Looking Back and Thinking Ahead

Several of my Bloggy friends have recently given recaps of their lives in 2008. At first I wasn't going to, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to do it. I think in some ways it will wrap up the year for me and help me be more ready to move forward into 2009. I also think it will be an excellent way to remember some of the many ways God has blessed us this year. So here goes!

January was a fairly uneventful month. We did our usual activities: playing that the nursing home, participating in church activities, and getting together with friends. Little Man turned four months old in January. His big milestones this month were rolling over, learning to reach for toys, saying "Mama", and trying rice cereal for the first time.

In February we took a road trip to Chelan, WA to visit some dear friends and to meet their two-week old little son. We also began looking at houses to buy. Almost two weeks after looking at the first one, we made an offer on it. Things moved fast! Little Man went to his first basket ball game ever at the local college as well as beginning to seriously eat solid foods like pureed squash.

In March we closed on our house and moved from our apartment the Saturday before Easter. I was SO excited to have my own washer and drier! My husband packed a lot of work into the two weeks between buying the house and moving in. He is such a diligent and skilled worker. Little Man's major milestone in March was sitting up by himself.

April started out with my husband's parents giving us a visit. Later in the month, his sister came to see us too. Little Man had a big month. He got to swing at the park for the first time, he said "Dada" and "up", he waved "by-by" for the first time, and he got two teeth!

May had more unusual activities as we went out East for a funeral of one of my husband's family members. We stayed a couple of nights with his brother and sister-in-law in their lovely New Jersey home then drove though New York (I was excited since it was my first time ever being there, even though we didn't have time to do tourist stuff) to Connecticut where most of the extended family live. Little Man got to meet aunts and uncles, great aunts and uncles (and great-great aunts), second cousins, great-grandmothers, and so on. He was as good as gold and charmed everyone. A couple of other milestones in his life were pulling himself up, learning to feed himself cheerios, saying "thank you" and "ducky", and walking with help.

June was another busy month as we had the wonderful opportunity to have one of my childhood friends from Brazil stay with us for a week. We had such fun taking her on a day trip to Yellowstone (she was fascinated by the geysers), going on a day trip on horseback up to a mountain lake (some friends from church guided us and provided the horses and gear), and staying up late talking. We also made another trip to Chelan, WA, where we played wedding music for the above mentioned friends' little sister's wedding. Little Man had some exciting firsts with going to Yellowstone and riding a horse with me (he was in his baby pack). He also learned how to crawl and get himself into a sitting position. In June I started going to the local farmer's market/craft fair to sell cards and other crafty things. I continued going every Saturday though July and August.

In July we celebrated my husband's birthday. It was another fairly uneventful month with the exception that Little Man stood alone for the first time and got his third and fourth teeth.

In August we went on a lovely camping trip in the Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks to celebrate our two year anniversary. We enjoyed hiking, admiring scenery, taking freezing cold dips in mountain lakes, and taking lots of photos. My dad's dad visited and got to meet Little Man. Little Man's biggest milestone was taking his first step.

September's biggest event was Little Man's first birthday. His grandparents and Aunt came to visit, and we had a joint celebration for him and his friend who was born two minutes after he was. It was so much fun seeing them interact as they opened presents and messily ate cake. In September these same friends had their little girl, and it was fun to go visit them in the hospital. In addition to his birthday, Little Man had a lot of big happenings in September. He got three more teeth, he started signing "more", and he started playing peek-a-boo. I am so thankful for my Little Man, for the joys and challenges he brings as I teach him and watch him grow. Oh, and I started blogging in September.

In October I had my birthday. I was excited to be able to make tomato soup from tomatoes that I harvested from my own garden! I also made apple butter and canned peaches. We had our first snow of the year on the 10th. October was another not-too-eventful month.

In November, I voted, of course. It was actually the first time I have gotten to vote because of how my age falls with the election years. We celebrated Thanksgiving at our house. We enjoyed having my parents over. Little Man really took off with walking, started getting his molars, and got his first hair cut.

We started December by going to Utah to get together for an early Christmas celebration with my husband's family. We had a lovely time. We celebrated Christmas day with my family. The biggest excitement in December was finding out that I am expecting again and that Baby #2 will be arriving sometime in August. And now we are getting ready to ring in the new year with our friends (the ones whose son shares a birthday with Little Man).

I am so thankful for this year: for the learning and growth that I have had as I strive to be a better wife and mother, for the special friendships that I had the opportunity to build on, for the priceless memories from trips and other "extra" that I will treasure.

Here are some things I am looking forward to in the next year:
~Maybe taking a trip to Oregon.
~Having Baby join us in August.
~Feeling Baby move for the first time.
~Enjoying time with my husband.
~Watching Little Man continue to grow and develop.
~Teaching him and enjoying him every day.
~Finishing (and starting) projects. ; )
~Trying doing craft fairs instead of the farmer's market.
~Trying some new recipes.
~Growing in peace and wisdom as I seek to walk with God.

But I'm not counting on making too many plans yet. "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.' Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." (James 4:13, 14)

Here is what I am counting on: "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6

I'm looking forward to seeing what God brings next year.