Once again I am sadly behind on posting updates about our life. I guess living it takes precedence over writing about it these days. My most favorite time of year has come and is passing by - the Christmas season. It has been a wonderful time in Michigan with our families, and we hope to catch up with a few friends as well. We arrived last week Wednesday and will be staying until New Year's Eve, at which time we will high-tail it home, so I can fall asleep on the couch before the ball drops. We enjoyed a very white Christmas amidst all of our holiday fun and festivities, since when we arrived here there was just about 3 feet of snow. Of course, once we planned on taking Jeran sledding for the first time (I know - 3 1/2 and first sledding; it's a sad commentary on our parenting and lack of outdoorsy gumption) it rained and rained and depleted the supply. However, he's perfectly happy tromping through puddles in his new boots and got to hit the library with Nana that day instead, so I guess there's no long-term trauma involved.
My thoughts are turning to the new year and wondering what lies ahead in it. One thing I have finally gotten through my thick skull in 2008 is that there are no guarantees in life. One day can change drastically what happens in subsequent ones. I have seen that through illness, death, and various other traumas as well as great joys, experienced by people in my life this past year. At the risk of sounding too blase' about it, it is with a grateful heart that I acknowledge God's blessing over my family and the overwhelming presence of joys as opposed to traumas. However, I recognize this doesn't guarantee smooth sailing in 2009. One day at a time, though. What are my hopes for '09? Always at number 1 is to grow in my relationship with the Lord. I feel He is breaking new ground in me as the year closes out and pray that that continues on in the new year. I hope for a healthy baby come May (I'd love a girl, Lord, but I won't push my luck here), a potty-trained 4 year old when March 17 rolls around, and continued closeness in my marriage (not necessarily in that order). I'd love to fast-forward through the year and know for sure where we'll be city and job-wise. It's been rattling around in our brains and hearts the last couple of years to be closer to family. It would be incredibly hard to leave behind our life in Illinois as well, though, so we'll see what answer God provides in that sphere. Another hope I have is to curb my addiction to junk food and abhorrence of physical activity. If I could hire a personal trainer and nutritionist that would really help. Guess I forgot to put that on my Christmas list. In short, living each day to the fullest, praising God in all circumstances.
In other news, this pregnancy has taken a turn on me in the last week. On top of various digestive issues (which, in all fairness, should also be attributed to some sort of bug passing through as James and my mom have also ended up with it - or maybe that's sympathy gastrointestinal problems?) I find myself much more fatigued. I also feel, wrongly so due to my actual size (pics to come, eventually), more cumbersome and clumsy. Getting down on the floor with the boys is a feat but nothing compared to getting back up. And praise the Lord I do not have stairs in my home. The motivation and energy I've had to muster up each time I've had to climb stairs here at my mom and dad's would probably make a 90-year-old on oxygen shake their head in disgust with me. Perhaps this all speaks to my sad lack of physical in-shapeness more than anything else. I've been struggling more with catching my breath too, in any situation, particularly when I have to stand for long periods of time. I had this annoyance with both of my other pregnancies as well and have been told by the doctor it probably has to do with where my uterus and the placenta are; they may be infringing upon my diaphragm's freedom to move. My other wierd thing in both other pregnancies was an obsession with ice-crunching, so I'm waiting for that one to hit. When I was pregnant with Ben, even my fifth graders and their parents started commenting on my ice-eating quirk, so it's a pretty prominent affliction unfortunately. I guess there are worse cravings I could have.
More news and pics to come in coming days. My other hope for 2009 is to be more consistent with the blog and especially with photos. One day at a time...
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