Monday, December 22, 2008

Where has December gone??

December is inevitably busy and chaotic, but yikes!  I have posted a few pictures (scroll down past this entry) to try to capture some of our activities that have taken place in the last few weeks.  While it's always sort of sad to see the holidays come and go, there is something to be said for getting back to "normal".

I personally have had a very blessed month and I have put off writing about it because I am not quite sure how to capture it in words, so here goes my attempt...  

Despite our delayed departure date, the farewell parties went ahead as planned.  It began with a party hosted by Kristy, my best friend since fourth grade.  It was a girls only night and I still feel a bit overwhelmed when I think about the fact that so many women that I love and cherish were gathered together in one place at one time.  I am not sure what we laughed at more...the embarrassing stories of my youth or Kristy trying to read Chinese words during our trivia game (which I won by the way!)  It was a beautiful night from start to finish and I have found myself thinking that women should take turns having parties for each other.  Just a party to appreciate friendship and share memories - there is truly nothing like it.  Thank you Kristy and all the gals who celebrated with me!

The next celebration came in the form of a holiday/going away party hosted by my fellow teacher and dear friend Tammy.  This was for the Humphrey staff and it was truly a gift.  Not only was I given a box full of recipes, but they also presented me with a journal full of letters written by my beloved friends at Humphrey.  It was a great night!  Again it makes me think that we should take time more often to share how much our lives are impacted by each other.  I am so grateful to have been a part of the Humphrey staff - thanks to all of you for your support and friendship!

And so, as Christmas quickly approaches, I find myself somewhat glad that we are not taking off on January 3rd.  I am able to enjoy the holiday and the time with family and friends.  Maybe God needed to slow things down a bit for me so I could take it all in...whatever the case may be, I will celebrate relationships and be thankful for blessings big and small.

Merry Christmas to you!

It's been a busy December!

We went to the Fab 68 picnic at Desert Breeze park - we froze a bit but the girls had a great time!

Ah yes, to be a first grader!  We got a collective "kick" out of the missing teeth epidemic at Emma's Winter Concert at school...
The girls visited with Santa at Bass Pro Shop this year.   This is the first year that I haven't had to be in the picture - the girls were all smiles without me!
Erin celebrated her 4th birthday at Organ Stop Pizza with our family and friends.  My mom is the cake decorator in case you are wondering...
We had Christmas with the Fendrick side and the girls got to have some fun with cousin Jacob.
Here are the cutie pie cousins at the Risen Savior preschool performance.

Happy Birthday Jesus!  


Monday, December 1, 2008

Did we say January...???

Well, I resigned from my teaching position, the movers were scheduled, and our plane tickets were purchased...January 3rd was to be our grand exit...alas, it is not so! Michael received the "official" word today that our move has been pushed to mid-March. Yes, you read that correctly - we will be hanging around for an extra couple of months. There are mixed emotions as you can well imagine. I am grateful for extra time of course, but the uncertainty (because does March actually mean March? or will that turn into June or July?) is truly a test of faith and flexibility.

Mike and I have reveled in our individual and joint pity parties and have come to this conclusion: We cannot change what we do not contol. Our family is healthy, we have our home, we have one stable income, and countless other blessings - we will keep our sense of humor and our appreciation for all that is right in our lives.

Stay tuned...more to come!