Christmas Cards make me so happy!

I love checking the mailbox every day in December in the hopes of opening a new Christmas card. Each card I open is like a little present! Ever since we have been married, we have sent out a Christmas card of just the 2 of us. I have dreamed of the day we would have a little one on the card with us (or instead of us!) That time has finally come. I have been attmpting to get a great family shot for weeks and weeks. This past weekend we were able to get some great photos of at the Pelican Hill resort in Newport Beach. What a beautiful setting! We spent the weekend there with Randy's parents and Ryan and Jill. Now that we have some pictures to work with, I have the exciting yet overwhelming task of choosing a card! Luckily, Shutterfly has tons of beautiful layouts to choose from. I just love Shutterfly and in fact, I did all of my Christmas shopping there this year! It might just be the easiest year to shop for people ever! Who doesn't want a photo gift of our cute little Levi? :) Check out the links so you can make someone happy with a Christmas card or photo gift. And send me a card!! :)

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-photo-cards

http://www.shutterfly.com/photo-gifts

2 months

Today you are 2 months old! What a wonderful 2 months we have had with you as our son.

What you are up to at 2 months:

You smile all the time now! It is the cutest thing and it just melts my heart.
You are starting to "ooh" and "aah" more and try to "talk" to us.
Your neck is getting very strong and you can hold that head up really well.
You weigh 12lb. 15oz.
You still LOVE your bath time! It's your favorite for sure!
You are still in size 1 diapers but are growing out of them quickly.
You are fitting in mostly 3 month clothes and some 3-6 month things.
You are majorly attached to your mommy. If I ever hand you to someone (including your poor daddy) you are ok for a bit but then start crying and getting really upset. As soon as your dad hands you back to me, he counts to three and you are happy in my arms again. You are your mama's boy!
Your sleep has been a little sporadic, probably because you haven't been feeling well.
Last night you went 7 1/2 hours between feedings and slept for 6 1/2 hours! Amazing!
You are starting to look a bit like me and not Just your dad.
You are such a good baby. You only cry when you are hungry or tired.
You are the sweetest baby and we love you so much!

I took Levi to the doctor yesterday for a follow-up visit. He has a new cold (bummer!) but his ears and throat both look better which is great. He weighs 12lb. 15 oz. I think it's safe to say his growing has slowed a bit. We are going to stay home for at least a week to make sure he kicks this sickness once and for all.

I wanted to write down something before I forget it..

When Lei was born he was crying (which I know is good.) The nurses cleaned him up, weighed him, warmed him and wrapped him in a blanket. After all this they finally put him on my chest, still crying of course. I said, "It's okay Levi" and he immediately stopped crying and turned to try to look at me. He knew right away who his mama was! So cool!

6 Week Check-Up and Thanksgiving

When I took Levi to the pediatrician for his 6 week appointment, I had no idea he would weigh 12 pounds already! The nurse kept going up and up with the scale and I couldn't believe it! The doctor came in and looked at his chart and couldn't believe it either. He actually checked the scale to make sure it was working properly. When I was leaving, I even heard the doctor and nurse commenting, "Can you believe how much he has grown?" I guess he is a pretty big boy! :)

We finally had to put Levi on antibiotics this past Saturday since he has been sick for 4 weeks. He is already feeling better which is so wonderful! Our pediatrician is wonderful too. He called us on Thanksgiving and the day after to check on him. We feel really blessed to have Levi under his care. He decided to postpone Levi's shots since he wasn't feeling well. (Not looking forward to those!)

Thanksgiving with family was a lot of fun. We spent the day at my parent's house and enjoyed everyone's company. Levi spent his first Thanksgiving with his Nana and Papa, Great-Great Aunt Mary and Uncle Jerry, Great Uncle Danny, Great Aunt Debbie and Uncle Doug, and cousins Joey, Karen, Katie, Jo-Jo and Melissa.

The next day we celebrated Thanksgiving with Randy's side. (2 meals- yummy!!) Levi got to spend time with his Great Grandpa and Grandma Carpenter, Pauline, Grandma and Grandpa, Great Grandma Virginia, Uncle Ryan and Jill. It was a wonderful time!

