2012 in Review

What a year!

It was so good, I just had to live it, instead of blogging about it. (That is my story, and I'm sticking to it!)

Over the spring, I worked 2 jobs. 3 days a week I was a nanny and the other 2 work days, I worked at a fabric store. I loved every minute. I have discovered that I enjoy customer service type jobs, anything that lets me relate to, and interact with, the public. I guess that shouldn't be much of a surprise since I am such a people person. :) I loved it, and my boss was happy with my work, so I guess we were all happy. Oh! And I made some awesome friends there, too.

In June, we found out the happy, and long anticipated fact that we were headed toward becoming a family. Needless to say, life has never been the same since. And, something tells me it only gets crazier.

Over summer break, I nannied, up to 6 kids, several days a week. That would've been fine and dandy, except I was in the throes of morning sickness. Thankfully, my boss was very understanding and managed to let me come in late several mornings.

In August we had to move out of the place we had been living. Because we were planning to move to Texas, we couldn't rent another place that had a minimum stay lease agreement. The title: the traveling bride, once again, is/was very fitting. We stayed with friends and family while Caleb fulfilled a work commitment in Grand Junction.

Thanksgiving weekend, we moved to Texas. Some amazing friends are letting us crash at their place. It started out to be just for a few weeks, until we found a place. Well, we found a place, but it needs quite a bit of TLC. As I type this, Caleb is out there working in the dark on it. The goal was to be able to move in by the 1st of the year. It looks like it might be another week or 2 before that is possible.

Right now, most of our stuff is packed in a trailer. I can't wait until we are moved in and can unpack it and pull out all baby clothes and wash them. That will be so much fun and one more step to being closer to being ready for the baby. The 1st room we are wanting to remodel is the baby's room. Yay!! :)

This fall, Caleb lost both of his grandparents on his mom's side and I lost my great-grandpa. His grandpa passed while we were still in Grand Junction. My great-grandpa passed while we were there as well, but we were able to drive out to California for that. Caleb's grandma passed after we were down here, actually shortly after we got here. I had just driven the car down from Colorado and did not feel up to another road trip so soon, so Caleb ended up just flying up by himself. He also got to work another week at his old job, which was nice.

We spent the holidays with my family and enjoyed every minute of it.

This year, there have been many people who have blessed us in numerous ways. Thank you, to each of you. You know who you are! We couldn't have made it through this year as well as we did, if it wasn't for you.

Today marks week 33. This is only the second time my whole pregnancy that I lost track and had to go back and count. I think I told several people over the weekend that i was gonna be 32 weeks. Lol! About 7 more weeks to go. Yes!! 

 

I was gonna do a letter to send with our new year cards, but I ran out of time. So instead, I got them in the mail and did a blog post. :)

 

Hope y'all had a wonderful holiday season. Here's to 2013! Happy New Year!!

 

 

My evening and deep thoughts

Tonight, after an awesome evening of fellowship, good food and games at our pastor's house, Caleb and I went to a job he wanted to finish this week and sprayed primer. I got to help! A first for me. I've never sprayed paint or anything. It was a totally cool experience! Right now its all over me. Lol!

Now on to deeper things.
Lately I've been doing some thinking. I am in a very unique stage in life. I am not a young single woman, nor am I an experienced wife and mother. Sometimes it feels like I'm suspended between those two. Most of my friends are single. The ones that aren't, like me, are too busy adjusting to this new life to connect much. Then there are my married friends, that are already moms. I've always tried to relate to everyone, but lately it seems like its gotten harder.
Right now, I am changing and evolving. Its something that happens to every newly married person. You change. It happens. You adopt some of their habits and they adopt some of yours. You come from two different cultures created by your parents. They know what to expect from their culture and you know what to expect from yours. Then the two come together in your home and the two of you have to search and figure out what from each culture will work in your home. This is the stage of life I'm in. Its a good stage. I love it. It means change and accepting that.
Sometimes I have a hard time being comfortable around my old friends. I still love them all dearly and miss them more than words can express, but wonder if when I'm around them they think I'm strange. I am not the single girl they knew. I am now a married woman, but am still an adventuresome girl on the inside. Can they understand this?
I want to connect with people and have friends. I am very much a social person, I thrive around others. I am content with where I am at in life, where God has me. But sometimes I wonder, "Have all the changes been for the better? Is God still the most important thing to me? Do I really serve my husband the way God wants me to? Would my parents be proud of the home we are creating for their grandchildren? Have I loosened my standards or is my relationship with God stronger?" So many things, and so much more. These things are important to me. I love the person God is making me to be with Caleb. But am I truly allowing Him to shape me or do I unconsciously rebel and do things my way? I want to serve Him and my husband with all my heart. But sometimes I feel like I don't know how to without myself getting in the way.
I know this is a very long, rambling, confusing post and probably boring, especially if you have never been in this stage of life. I must be way over tired because I cried a lot writing this post. Maybe that what you get when you stay up with your husband at work because you hate to go home by yourself. It is now almost 5 am so I will say adieu and I hope y'all have a great rest of your weekend :)