Today is the last day of 2009 and with that comes the desire to take a moment to reflect back on the treasured events of this past year.  We are thankful for the Lord’s many blessings!  He is always so faithful to provide for our needs and bless us with delights along the way.  Even the difficult times are a blessing from Him, since they cause us to draw even closer to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Here are a few of our memory highlights of 2009:

Brian

• Bed & Breakfast weekend getaway gift given to Mandy and I from students in the ministry
• Summer vacationing in the Adirondacks for the first time…being blessed with an incredible campsite
• Speaking the full message from 2 Peter for the Calvary Church main service the day after my birthday
• 24 hour Junior & Senior guys wilderness retreat this past November.  The outdoors is a great place for getting to know others and growing deeper with God.
• Getting a bow and arrows, something that I have wanted to get for years…now to keep practicing and learn hunting to get my first deer (hopefully a 2010 highlight!)

Mandy

• Watching Addie play soccer!  That girl just headed the ball   GOAL!!!
• Hearing Emma tell all about her day at school.  She is so animated in her stories and just loves her teacher Mr. Gillis who is SOOOO funny
• LISTENING to Isabelle bloom!  This last year has brought more and more words from our sweet Isabelle.  It has been a delight to hear her sing her first songs and begin to make jokes and tease.  She is changing so much right before our eyes.  As the Lord gives her the gift of speech we are getting to see more of her personality and the special way God has made her.
• Learning what a backhoe is and how cool trash trucks are!  Having a two year old boy is wonderful!
• Teaching at Study & Share, the woman’s Bible Study @ Calvary Church, in the spring.  Leading a Bible study in my home with four other mom’s.

Addie

• Family vacation in the Adirondacks!  Bike riding and Kayaking
• Going to High Point Summer Camp
• Starting fourth grade!
• Playing U10 girls soccer and winning 2nd place trophy.
• Nancy Drew Mystery Books
• Playing softball for the first time & pitching

Emma

• Going to Woodcrest Summer Camp
• Fishing on vacation
• Having Uncle Mike and Aunt Kristi here for Thanksgiving
• Starting the second grade!

Isabelle

• Fancy Nancy books and horses!
• Being in Mrs. Long and Mrs. Hiatt’s five day preschool class.
• SINGING!

Owen

• Watching fire works on the Fourth @ Long’s Park
• Riding with Daddy and Andy in the Trash Truck!
• making friends! Morgyn, Judd, Jake, Thomas…

You can check out our 2009 photo highlights in our gallery.  (click here to go straight to the slide show)

We look forward to the new year and all the wonderful blessing the Lord will bring along the way!  In a few days we will be writing about what God has directed us to focus on in 2010 and what some of our goals are.

It is Christmas time and in addition to all the wonderful Christmas traditions comes the watching of movies in this house hold.  It may not be the most meaningful activity, but it is a fun one that we do more often this month than other times.  There are some great Christmas movies out there, that just beg to be watched each year!  “A Christmas Story” is one of my favorites and we watched, yes we did! “You will shoot your eye out!”  Love it!

One of my new favorite Christmas movies is “It’s a Wonderful Life.”  Of course this is not a new movie, it is new to my list of favorites.  And if I had to pick my absolute FAVORITE Christmas movie it would probably be this one!  Since I am older, not old just older, I see things in this movie I never really paid attention to before.  About three years ago I found myself watching it alone, Brian was out of town, I was sitting on the couch crying thinking “I get it, the guy is depressed!” I just understand it in a different way than I used to!  George wants his life to matter for something, don’t we all.  The final scene where everyone is pouring in to give money and thanking him, well I just can’t watch it with out crying every year now!  This year something new struck me. It was Mary’s love and devotion to George.  She encouraged him all along the way and was patient with him when he was discouraged and down right mean!  I thought to myself, I don’t think I respond like that when Brian is having a “bad day”  I am more likely to tell him “hey, you are really being a jerk ya know…snap out of it…”  Mary encouraged me with her love and patience for George – a great picture of marriage!

A week or so later Brian and I rented “Julie & Julia” to watch together.  I had been intrigued by this movie from the first trailer I saw.  I wanted to go see it with a group of 30something women thinking it would be fun.  It never happened (something that often happens with my ideas, they never come to reality).  So Brian and I watched it together, and I really enjoyed it.  I love to cook and so the cooking side was fun but what I really liked I did not expect.  I enjoyed the picture of marriage seen in the lives of both Julia and Julie.  Here was a story about two already married couples, even married for awhile, and the plot showed them very much in love, even passionate for one another   Paul standing along side Julia encouraging her endeavors and Eric doing the same for Julie, even PUSHING her to try something new.  The couples encouraged me to enjoy my marriage, a beautiful gift I am always thankful for!

