The New Year

I cannot believe that 2013 is here.  Honestly it seems every year I turn around and Christmas is over before we know it and the new year has snuck up on us.  There are so many good things that will happen this year, I am just excited to get it started.

To be honest 2012 was one of the hardest years I have ever had to go through.  It's been rough, with some unexpected bumps and bruises along the way.  I am so grateful that I couldn't really foresee what all would happen because I think I would have run and hid somewhere and said "wake me up in summer 2013!"  We have learned it is very hard to live off a teacher's salary when you have to worry about driving an hour each way for Mark for school and the gas that uses each month, daycare, rent, food, electricity, insurance and all those weird things that come up like two tickets, school expenses, and broken collar bones lol.

However 2012 brought us a bright, bubbly 2 year old who has had to go through more changes than I would have ever liked for him to do in his young little life, but he has done brilliantly.  Our marriage has grown stronger as a result of everything and for that I rejoice!  We have enjoyed a healthy pregnancy with our second son and cannot wait to meet him in a few weeks.  My cousin had a sweet baby girl who is healthy and doing brilliantly.  After just a few weeks at the school for the new year I will be able to hold my sweet baby boy and have some time off with both boys.  Then it is back for 2 months until summer hits, Mark graduates, and we are able to start the life we have been wanting to have since that time the previous year.  We are so excited for that.

Mark and I were talking about how we are "halfway done" and just how we can't believe we actually are doing it.  We actually left a job he enjoyed to pursue a dream, I actually left my home which I loved to go to work, we are actually halfway done with this year, and we have made it.  I am so grateful to our Lord who has seen us through.  I will not say it has been easy, that I haven't had my doubts or shed many many tears, but we are on the downhill slope!  Thank you to all friends and family who have helped us along the way and prayed for us.  We are grateful for you and your faithfulness.  Stay tuned for a little brother here pretty soon, but for now I am spending the last weekday I have with just my first born playing with him.