A decade in review

It literally just occurred to me that this "New Year" is sorta special... it's marks the last year of a decade!! Thanks to Capturing Life's Moments for pointing that out!



These past 9 yrs. have sure been wonderful and full of blessings! A trip down memory lane:



2000 - In Jan., as a barely 16 yr. old, I left California and went to Bible college in Northwest Indiana. I arrived in sandals and a sun dress in the middle of a blizzard and below zero temperatures. My kind friends thought of how unprepared I would surely be and brought along a hideously ugly over sized coat and a pair of too small boats. I loved them!! The run down old car they had borrowed to pick me up from the airport broke down in South Chicago. I was thrilled to be there. Although difficult and full of obstacles, for the most part, I loved college and was incredibly grateful to be there. Hyles Anderson College was an extremely good thing for me. This was also the year that I met Seth and we begin dating at the very end of the year. Can I get an "Amen!"??



2001 - One of these days I'll share the whole messy romance with you. For now, the timeline: Feb. 01, Seth and I break up. Dec. 01, we begin dating again. And haven't stopped since.



2002 - Class, class, class, chapel, class, work, sleep. Somewhere in there, drool over my boyfriend.



2003 - Seth and I get engaged. I begin one of the hardest tasks ever: student teaching. Somehow, me and the first graders survive.



2004 - College Graduation in May. Wonderful, relieved, ate at Cracker Barrel. So happy to see my home pastor and pastor's wife at my graduation. Married my beloved in June. Sunny day, so excited, just wanted to kiss my man! Moved to NY and began a new life in July. My mother is still not sure how managed to raise an assistant pastor's wife. It's downright bananas.



2005 - 5 months into my pregnancy with our first baby girl, Grace goes to Heaven in May. My second baby miscarried in Oct. on my 21st birthday. A very trying year.



2006 - A difficult pregnancy resulting in our beautiful, healthy Madison. Seth and I were completely thrilled to have her.



2007 - We enjoy our Maddie, and working with the youth group. For the first half of the year I bring Maddie to school with me to play while I teach. For second half, I leave her with my sister in law. I hated that (not that she wasn't in perfectly capable hands... there are few others I would have left her with for 15 hr.s a week.)



2008 - We welcome Eden Grace in our lives in May!!! She is a dream baby. I stop teaching and will never again leave my girls for that amount of time while they are this young, no matter how badly the school needs teachers.



2009 - We help remodel the church building, had a busy summer with youth group, and saw wonderful growth in the church! Our girls grew, and Seth and I are happier together than ever.



2010 - We are excited to see what God has for us!!