I realize there were very few truly big events this year. Merrick's birth and our niece Kinsey's wedding are probably the two biggest events of the year for our family.
Most of the things that have made my heart soar this past year have been the little moments with our family: being silly, snuggling, reading together, dancing, cooking, going on little adventures, exploring and experiencing the world with the wonder of a child, watching the kids grow and change before my very eyes, and finding joy in their antics and cute commentaries as we go about daily life.
None
of it would be the same without my best friend by my side encouraging
me, challenging me, helping me, and enjoying all of the fun moments
together. This has been a good year for our marriage, and we have both
gotten better at understanding each other and working as a team as we go
through life together. I am excited to see how we grow throughout the
next year and pray that the challenges we will face, be they big or
small, will galvanize and strengthen our marriage.
At the outset of 2012, I anticipated that new beginnings, perseverance, hope, and faith would be significant themes for our family in the coming year. Looking back, I was pretty much on target and we were blessed in each of those areas. Welcoming Merrick into our family was a joyous new beginning, and the transition to life as a family of five was fun and relatively easy.
Perseverance in parenting and consistency with the girls have had positive results. Mark and I have grown as parents through various avenues: our own reflection and prayer, our couples' book study group, and an adult Sunday school class offered at our church. Just as with marriage, good parenting is not something that just happens. It takes a conscious effort. Putting in the time doing "preventative maintenance" has really helped us so far, and we plan on seeking to grow in this area throughout the coming year(s).
Hope and faith are always big themes for us, since my job relies on having enough students register to take my classes. Even though there have been some hard times in my school district, I have more students than ever this year! That makes things more demanding on a daily basis, but it is also something to be thankful for. Our summer income is also out of our control; it really depends on having enough salmon return so we can fish. But things went swimmingly last summer and we came out ahead. (pun intended). We've even been blessed with a little unexpected income from our video that went viral in April. All this has strengthened my trust in God and His provision.
Last night at our couples' group New Year's gathering, we reflected on ways we've seen God moving in our life this past year and what God has taught us through 2012. It was truly powerful to hear some of the things our friends shared, and I feel blessed and humbled to be part of the group. I feel like what I've learned most this year was to stay calm and focus on God in the midst of juggling all of the day-to-day practicalities of life. Then the rest seems to just fall into place.
I
don't really know what 2013 will bring, but I know one thing: If I can
keep God first in my life and put my trust in Him, it will be a good
year.
I was going to pick out one highlight for each month of 2012, but as I think back and look through pictures, I realize there were very few truly big events this year. Merrick's birth and our niece Kinsey's wedding are probably the two biggest events of the year for our family.
Most of the things that have made my heart soar this past year have been the little moments with our family: being silly, snuggling, reading together, dancing, cooking, going on little adventures, exploring and experiencing the world with the wonder of a child, watching the kids grow and change before my very eyes, and finding joy in their antics and cute commentaries as we go about daily life.
At the outset of 2012, I anticipated that new beginnings, perseverance, hope, and faith would be significant themes for our family in the coming year. Looking back, I was pretty much on target and we were blessed in each of those areas. Welcoming Merrick into our family was a joyous new beginning, and the transition to life as a family of five was fun and relatively easy.
Perseverance in parenting and consistency with the girls have had positive results. Mark and I have grown as parents through various avenues: our own reflection and prayer, our couples' book study group, and an adult Sunday school class offered at our church. Just as with marriage, good parenting is not something that just happens. It takes a conscious effort. Putting in the time doing "preventative maintenance" has really helped us so far, and we plan on seeking to grow in this area throughout the coming year(s).
Hope and faith are always big themes for us, since my job relies on having enough students register to take my classes. Even though there have been some hard times in my school district, I have more students than ever this year! That makes things more demanding on a daily basis, but it is also something to be thankful for. Our summer income is also out of our control; it really depends on having enough salmon return so we can fish. But things went swimmingly last summer and we came out ahead. (pun intended). We've even been blessed with a little unexpected income from our video that went viral in April. All this has strengthened my trust in God and His provision.
Last night at our couples' group New Year's gathering, we reflected on ways we've seen God moving in our life this past year and what God has taught us through 2012. It was truly powerful to hear some of the things our friends shared, and I feel blessed and humbled to be part of the group. I feel like what I've learned most this year was to stay calm and focus on God in the midst of juggling all of the day-to-day practicalities of life. Then the rest seems to just fall into place.
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