1 Month

11/7/10

Here is what's happening now that you are 1 month old!

You have outgrown all of your newborn clothes and your 3 month clothes fit you pretty well.

You are a big boy! Your cheeks and chin are chubby and so cute!

You seem to have grown every time I pick you up after a nap.

You are wearing a size 1 diaper, but we are mostly using g diapers now.

You LOVE bath time! Just not the part when you have to get out and it's cold!

You are smiling a bit, but we can't tell if this is still gas. :)

You already have your first cold/cough. :(

We are starting to put you on a schedule so you can sleep more at night and it is going well so far!

You are the most precious gift from God and we love you so much!

How You Were Born

Levi, you are the best thing that has ever happened to us. This is how you came into the world.

On Wednesday, October 6th, we arrived at the hospital at 5pm to be induced. By 6pm they had placed the cervadil. I was 1cm dialated. At 10pm, our doctor came in to check on us and warned we might have to go home in the morning if there were no significant changes. Well, 20 minutes later my water broke and we knew you would be born soon! By 12pm I received an epidural which was wonderful at first. I got really chattery with the nurses and everyone could tell I felt much better. At 1am I was 4cm dialated and by 6am I was 10cm! My doctor was in surgery so they told me we would wait to push and let the baby labor down on his own. Once 8am rolled around, I started pushing and 2 hours later I had made little progress. Meanwhile, the epidural seemed to be working on my left side more than my right, and it kept waring off completely. They kept giving me a little boost called a bullis. After 2 hours of pushing I took an hour break. Then 2 more hours of pushing. Even less progress this time. Then another break. Then another 2 hours of pushing. All the while the epidural would all of a sudden quit working. Ouch!! My nurse was absolutely amazing! She prayed for me and was so supportive and wonderful the entire time. God sent her to me knowing what a blessing she would be during such a trying time. She began warning me that the baby might not be able to fit and a c-section might be necessary. She said I was pushing well and he just wasn't budging. They called my doctor and he asked that the operating room be prepared just in case. When he arrived he talked with me about using the vacuum as a last-ditch effort. He knew how much I wanted to avoid a c-section and he tried all he could to help me do that. I was afraid of the vacuum but didn't feel any pain from it. Unfortunately, even with several good pushes with a few contracti0ns, he told me that the baby did not budge one little bit and that we would need to have a c-section. I knew I had tried my hardest and that I had given everything I possibly could a try, so I felt ok about going in for surgery. The anesthesiologist decided that my epidural wasn't effective enough for surgery, so he gave me a spinal. The whole experience was surreal. I felt like I was in good hands and my nurse was right by my side. I was so relieved when Randy was allowed into the operating room. He had been so amazing that whole time. He knew exactly how to encourage and support me. He counted during my pushing. He told me I was so strong and he was so proud of me. He was more incredible than I could have ever asked for. I couldn't believe how quickly they got the baby out. As soon as they held him up, I began crying tears of joy. He was finally here. He was beautiful. At that moment, I didn't care a thing about the pain or the time it took for him to arrive. I didn't mind laying on an operating table and being cut open. He was here! I was a mom. The nurses kept saying he looked so healthy. He peed all over the place when the nurses were cleaning him up. When they weighed him and discovered he was 7lb 15oz, they remarked that he would be over 8 pounds had he not peed everywhere! He was 22in long, but that was because his poor little head was swollen from all that pushing I did. At the pediatrician a week later, we discovered he was actually 21in long. You were born on Thursday, Ocober 7th at 6:02pm. What an experience! We felt the prayers of our family and friends and knew peace that surpasses all understanding. We are so thankful for this beautiful little life that God has created. Our prayer is that we will raise him to know the Lord and to come to a saving relationship with Him. Welcome to the world, Levi! We love you!

Welcome Levi!

Levi Paul Carpenter
October 7, 2010 at 6:02pm
7lb 15 oz, 22in. long

Countdown...

So the countdown is on! At our last doctor appointment, he told us that he will check me at our next visit to see if we are ready to induce on the 7th or not. It might be a little later than that. I am hoping our little guy comes on his own in the next few days.

