New Years Recap

I haven't posted anything about New Years yet although I have been giving it a lot of thought. Chris and I didn't have any big plans for New Year's Eve. I am sure that really shocks many of you (not!). We let the boys stay up and Chris played video games with them until about 11.45. Then they came downstairs and climbed in bed with me. As we watched Dick Clark's Rocking Eve, I had a fleeting thought of is this what New Year's has come to and then as the clock struck midnight, the ball started to drop and I leaned over and kissed my baby boys, I thought, yeah, this is precisely what New Year's has come to. And I was overwhelmed with love and gratitude. I truly didn't want it any other way.

At midnight Chris and I were ready to call it a night and the boys thought the party should rage on. Ethan's comment was "if you really want this to be a party, we need to make some popcorn." It's the simple things. Really.

2010 was a wonderful year for our family and I know 2011 holds great things for us too. Here are a few significant things from 2010:

• Owen turned 4 and is rapidly approaching 5.
• Owen broke his left tibia.
  
• Ethan turned 6 and is growing straight up like a beanstalk.
• Eliza turned 1! You would think by the third child that turning 1 wouldn't be such an accomplishment but I maintain, the first birthday is more of a celebration of mom and dad than baby. We made it!
  
• Ethan started 1st grade and is doing wonderfully.
• Ethan and Chris joined Y Guides and are thoroughly enjoying themselves.
  
• Ethan's reading really took off and he learned how to read to self which he thinks is just amazing.
• Owen started a church preschool program and often I think he has a stronger grasp of Jesus than even Chris or myself.
  
• Eliza learned to walk. Learned a few first words. Learned to climb the stairs.
  
• I turned 37 and staring at 38 as I type.
  
• Chris turned 36 and still loves being younger than me. Loves to tell the boys this too.
• Chris received good reports from his cardiologist and his heart is stronger than ever.
• Here's a biggie! I quit my job and haven't looked back once.
• Chris started a new job and is loving it.
• We celebrated 7 years of marriage and the only 7 year itch we get is for each other. I tell Chris all the time, despite our rocky start, God really knew what he was doing, after all. Imagine that. ;-)

I have thought and thought about new years resolutions too. Things I want to do differently and things that I just want to stay the course. Here are the ones from last year and I think each of them were accomplished, at least to some degree:

• Love deeper.
  
• Listen more. Talk less.
  
• Appreciate my husband more.
  
• Walk closer to God.
• Play with my children more.
• Laugh more.
• Inhale. Exhale. Deeper.
• And of course, the obligatory, lose this baby weight! :-)

Now for this year:

• Love deeper. Still.
• Listen even more. Talk even less.
• Appreciate my husband even more.
• Walk even closer to God.
• Play with my children even more.
• Laugh even more.
• Inhale. Exhale. Deeper. More.
• And continue with the baby weight. :-)

The one thing I am adding is that I want to start volunteering with the boys so I have chosen the Food Bank of Eastern and Central NC. We were supposed to go this past Saturday but Ethan woke up sick so we are going to try again in a couple of weeks. My goal is to go at least once a month. And so far, Ethan is really looking forward to it. I was on the fence about whether or not to take Owen but he heard Ethan and I talking about it and said he could do it too, so why not? We will give it a try.

We had a wonderful sermon yesterday on 1 Peter 3. One thing that stuck out to me was in verse 4:

but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.

So this year, I am going to try to display a gentle and quiet spirit. And for any of you who know my dad's side of the family (mainly my grandma Dottie) you will know a gentle and quiet spirit is not something that has ever come natural. :-)

Cheers to 2011!