2010

Wow. 2010 is almost over! Its been...well, really long!
Some years fly by, and others drag on, and this was a drag on kinda year.
Probably mostly due to the pregnancy (which felt like an absolute eternity this time!).

Anyways, here is a quick recap of our year (and I won't even pretend that I could remember all this stuff - I totally had to look through my wall calendar cause my brain cells have slowly turned to mush from 7 weeks of sleepless nights and CONSTANT nursing):

~I started the year with lots of time to catch up on reading books. According to my calendar I was returning library books almost every day and crossing off "must-read" books off my list. I haven't read a book in months....sad.
~I started a ministry at church that paired up women in mentoring relationships. God has blessed me beyond belief through this endeavor.
~I planned a surprise party for my sister in law's birthday that pretty much forced her into hating me for a few weeks. It was horrible, but we did pull off the surprise. I would not do it again, due to the mental anguish that it caused her, me, and her hubby - who never hesitated once to throw me under the bus.
~Rich left little love notes hidden for me everyday leading up to Valentines day...which most likely resulted in the addition of another member of our family.....
~In March we experienced the first bout of pneumonia this family has had - complete with chest x rays and all. It was also the same day that I found out I was pregnant. Good times, good times.

~Rich turned 33, and we celebrated 9 years of marriage, and 14 years of being together. Wow...that's a long time!
~Brynn finished up kindergarten, and we started the summer with our first camping trip at the beach. We got rained out, packed up early and came home....also a first.
~The kids, and a slightly awkwardly pregnant me, took swim lessons at the local pool. Brynn finally passed to the next level...although it may have something to do with the fact that she was too old to be in that beginner class....again.
~We spent some time at Clearlake, and had our first adventure at family camp. Both are filled with great memories because of the time we spent with family.
~Brynn and Cannon had their first experience at VBS. I now see why my mom eagerly awaited that each summer. It was great! Kids had fun, I had only 1 kid at home for a few hours each day.....it was a win-win situation!
~We camped two more times before school started again. Summer was wayyyyyyyy too short for my liking.
~Cannon started Preschool, Brynn started 1st grade (I cried the whole day), Cannon received God, and Brynn was baptized..... all in one short week. Tons of tears on my part, I blame the pregnancy.
~Rich and I had the chance for one last weekend away before Nolan was born, and celebrated with a road trip, 2 nights stay in an amazing hotel, and a lot of laughs with friends.
~October was spent in a mad frenzy finishing all my projects, house "updating" and things that I felt were absolutely necessary to do before I gave birth. The nesting instinct is insane. I can't say that enough.
~Then Nolan was born. Life kinda screeched to a halt, and we holed up in our house for a few weeks just enjoying the fact that my pregnancy was over, our son was finally here, and all was well. Precious friends supplied us with food for over a month, and we enjoyed being a family of 6 to the fullest.

~Christmas came and went, and I survived. Even more, all the gifts that didn't get made were easily replaced by store bought items that the recipients loved. We didn't get a picture with Santa...but we did get a picture in a sleigh at our church's "Christmas Town"...

We didn't make it to many holiday events, and we didn't do all the stuff that I normally associate with Christmas, but we did get the opportunity to play Mary and Joseph in the live nativity at church....

It was different this year, but we had fun anyways.

Now its the day before the New Year. I have 4 children safe and cozy in my warm house. 2 of them have runny noses, but we will survive. My hubby is working, and will hopefully get off a little bit early to relieve me of my "motherly" duties. We will enjoy a dinner, put the kids to bed, probably watch some movie, eat popcorn, share a cocktail or something, and fall into bed a few minutes shy of 12am. I will probably be woken up a few minutes later by a hungry 7 week old baby, who loves to snuggle up next to me in the bed and latch on all night long.

What can I say? My life is a little crazy, a little emotional, a little - no, a lot- tiring...but its the season that I am in, and I am embracing it! I complain, I cry, I get frustrated that my house is never clean. But then again, its full of 4 little ones who make every day an adventure, and a husband who still says that I am beautiful (saggy belly skin, extra hips, and a body that has seen better days and all) and tells me he loves me everyday. Its been a long, long, long year, but I have enjoyed it!