* We started 2014 with an approved home study and hope that this would be the year we became parents or at least matched with a birthmom.
* The year started off with a bang as we were matched with an amazing birthmom in late February. Even better was that she was due in 2 short months. The next couple months were a blur and on April 21 at 2:38pm we become parents to the most beautiful baby boy!
* I keep trying to replay the rest of the year to see what happened but not much comes to mind because nothing will be as awesome as becoming a mom.
* I got to quit working. Very scary move but very exciting also.
* Donny's parents come out in early May to meet their new grandson. It was really nice to have them here and my mother in law was such a big help. She cooked and did laundry non stop!
* Time passed quickly and was marked by how many weeks old Q was. I cried when he turned 6 months old. I didn't expect that but things had moved so fast and I just couldn't believe he was so old. I cried again when he turned 8 months old realizing that his first birthday would be here in no time.
* We celebrated 8 years of marriage, I turned 32 and Donny turned 33.
* Q's adoption was finalized in November and my sister Tammera surprised us by coming out for a short weekend to be at the court hearing. Words will never express how special that was to me. I love you T!
* Donny's mom, dad, and sister came out from Wisconsin for Christmas and spent a week with us.
* We celebrated Q's first Christmas!
* Quinten got his first and second cold this year, the second one coming on Christmas night about 2am.
* We started planning our first family vacation and had to get passports. Q has the cutest passport photo I've ever seen!
Mostly my year was spent struggling as a new mom. I don't mean this negatively. It's just difficult being a first time mom. Even more difficult when you have a high needs baby that cries and screams a lot. I'd like to say I've grown a lot this year, I think I have. I've learned so much about unconditional love and what that means for my spiritual life, I've learned about sacrifice, the blessing of a long shower, the beauty of a full 8 hours of sleep, the need for coffee in the morning and 3pm. I've been made aware of shortcomings I didn't know I had, I've fallen more in love with my husband everyday, I have a new appreciation for getting the laundry folded and put away. I've realized how much I took for granted before having a kid, I've seen simple things through new eyes, I've cried more days then I'd like to admit, and I've gotten up each day to do it all over again.
There are so many things that will happen in 2015. Q will learn to walk and talk, we will take our first family vacation, Q will celebrate his first Valentine's day, his first St. Patrick's day, his first Easter and his first birthday. Donny's parents are coming for a visit in May. We will celebrate 9 years of marriage. I will turn 33 and Donny will turn 34. Quinten will have his second Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. And hopefully God will allow us to start a second adoption.
I don't make resolutions but there are a few things that I plan to work on this year, some I've already started trying to change.
* I want to have more patience with my wonderful but difficult boy.
* I want to be better at taking care of our finances.
* I want to have time with God which means that I need to learn to make this a priority.
* I want my relationship with God to grow, I want to understand Him better, I want to love more like He does and less like I do.
* I want to find joy everyday because I tend to focus only on the negative.
* I want to be a better house keeper, to be more organized, and to cook more for Donny.
* I want to serve Donny better. I want to anticipate his needs better so that when he gets home from working 2 jobs he doesn't have to worry about getting things done around here, he can just spend time connecting with Q and I.
* I want to be more flexible with our home in the area of how it looks. I tend to worry about the house a lot and feel like I'm failing when nothing gets done all day because its been a hard day with Q. This year on the days that the sink is full of dishes, dog hair is all over the floor, and all the laundry is dirty, I want to not worry about it. I don't want it to bother me all day and night. Instead I want to focus on the fact that I took care of my main priority which is raising Quinten, teaching him, and loving him.
I don't know if anything can top this last year we've had but hopefully 2015 will be just as awesome!
Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As your mom, it is such a privilege to watch you grow more into the likeness of Christ. God often uses our children to bring us to our knees and now I see your child doing for you what you did for me! ;) I count you not only as a daughter but also a friend and sister in Christ. You are a pleasure! I look forward to all that God will do in you and I am so grateful for your commitment to respond to His call on your life.
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