The Year in Review

Copied and Pasted, (with my own answers added), from Mary's blog.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
looked for ways to serve the Lord instead of myself.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
We had resolved to eat healthier, and for the most part we did, but we also fell off the wagon since I was so tired from being pregnant.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
A high school friend.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.

5. What countries did you visit?
none

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
A direction, a focus and a renewed heart for keeping up with people.

7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
December 13th...our first son was born with the most amazing birth story!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Trusting God to carry me through a hospital birth that I feared so much. Handing ANY outcome over to Him.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Continuing to wish people would just stop being so...HUMAN. Haha. I want to be more forgiving and accepting, like Christ.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
nothing serious

11. What was the best thing you bought?
a van to fit all these kids! lol

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Allan, because he celebrates each new child as if it were the first, loves and cherishes me despite my craziness, is a great friend and has walked closer to the Lord than he ever has and is such a better man for it! (and we're a better family for it, too!)

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
My own. I hate how I can manage to see the negative in everything, but I'm praying on it and the Lord *is* changing me :)

14.Where did most of your money go?
Savings and investments. The bulk of our monthly cash goes toward food. We're total foodies!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
This new mission God has sent us on...it'll be so neat to see it all unfold and we're doing our best, (despite our excitement), to make sure it all unfolds when and how He would have it happen.

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
I'm not sure...I'll have to think on this a while.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
I. happier or sadder?
Happier! We're in a house now...
II. thinner or fatter?
Fatter, but with good enough reason.
III. richer or poorer?
Richer all the way around. Amazing how that works out when we just lounge in God's will...

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
I wish I'd gone on more dates with my husband and had more family nights with my children.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
being on the computer. *sigh*

20. Did you fall in love in 2009?
I fall more in love with Allan and the kids every day. I fell in love with our new church family. I fell more in love with Christ as I learned that our relationship could be more personal.

21. What was your favorite TV program?
We don't have tv.

22.. What was the best book you read?
We started reading Wild at Heart which we both adore!

23. What was your greatest musical discovery?
That Christian music *can* be good and passionate and fun instead of just stiff and forced sounding!

24. What did you want and get?
A church family, a beautiful "new" house, a son!

25.What did you want and NOT get?
to move into my house before May, but it was worth it.

27. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 27 and I don't know what we did...Rhiya was here and we found out I was pregnant, so I know it was a good one!

28 What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Being more faithful in reading my Bible.

29. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
I got to be the cute pregnant lady, FINALLY!!

30. What kept you sane?
Who says I was sane? Having hope in the Lord keeps me "sane."

31. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
none that I can think of.

32. What political issue stirred you the most?
healthcare. We have that lovely gov't insurance and you don't wanna get me started!

33. Who did you miss?
Mary!!! I miss her so much my heart hurts to think about it. My Mom and sisters.

34. Who was the best new person you met?
I'd have to say Mitch and Brandy. They've been awesome to us and we're grateful to have them in our lives. That said, everyone at Crosspoint has been a huge Blessing to us!

35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:
Life is what we choose to see...do we grumble about the rain or praise God for the new life it brings? Do we grumble about the circumstances in our lives or do we choose to wait and see what He makes of them and praise Him for it? Our biggest curse and Blessing is our free will.

36. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"I made you promises a thousand times. I tried to hear from heaven, but I talked the whole time--I think I made you too small. I never feared you at all...I guess I thought that I had figured you out--I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about how you were mighty to save. Those were only empty words on a page, then I caught a glimpse of who you might be. The slightest hint of you brought me down to my knees." -What do I know of Holy by Addison Road

37. The best thing you discovered this year?
that God doesn't just love me, but he LOVES ME! He is crazy about me like I'm crazy about each of my kids. That He is crazy about me whether I deserve it or not. That He wants only good for me and cheers me on when I go to get it.

38. The best thing you lost?
a strong relationship with some people, but I'm hoping God can restructure those relationships into stronger ones if I use Him as a foundation.

39. What are you glad to leave behind from 2009?
Living in our guest house!!

40. What are you looking forward to in 2010?
Again, God's "new" plan for us. I am so excited to see where this leads us! I'm looking forward to being better parents, better spouses, better friends, better everything.