“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:14
This year has been full of both delight and fun as well as change and sorrow ... but through it all, we give thanks to God for His grace and for sending His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross to take away our sins. What an amazing gift!
E continues to fill our days with joy. She started preschool at our church this fall and adores her teacher and classmates - her class is very small and is all girls! Such fun! She continues to be very interested in reading, books, drawing, crafts and all kinds of dramatic play. We often find her dressed in creative costumes of her own making, combining a firefighter helmet with a feather boa, a purse, sun glasses and a 'baby' in a stroller. You'll often also find her in the midst of a pile of books, "reading" to herself or commenting on the pictures. She also loves to figure out jigsaw puzzles...an activity she and hubby both love and often work on together. Her creative mind, sweet spirit and outgoing personality are a delight! She has almost mastered writing her name (and that's a long name!), and is already trying very hard to read. She also proudly graduated to a "big girl bed" this summer, (after hanging onto her crib much longer than other kids her age - she loved that crib!) She is very proud of her "new room."
In July, we traveled to San Antonio to visit bubby's family, attend a family reunion, visit with my life-long friend Jennifer and her family and go to Sea World. We enjoyed staying with hubby's sister Lucy and her husband Alan in their beautiful, new home! E loved the dolphins and sea lions at Sea World, and still fondly remembers the trip when she plays with the two stuffed penguins that Daddy bought for her as souvenirs. The trip also gave E her first opportunity to 'swim' in a big pool - something she adored! Immediately following our trip to San Antonio, we were stunned to learn that Hubby's mom went home to be with Jesus just a few days after our visit. We are thankful that we were able to visit with her and all of her extended family at the family reunion we attended during our time there. Those days - and the photos we took there - will always be extra precious to us. We will always miss Hubby's mom, but are grateful that she knew of the saving grace of Jesus Christ our Savior.
In October, we traveled with my parents to Branson, Missouri for a fun vacation full of fall color, a trip to Silver Dollar City, a live music show, a visit to a butterfly exhibit, a wine tasting and winery tour, lots of great food and delicious frozen custard and so much more! E thought staying in a hotel was such a grand treat....she still talks about the fun we had there. We think she thought the hotel was the vacation...the sightseeing was just a bonus! Though the days were filled with lots of rain and cool temperatures, the trip was definitely one of fun-filled family togetherness!
Hubby is working a physical therapist position for a contract therapy company - an opportunity that places him in different assignments across the Metroplex. He has had some amazing assignments allowing him to meet a wide variety of people. Whether working far from home and commuting via train, or working close by with a quick 15-minute car commute, we are thankful for his steady employment and opportunities that this position provides. Hubby also continues to serve as president of the church’s men’s group and also dutifully serves as church secretary, something that allows him more involvement in major church decisions and gives him a new and deeper level of involvement with the church leadership.
I continue to enjoy the opportunity to do freelance public relations and writing work from home, while also focusing on being a stay-at-home Mom. The past year has brought of a variety of unique writing opportunities and project PR and marketing work, which can be stressful at times, but very rewarding, as well. Taking advantage of more time at home, I have also enjoyed being involved with E's class at school, and always enjoys piddling in something new...whether trying new recipes, exploring new crafts, blogging or trying to figure out Facebook!
Our kitty Victoria - now 18.5 years old! - gave us quite a scare in September...she was so sick we actually had an appointment scheduled with the vet to put her to sleep....but the night before her appointment, she woke me at 2 a.m., perky as ever and begging for food. Although she has some health issues from time to time that require liquid antibiotics (something that neither she nor her humans like very much) she is back to her mouthy, stubborn, perky self. She has developed a very special affection for Hubby and snuggles with him morning and night. She even tolerates E and will accept loving pets and tasty treats from our sweet little girl, much to E's delight.
We continue to be blessed by our involvement in our church and are both thankful for the Christ-centered, Cross-focused teaching that we receive there. Although we face many trials and this year has been full of challenges, we are thankful that we have God's help and guidance through it all. We have so much to be thankful for...our family...our health...our Savior Jesus Christ. We look forward to 2010 with grateful hearts.
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