We are busy getting last minute things done and enjoying our last few days as a family of 2!

Our community group prayed for us on Thursday and I have been feeling more and more peace. I have been struggling with anxiety and nervousness because of the unknown. I know I can trust in the plan that God has for our baby to be born. The story is already written and now we get to see what it is!

Time to rest

I am officially on maternity leave! We went to the doc today and he decided I was done and that he is going to induce me on Oct. 7th. It is surreal to have a possible date our child will be born. Wow! Crazy! It will be so nice to have these next few weeks to rest.

Here we go!

Summer is over! School starts next Wednesday. My classroom is set up (thanks to my wonderful family) and I have most things prepped to begin the year. I'm not sure how long I will work, but am hoping to just make it through the first 2 weeks. I am actually looking forward to going back to work for a little bit.

We went to the doctor's yesterday for a check up and ultrasound. Everything looks good but the doc wasn't able to take any pictures of our little guy because he was hiding with his hands in front of his face. From what we did see, he definitely looks like Randy! He is measuring 4lb 14 ounces, which is in the 80th percentile. I know they can always be off at least a pound either way with those estimates, but I wouldn't be surprised if we had a big baby! We are on the home stretch... only 7 1/2 weeks to go! Who knows, we might even go sooner if he keeps measuring big!

Nesting

I believe nesting has begun! I'm cleaning out drawers, organizing, and thinking of a million things I want to do, get rid of or sort through. It's nice to have enough energy to accomplish some of these tasks. All the baby clothes I have so far are washed and put away. Baby hangers have been bought and things are hung up according to size. I look at these newborn outfits and can't imagine our baby will be so small. He might not fit into some of the teeny tiny things if he is a big baby. I was 9 pounds. Well, 8 pounds 15 1/2 ounces, but let's just call it 9 (for my mother's sake) and almost 21 inches long. Everyone comments on how they thought I looked like a 3 month old baby...ouch! So, all that to say, I am getting very excited to become a mom and to hold our little guy for the first time.

26 weeks, 5 days
Next appointment is on Monday, July 19th
We are loving the name Levi for now, but if you know us, that could change
That's all for now!

You're Invited

You've been invited. This invitation is not to a party but to a person. Jesus wants to open his heart to you, so he has said, "Come to me." This invitation is addressed to all who are weary and carry heavy burdens. This invitation is for you. Jesus wants you to come to him so he can give you the gift of rest. He knows that what you need is real rest--not just for your body, but also for your soul. And only Jesus can give you soul rest. He wants you to rest from trying to be good enough and from doing too much. He wants you to fully rest in his finished work on the cross, his provision of salvation. This is rest that begins now and continues into eternity. Jesus knows that if we don't rest in him, we'll sacrifice the important for the urgent, the personal for the public. If we don't rest in him, we'll end up empty on the inside, moving through life in a fog of meaningless religious ritual.

So how do you RSVP to Christ's invitation? He said, "Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you." At first this may sound like just another burden. But the yoke of Jesus is the burden that makes all other burdens bearable. This yoke is what connects us to Jesus so that he can share our load. He wants to bear the weight of your burdens with his strong shoulders.

So when you find yourself searching for something to soothe the pain in your life, will you listen for the voice of Jesus whispering his invitation into your ear, "Come to me"? When you feel your frustration building and your strength fading, hear Jesus saying, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens." When you find yourself weighed down by unrealistic expectations or unbearable emotions, Jesus says, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:30, NIV).

Jesus stands with his arms outstretched saying, Come away from what is insignificant and empty so you can enter into what is eternal, essential, restful. Come to me. Let me love you. Who could resist such an invitation?

-Nancy Guthrie, The One Year Book of HOPE

Clothing Swap and Girls Night!

Come one, come all to a clothing swap and girls night! Just bring all of your unwanted clothing and accessories and swap with other girls! Invite all of your friends! Please bring $5 to participate. All money will be going to Children's Hunger Fund! After the swap, we will be enjoying a potluck dinner, games and hanging out. I will be making chicken enchiladas. Please RSVP with what you will be bringing to share. Or just come for the clothing swap. Or just come for the dinner and hanging out! See you then!

