Thursday, December 13, 2007

Merry Christmas


Its funny, for some reason it seems with me anyway, that towards the end of the year I really start thinking back over the last year and the events that have taken place and the friends and family that I am blessed to have. I tend to get warm and fuzzy feelings as I make out Christmas cards and maybe get too gushy on some of them. I guess this is the only time of year that I send some people cards in the mail and so I feel like I need to tell them excatly how much they mean to me. This year has brought lots of change in our lives, as you know. We have been truely blessed this year and God has been good to us, as He always is. The biggest change has been Adriana Leigh. She was born Feb.19 and has been a huge blessing. People with children will understand when I say that you can't help but love them more and more everyday. Although there are diffently bad days, it doesn't waver your love for them. I think I fall in love with her more and more everytime she smiles at me, or gives me a "kiss" (just her opening her mouth on my cheek and sticking her tounge out) or gets so excited when I walk into a room. These little things make all the hard times well worth it. Another huge blessing in our lives (which we didn't know at the time) was Ryan taking a new job this year. He was in school to be a fireman, but instead was offered a job with Dr. Vinyl (he repairs interiors of cars). By him having this job I am able to stay at home with Adriana. It is a good job and he really likes it. He is a good provider for our family and would work day and night to make sure his family is taken care of. Another big thing that has happened to us this last year is that we were able to buy a house! Now, granted this meant that we have moved 2 times in one year, but it is well worth it in the end. We are still getting settled and have some painting and other little things to do, but we love it and are so excited to call it ours. If you would have talked to me a year ago, I don't know what I would have told you if you asked me what to expect in the following year, but I could have never imagined all the great things that have taken place in our lives. I never would have thought that I would be staying at home with our child (nor did I even want to, its funny how having a child changes your prespectives on a lot of things). I have lost friendships this year, but I have also gained new friends and have restored some broken friendships from a few years ago. All in all, it has been a WONDERFUL year. I hope that you and your family can say the same. If it's been a hard year, trust me, it will get better. Who knows what 2008 holds, but I hope and pray that we will all have a great year! Merry Christmas!

1 comment:

The Shindels said...

I didn't know Ryan was going to be a fireman!!! Jeremy is doing the same thing! In fact, he starts paramedic school in January. By this time next year, he'll be finishing school and looking for a job. We have so much to catch up on.

I wanted to encourage you that staying home with Adriana is absolutely the best decision you could have made! Despite what our finances say, we've been called to make disciples of the nations...we will have more influence over our children than anyone else in the whole world. What an important job it is to teach them in the ways of the Lord and to provide a restful home for our husbands! I absolutely can't WAIT 'til I get to do that! Again, we have so much to catch up on!

J & I would love to have you guys stay with us if you're ever in St. Louis! We have a couple of guest rooms and it wouldn't cost you a penny (other than the gas to get here!). J said he'd love to meet you and get to you ya'll and I'd love to meet your family!