2017 has come and gone. Before the memories pass us by, I’ve
complied a list of our favorites for the blog. Above anything else, 2017 was a
year of many changes (both expected and unexpected) for us. Our verse for the
year was Ephesians 4:1-3 - “I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the
calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with
patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the
Spirit in the bond of peace." We had been on hands and knees asking
for direction the year previous, and although we thought we knew what God was
up to, he never ceases to surprise us and direct our steps to places where we
need to rely on him fully. We thought that 2017 would include a time of separation
for our family, but instead, it has brought a move that included us all and
made us a closer family unit than before. We are so grateful.
January –
January brought the tiniest amount of snow in Little Rock, the 100th
day of school for Joshua, and surgery for Micah to get his tonsils and adenoids
removed along with tubes placed in his ears.
February –
February brought the Father/Daughter sweetheart dance,
tonsillectomy complications and a return trip to the hospital for Micah for
emergency surgery to correct the problem, sweet Kirsten reading to Joshua’s
kindergarten class, and Valentine’s Day fun.
March –
March brought the start of the spring soccer season for
Joshua, Micah’s 2nd Birthday, Micah’s new glasses, and celebrating World Down Syndrome Day!
April –
April brought fun spring break activities, the start of
t-ball season for Caleb, Easter, and career week at Caleb’s school. Jeremy and
Caleb look nothing alike in that last one…
May –
May brought a fun Mother/Son night at the ballpark for
Joshua and I, celebrating Kirsten turning 8, packing boxes together as a
family, Micah practicing his standing skills, and end of school activities.
June –
June brought a trip to Grandpa and Grandma’s in Pennsylvania
which never disappoints, celebrating Caleb’s 5th Birthday (he really
does bring the party wherever he goes), and more and more and more boxes.
July –
July brought fun in the sun at Nana and Papa’s house in
Florida, hanging out with cousins, and finding out that we were all moving to
Montgomery, Alabama! It was also a month of many hotel stays, saying goodbye to
fantastic friends that we miss so very much (so, so hard), and moving this
giant truck packed as full as it could go into another state (with the help of
my fantastic In-Laws).
August –
August brought the
first day at the kids’ new schools, Micah practicing his walking skills, and an
impromptu first visit from the tooth fairy for Caleb after a traumatic front tooth
injury.
September –
September brought a fun mini-vacation to Gulf Shores, the
start of fall soccer for Joshua and Caleb and their faithful Saturday morning
fan club, and a very silly Micah man.
October –
October brought the start of homeschooling our oldest after
a rough start at a new school, a fun and rainy visit to the Georgia mountains
for apple picking and hiking, celebrating Joshua’s 7th Birthday at
Lego Land in Atlanta, and of course, Halloween. This year they mostly picked
their own costumes, and we had a knight on his noble steed defending the fairy
princess from the terrifying dragon (or something like that).
November –
November brought homeschool bonding for Kirsten and I, kid
of the week at school for Joshua, and Thanksgiving with some of our favorite
people!
December –
December brought snow to Alabama (we’re still in shock), a
surprise visit from Nana to help out after a bad season of sickness, ice
skating lessons for Kirsten, gingerbread men (a Christmas season must have), a
trip to Grandpa and Grandma’s house for Christmas including even more snow, and
a trip to Boomer, NC at a cabin with my side of the family for more New Years
fun.
Not included in the pictures is the flu that struck three out of four kiddos at the tail end of our trip, the stop in Little Rock for doctor’s appointments (Micah is still seeing the majority of his specialty doctors in LR), or the broken heat when we got back to Alabama. We really know how to end a year! That said, January has started pleasantly with a fixed
heater and a toasty house to enjoy even more Alabama snowfall! Our lives can
certainly be chaotic with four small kiddos, special needs, and a military
career, but it can also be a ton of fun. We are also immensely grateful for the
help that our families provide! Hillary wasn’t wrong when she said that it
takes a village!
We always try to find a verse to pray throughout our year,
and this years verse is 2 Peter 3:9 – “The Lord is not slow to fulfill His
promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any
should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” Although this verse is
specifically talking about the return of Jesus Christ, it struck us deep about
trusting God’s timing. Like I said at the beginning of this blog, we thought that
we knew what God’s plan was for 2017. We bought acres of land that we hoped to
build on in Arkansas, and I planned to start a business. Those dreams were ones
that we felt sure of God’s leading on, and it’s not easy for me to be patient
as God directs our lives in other ways before seeing those dreams come to
fruition. But I know that God is good and does everything for his glory and our
good. We trust that his timing is the best timing and his plans are the best
plans. This verse is such a good reminder! In the meantime, we are enjoying our
year in Alabama, being together as a family, homeschooling a kiddo, and are looking
forward to what our next steps will be in 2018!