Friday, July 9th at 6pm

Carpenter House

Summer

School is out! What a wonderful feeling! I have all next week off before starting summer school. This year has been challenging and growing. I will remember my class with great fondness. I will treasure the friendships I have made with fellow teachers. Welcome summer!

We're Having a ...

Boy!

19 1/2 Weeks today

Baby Boy Carpenter is due October 16th

He is measuring 11 ounces

We are so excited!

Baby Carpenter

Pictures at the 12 week ultrasound :)

Currently 17 1/2 weeks

Next ultrasound on May 26th to find out if the baby is a boy or girl

I started feeling little kicks last week

We are so thankful for this blessing!

We are having a baby!

Samuel 1:27-30

"For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the LORD. As long as he lives, he is lent to the LORD."

Well Done

Today we heard a message about the holiness of God. We heard what the Bible says about how big God is, how glorious, and how meeting him someday will bring us to our knees and cause us to regret every sin, every stupid thought and every minute we weren't spending with God. We were challenged to imagine meeting our Holy God, this amazing being we can't even begin to fathom, that Revelation 4 describes. So as I imagine being knocked to my feet at the awe and fear I will be feeling in that moment, I can tell you the only thing I want to hear are the two words every believer longs to hear: "Well done." As I reflect on my life I question my lukewarmness and whether or not I will hear those words. It causes me to want to change everything. I am praying to become less and less important to myself, and to become more and more detached to the things of this world. In doing so, I desire for my picture of eternity to become more accurate, for my fear of God to manifest itself in more reverence and obedience of Him, and for my life to be an accurate reflection of Christ and His love. Only by the grace of God will He utter those two words to me... I am so thankful for His Word, His life, His love, His grace, His Holiness, and His promise of eternity.

Hungry Kids, Stuffed Church

Hungry Kids, Stuffed Church

Please click on the link above to see an amazing video about giving. Jesus asks us to give to and love others as if we were feeding, clothing and loving Christ Himself.

God has been teaching Randy and I so much about giving. We feel convicted to give more. Our desire is for our hearts to beat like Christ's, to care about what He cares about. To love like He loved. To care so little about ourselves or the flesh at all, that we forgoe the comforts of life and feel no twinge of desire for what the world has to offer. The joy of giving can make sacrifice feel like the greatest pleasure known to man. In giving, we want to be humble and obedient, faithful and joyful. In giving we want to become more like Jesus.

Matthew 25:31-46

31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Easter

As of tomorrow at 2:35, Easter Break has officially arrived! 11 whole days off. What a blessing! And it is coming at just the right time. It is time for me to rest, replenish my patience, and get some stuff done around the house. I am really looking forward to it. One project I will be working on is uploading my photos to a website like Snapfish or Shutterfly, to back them up in case something ever happened to my computer or in case our house ever burns down. Weird to say that but since it just happened to someone at work, it's on my mind.

We are also looking forward to taking a short trip to the desert with my sis and her family. :)

I am so thankful for Jesus' beautiful gift that we will be celebrating this weekend. His sacrificial death on the cross has given us eternal life for all who believe. How amazing! He lives, He is King, and He wants to know each of us. I am so grateful for His love, His life, His death and resurrection, and the fact that I know Him and and known by Him. Wow!!! Incredible!

Blessings to you and your families this Easter!

Because I am entering a giveaway for an awsome camera...

EPIPHANIE IS GIVING AWAY YOUR CHOICE OF

A BRAND NEW CANON 5D MARK II!

OR

A $2500 GIFT CERTIFICATE TO SOUTHWEST AIRLINES!!!

So cool! I would love to win this awesome camera!

Check it out and enter for yourself! :)

http://www.haveanepiphanie.com/home/2010/2/28/epiphanie-give-away.html?lastPage=true&postSubmitted=true

Comfortable

I have been reading Luke and came across this passage and was so convicted. My life is too comfortable. Do I like being comfortable? Of course! Am I scared to pray for more of an uncomfortable life? Absolutely! But I feel it is what I must do. Because I am well fed. I am "rich". I am comfortable. People speak well of me. (At least to my face! :) Woe to me! Wow! Pretty amazing... I am scared. But I would rather have my reward be great in Heaven than have my life comfortable here on earth.

