Alas, 2011 was still not the year that all my Christmas card hopes and dreams came true. I am still wishing.
It was still a great year, and I can't help but count my blessings when I think about how our family has changed. Obviously the biggest physical change was my joining Weight Watchers and subsequently roping my husband into it and losing over 90 pounds together.
Lydia turned one in April and is an absolute joy ... when she's not driving me nuts. She's coming up on terrible twos and with her solid stubborn streak, I am NOT looking forward to butting heads with her. BUT ... she is learning so fast and it's fun to watch her pick up on things. She loves stuffed animals and dolls, and has a posse of little friends that she carries all over the house. She loves jabbering away on the "phone" to "grandma", giggling, talking about her dolls and stuffed animals and just saying a bunch of jibberish which is apparently what I must sound like to her. She also adores music and works conscientiously to memorize any song I sing to her. She knows the tune and most of the words to the Cleanup Song, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Old MacDonald, Row, Row, Row Your Boat, and ABCs. I recently started giving her bubble baths and those have been a HUGE hit.
Some other notable things we did in 2011:
- Built storage shelves in our basement
- Painted our living room :)
- Cancelled our cable TV (nothing on anyways)
- Went to visit family in Savannah, GA over Labor Day weekend and Thanksgiving
- (Lydia and I) Went to New York in September to visit my parents and extended family
- Ben got called as a Seminary Teacher (up at 5:30am Mon-Fri!!)
- I got called as Primary President (a week later)
- Ben got laid off from his job and has decided to switch to a career in IT. Currently re-training.
As difficult as unemployment is (even when it's expected), I am so grateful for the blessings that have come from it. I knew when Ben and I were asked to do these callings, that something was coming down the pipeline, and that the Lord was asking us to serve Him so He could bless us. Yes there have been temporal blessings, but the blessings I treasure the most are the blessings of faith. Nothing is sweeter than seeing your family come closer to God, despite (or more likely as a direct result of) the trials you face and the burdens you are asked to carry.
While by some standards 2011 was a difficult year, to me it is purely sweet and I embrace every moment of it with unfailing gratitude.
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