This brings us to Christmas afternoon!  On a side note I now know why so many people go to the movies on Christmas afternoon.  After you have stayed up late wrapping and setting stuff out, been woken up early by excited kids and then cooked a big meal you are ready to chill out with a movie or send all your house guests to one so you can recover   We did not go to the theater, we watched “Up” at home, which was given to our Aunt Kathy who was here for Christmas.  The kids had seen this movie earlier, but Brian and I had not.  Again I was surprised to find myself encouraged in marriage, from UP!  a kids movie!  I did not even get to see all of the beginning where the courtship and marriage of Carl and Ellie are told in detail, I was in the kitchen cleaning dishes still.  Even so I was brought to tears by the love and devotion shown in their relationship.  And it held an extra special string to my heart with the adventure theme!  Adventure, specifically an appetite for adventure is one of our family values.    Up encouraged my heart to continue to be devoted to Brian and to live for the adventure of being married to him and having four kids (four kids and marriage is an adventure to say the least, then you throw in all our dreams and desire and it is quite a ride)!

Movies and stories are so very powerful!  With them we can be inspired, encouraged, spurred on to greater living… I am thankful for these three pictures of marriage in the movies!  Encouraged to love more, to be more patient, to enjoy more, to be devoted and seek adventure!

Last night I was up till 2:00 am wrapping gifts for family members that live states away.  That was the task for yesterday so that today’s task, mailing would be simple!  Well that turned out to be a false expectation.  Here is how I spent an hour and $80.00 at the US Post office this morning and looked like an idiot in the process!!

I decided to give the flat rate boxes a try, since they are suppose to be so hassle free.  I was not sure what sizes they came in and if my presents would fit.  I had five different locations that I was sending presents to.  So I stopped by the post office to check on the boxes thinking I would get them if possible and bring them home to assemble and label… I arrived in the very small packed waiting area of the post office, looked over the boxes and discovered I needed to ask the one employee a question of clarification before leaving with boxes.  I asked the next man in line if he would mind if I asked her a question.  His replay was “why YES I would mind!”  Alright then I will just wait! (I should have just left right then!)  When my turn came I asked a clarifying question about boxes for flat rate, unfortunately it looked like none of the flat rate boxes would hold my gifts.  The employee was kind and tried to reassure me that something could be worked out.  So I decided to go get three of the destination present bundles that I believed might fit in the flat rate boxes.  Got back and put those three boxes together and then discovered my purse was outside.  Back outside I went to get the purse and then back inside…  Stood in line totally consumed with thoughts of boxes and fitting stuff.   The lady in front of me tried to give me advice and find boxes for me.

I then reached the counter of the new second employee who had just opened his window and he teased me for not having the boxes taped.  He then asked if I had labels filled out, well NO I was to busy trying to think of fitting stuff in to think of labels!  I moved to the side and filled out labels.   I then was able to get these paid for and mailed.  While waiting for the debit card to approve I asked if this guy had a thought on the best action to take with the other 9 presents still in the car that were to go to two different locations.  I was contemplating boxing at home, but the employee kept saying it might be better to put them in two flat rate boxes… He also said “I am sure I have a box in the back why don’t you go get them.”  With his recommendation I went out once again and brought all 9 presents back in.  Here is where I REALLY felt like an idiot!  Here I am in this VERY cramped post office with my nine wrapped presents trying to figure out boxes all the while thinking WHY!!  The people in the line have now circulated all the way through to a new group and the new people have no idea that I was encouraged to do all this by the post office employees!  Instead they are probably thinking “This lady is crazy!  Why did she come to the post office with all these presents and not have a box or a plan?”

I get back up to the window and mail one set off.  The second set does not fit!  I decide to leave the biggest gift out, I am not even sure that the person it is for will even like it!  I am worn out at this point and want to go crawl under a rock and hide!  Just take my presents and send them to someone, anyone!  Then I have to decide if it should be sent priority mail and get there or chance it and save a few bucks, AAAHHHH!!!! The employee continues to try to figure out how I can send the one lone present that does not fit.  At this point I think “Let me just get out of here!  I sure hope no one makes a comment about me, I just might loose it!”

Exactly one hour later I leave.  It cost me $80.00 to mail five different packages going to Texas, Oklahoma and North Carolina.  It cost me my reputation @ the post office, I don’t want to go back any time soon.  It cost me humiliation in front of the others in line, did I mention one was a Dad of Emma’s friend from school.  But in return my gifts are on their way and I have a funny story to tell (Well all except the one gift still in my car that just would not fit.  I think I will just keep that one !)