20"Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22Blessed are you when men hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.

23"Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.
24"But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.
25Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26Woe to you when all men speak well of you,
for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.

Luke 6:20-26

Treasures

A co-worker of mine watched her house be ruined by a fire yesterday. Since she lives down the street from our school, many of us watched as well. My heart breaks for her and her family. I can't help but think of the many blessings in the midst of this situation- no one was home, the dog is fine, parents were arriving to pick up their children so they saw the smoke and called 911. There is so much pain, but also so much to be thankful for.

This has been on my heart since it happened. I am asking myself how I would feel if I lost everything I own. My wedding album, my computer, my clothes, everything. I am reminded how easy it is to replace things, and even if some things can not be replaced (wedding album etc.) it's OK. Because this life is short, and as another co-worker said, "The most important things in life are not things at all." Please join me in praying for peace for this sweet family.

Matthew 6:19-21

19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Joy

Sometimes I find that I stop myself from experiencing joy because I am afraid something won't work out, I will be disappointed, etc. The fact is, though, that by not experiencing joy, even for a brief time, I am not fully allowing myself to understand the blessings God has been so loving to give me. So here goes, bring on the joy!


Job 15:11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Least of These

Whenever I read Katie's blog I find myself amazed at her heart and obedience. I also find myself a bit jealous. "Why can't I be given those same opportunities to blindy follow the Lord with all I am?" I wonder. Or I think, "Well of course she can be so obedient. Look where she lives! Look what she is faced with!" I find myself wishing I could care for/give to Jesus (the orphan) or Jesus (the widow) or Jesus (the sick) and Jesus (the poor) like she can.

Well, you can probably tell where I am going with this...

It hit me today like a ton of bricks. As I was driving to work I suddenly realized, I can care for Jesus (the special needs child) just like Katie cares for who she cares for. I can serve Jesus (the homeless) or Jesus (the lonely neighbor) or Jesus (the co-worker)! How am I any different or at any disadvantage because of where I live or because of who is in front of my face on a daily basis? I can be just as obedient here as she is in Africa. It is my choice. I can not get in the habit of limiting myself because I don't feel like I am in the right situation. I am in the exact situation God wants me in, surrounded by the exact people the Lord wants me to be surrounded by. There is no excuse. I just need to be obedient to this:


40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Matthew 25:31-46

Distracted

I so easily fall into the comforts, routines and everyday happenings in life. I am so easily distracted. I so easily go one day, two days, three, without reading my Bible and meditating on how to apply it to my life and praying for it to change my heart. Why do I do this? How can I so easily forget the promises, the hope I have in Christ alone? He is all that matters. So I pick up my Bible and read it once again. I never regret the time I spend in His word and in His presence. I can't say the same for watching TV, surfing the internet and so on. Thankfully the Holy Spirit nudges me and reminds me of who I am living for!

Spoiled

She might be a little spoiled...

Answers

I am completely and totally touched by reading this post from an adoptive mother of 6 orphans from Ethiopia. I am spurred on to action. Sometimes answers to prayer come in the form of just reading scripture instead of just sitting around waiting for an answer. God answers prayer in many ways, but He's not going to e-mail me to say, "This is what I want you to spend your life doing." Or, "This is my will for you." Sometimes just reading scripture like this passage...

Matthew 25:44-46

44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

...can be all the answer I will ever need. Here is the post that has so greatly impacted me tonight:
http://blessingsfromethiopia.blogspot.com/2009/06/i-wish-i-could-tell-you.html

Jesus is Coming Back!

Jesus is coming back!!!!

Wow... have you ever stopped to think about meeting Him face to face? I had the opportunity, no, the gift, of taking the time to stop and truly imagine being in the presence of God this past week. It makes everything else in life seem so trivial. I immediately became anxious at the thought of meeting the Lord face to face. I hated that I felt anxious, but I really did. I think the anxiety comes from knowing His word and His commands, and living differently. I think it comes from my disobedience and flat out just being lukewarm. Since I know I am not living my life as He commands, I become anxious. I have doubts. Satan creeps in and then it's just a mess. But when I open His Word, read His promises and seek Him once again, the doubts, fears and anxieties melt away. Peace takes over. Hope remains.

