It's been 2 1/2 years (I think) since I last blogged... and so much has happened in that time! In May of 2011 I took a leap of faith and changed jobs. I went from being a Cardiac Nurse to a Postpartum Nurse... and it's a choice I will never regret! My job brings me such joy and less stress then my last job, and the people I work with are AMAZING! I hope to be that nurse that has been on her unit for 40 years!
In April of 2012 we welcomed Gabriel Joel into our family! Yes, we are now a family of 5 and we are crazy and busy and enjoying every moment of it!! Gabe came on the day of his scheduled C-section... but at his own time :) We dropped the kids off at Grandma and Grandpa's on the 19th and Josh and I went out on one last date. Well, contractions started during dinner and just intensified and got closer together within hours. So, at 11:00 that night we headed off to the hospital. Around 2 in the morning, Gabe was born weighing in at 9lbs 1oz and 20 1/4 inches long. He was a laid back baby and not very demanding, which is good because we were very busy with the other two!
Through all of this, Josh and I continued to serve in the grOve (our church's youth group) and grow together as a couple serving God. I actually took the 2012 year off for 2 reasons: my kids and my job. I had taken a new position on my unit that had me working on Wednesdays, and with only Hannah in AWANA and a new baby, it was a commitment I couldn't make 100%. Josh stayed on as a youth sponsor and I supported him and went to some of the activities we had. In May of 2013 we graduated our first class!! After a year off, I felt like God was calling me to head back into the grOve and serve... once again, my job had changed and I am able to make sure I have Wednesdays off. Hannah is in Cubbies, Sam is in Puggles and Gabe is able to go to Nursery... so Wednesday nights are really a family event now!! Being part of the grOve has changed and challenged me in so many ways. Believe it or not, I am not an outgoing person. I am most definitely an introvert and would prefer to stay out my house with my family!! But God is growing me... challenging me weekly through the teens to look outside of myself to serve others for Christ and grow and know him more! It's amazing how God works!!
This past April, for Gabe's 1st birthday and Hannah's 4th birthday, we were given the privilege of going to Disney World for the first time as a family! Oh what fun we had!! I will have to write some of my thoughts and things I learned in another blog. We are taking the plunge and going again in 2014 with just our family. Last trip we went as a group of 12, which was fun and challenging at the same time. This time it is just us 5... Josh and I are on our own and I am really looking forward to it!
And the kids are amazing... each child deserves their own post!! We are daily stretched and challenged as parents to raise the children in a loving and God fearing way... and I feel we fail at this all the time. But I keep pressing forward, knowing God can work in amazing ways! Christmas this year was so much fun with them! They are at the age where they are so thankful for anything they get and do not demand certain toys or gifts from us!! And I also realized that this is the year that they begin to form opinions about what Christmas is about... and that is overwhelming! I'm sure I don't always keep that in perspective! Thanks to Disney, Hannah thinks Christmas is about Friends & Family... and although I don't want her to think it is about just presents, I do want her to know that Christmas is about the greatest gift... JESUS!! I want her to know that he came from heaven to earth to die for our sins!! Pray with me that her heart will be open to the gospel and that she will realize her need for a Savior!!! I pray that for all of my children, but I really feel like she is coming to that time of understanding.
So, 2014 is one day away!! I'm not making a goal about blogging... I won't keep to it! I'm not really making any goals... because I won't keep them. I'm just praying this year... praying that God will give me a heart more like Jesus and that I will grow closer to him every day of this year. That is my only New Years Resolution... to be more like Jesus!!
Goodbye 2013... It's been an AWESOME YEAR!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment