GOOD
~Starting our adoption journey in April. This was amazing. It was truly an answer to my prayers. It was so amazing to sit back and watch God work in my husband's heart and move him towards adoption. The home study process wasn't as hard as I expected (though incredibly intricate!). And now we're waiting. Again, not as hard as I expected, but still hard.
~Our boys! Our boys make us laugh every single day. They are learning and growing. Hardly a day goes by without us marveling at something new that they have learned how to do, or say, or figure out. We are so very blessed to have two smart, healthy, sweet children. They light up my days.
~My husband! I have been on a journey over the past year of learning how to love my husband by letting him lead our family. Spiritually, financially, in the decision making process, etc. It has been a journey with many ups and downs. And though it sounds archaic, I can truly tell you that it is the way that marriage is meant to be. He's happier, I'm happier, our kids are happier. He loves me so incredibly much. And it shows in the way he leads our family. I am very blessed to have him, and so thankful that God has been leading us into new territory in our marriage.
~Spending time in Virginia with my dad's side of the family. We vacationed for over a week on Lake Gaston this past July. My parents, brother, sister in law, three nephews and the four of us shared one house, while my twin uncles and their families shared my uncle's house just down the road. What an amazing week. Family bonding, learning how to wake board (kinda), lots of good food, good conversation, cards, boat rides, floating on rafts and having girl talk....It was great. I can't wait to go back. Alex asks about once a week if he can go to Uncle Greg's house. :)
~The holidays. We had a fantastic holiday season this year. We got to spend a lot of time with family. We had a great Christmas morning. The four of us woke up and opened presents with both sets of grandparents. It's very special to me that my boys get to spend that time with their grandparents.
~Many trips out of town. We traveled to Detroit several times, Cleveland several times, Indy a couple times, Milwaukee, and Lake Gaston. Our boys are pros at car travel (thanks to our DVD player!) and we really enjoy our weekend getaways to see family and friends.
~Becoming director of Strategy for Mothers. I love serving in this role. It's been a lot of fun for me to plan our meetings, the speakers, the themes, prayer stations, etc. It has been a great challenge and I have really grown in my faith because of it. God has a heart for mothers, and it's a blessing to be able to watch Him reach out to bless them.
~Grant's job. Grant is doing amazingly well at the high school. He just keeps getting these unexpected awards and accolades. Of course, my humble husband won't share much of it with anyone, but I am oh so proud.
NOT SO GOOD
~Noah's diagnosis of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in June. He is doing great. He is fully adjusted to his medication and acts like a perfectly normal little boy. While this obviously falls in the "not so good" category, there have also been many blessings associated with this. There is no part of me that likes the fact that my child has a heart disease. However, God is good, and He's proved that He's good time and time throughout this process. I've posted before about all the details, and I'm sure I will again.
~My family dealing with the diagnosis. HCM is a very genetic disease. If a parent has it, there's a 50% chance that each of their children will get it. They were able to isolate the gene that caused my disease and we're working backward from there to test my whole family. Not a fun thing. But, again, a blessing. A definitive yes or no is MUCH better than playing the guessing game and/or making everyone play it safe. We're in the beginning stages of the family testing, and I'll let you know more later.
~My grandpa had a stroke this past November. He is doing very well, considering. He is 87. He is now living in an assisted living facility. It is hard to watch him lose his independence, but he is still kickin' and was able to come celebrate Christmas with the family.
I think that's about it! Overall, much more GOOD than NOT SO GOOD. And really, the not so good all have blessings associated with them as well. As I look forward to 2012, I can't imagine what God has in store for us. 2011 was NOT what I expected, and I'm sure He'll blow me away again. (Hopefully with an amazing daughter before 2013 is upon us!)
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