Jesus is coming back!!!!

I should be excited for this! This is what I am supposed to be living for! But again, fear creeps in. Fear of the unknown, fear of those I love being left behind, fear of not having done enough or believed enough or anythinged enough.

I know He is coming. I know Heaven will be the most amazing, incomparable place that I am not even capable of imagining. I know I am an "alien" on this earth and my true home is not here. It is with Him. My Savior, my Lord, my Redeemer.

If you have never done so before, I encourage you to take a few moments and imagine you are at the end of your life (which any of us could be at any second) or that Jesus is coming back (which He could be at any second). How do you feel when you think of leaving this temporary life and being suddenly in the presence of God? Wow... Does it make you think any differently of your priorities? Goals? Money? Time? If you do not believe in Him, does it make you worry about what will happen when that day comes?

So many thoughts... it is time for bed... so with a heavy and hopeful heart I will leave you with one last thought: Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Him. All my love...

Entangled

"No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier."

2 Timothy 2:4

I get so easily entangled in this life. I care way too much about things I should not care about.

I am ashamed to tell you the cost of some of my jeans, so I won't.

Life can bring so much joy, but I can not forget I will face God someday, at the time of His choosing. If I am truly a "soldier" for Christ, my life should be a walking, talking reflection of that.

I love that God is teaching me so much right now!

Good

I might make you think I love the beach and that is why I changed my blog background to this peaceful scene. While this is true, it is not the only reason. I changed it because this peaceful scene of this peaceful beach is how I am feeling right now; peaceful.

I have learned so much in such a short amount of time. God really knows what He is doing. I have learned that God is good, no matter what my circumstances. He is good even though I had a miscarriage. He is good even if we take in a foster baby, love him/her, and have to give them back. He is good when we are hurting and He is good when we are laughing. He is good when my co-worker just lost her husband. He is good when another co-worker's daughter was just critically injured. He is good no matter what.

Many of you already figured this out for yourselves so you might be thinking, "Of course! We already knew that! What took you so long to figure it out?" Well, some of us are slow learners and God has to work with us a little more before we finally get it.

I am at peace because He loves me, I know Him, and He is good.

My Classroom In Pictures- January

It's a New Year

I'm not one of those people who says, "I am so glad this year is over" or "Next year has to be better than this one was!" But if I was a person to say such things, it might be about 09. I admit, the pain of personal loss, family issues and more have clouded my view of the blessings of 2009. Randy woke up next to me this morning and said, "Wasn't it such a great year?" I couldn't believe it! I rattled off my list of why this year was one of the hardest yet. But when he told me how he got to wake up next to me for the last 365 days, how God provided us with a home, and how we are blessed beyond measure by our loving Creator, I softened. I started remembering how we were able to buy a trailer and take many trips, strengthening our bonds with family and friends. I started remembering how we have a Bible study in our home each week with our wonderful new friends. I started remembering how much joy God has given me through these trials. I began realizing how each day is a gift. We just experienced 365 of them. Good or bad, easy or difficult, we had the opportunity to experience them. Since this life is nothing but a dust, a vapor, I am now more grateful for those days than I ever thought possible.

A fresh start to a new year can be cleansing and exciting. I look forward to the ups and downs of this next year. I look forward to where God leads us and the changes that are to come. I look forward to savoring each day and remembering how it is ALL ABOUT HIM! Here are some of my goals for the upcoming year:

1) Be faithful in prayer, scripture reading, serving and seeking
2) Be intentional about developing relationships with neighbors
3) Keep an eternal perspective
4) Spend less and save more for next year to possibly work part-time or stay home with our foster child(ren)
5) Remember that no matter how 2010 pans out, I am incredibly blessed to have a loving Savior who is coming back one day!
6) Keep blogging about it all... I have now been blogging for a whole year! :)

So that's about it. There's nothing like coming full cirlce... Happy New Year!