A new year is coming

So it is that time of year when Dave and I look back at our year and make goals for the next year. 2011 has been a crazy year...we knew it was going to be. We knew that we were going to have a baby, and that would be a big change. We knew that we wanted to move, but we not sure when, or where. We both felt that the season at church was going to change and we would be more involved, but we did not know how that was going to look either. Dave felt like he wanted to have a more influential role at work, but again did not know what to do to make that happen.

I remember standing in the shower thinking and praying about all of these things and feeling the bigness of the year. It was like standing in the ocean and feeling the water being sucked out to the next wave. You may not see it forming yet, but you can feel all the energy, and you know that when it forms it will be big. I could feel the energy that each of those changes was going to bring, and how God had good for us in each area. But I could also feel the challenge that each one would bring, it was like a promise of being stretched.

We did not have to wait long for the waves of change to start hitting. The first week of the year Dave's job changed. Talk about challenge, everything about it was challenging to one of us. For me the hardest part was what the schedule change. We went from knowing unless there was a late meeting, Dave would be home by about 5:30 and would eat at 6, to Dave being home a different time every night. Sometimes he was home at 4, sometimes 7. Also he started taking training classes for his job, which meant weeks out of town, and overnight stays. Those are hard on both us. But it has been really cool to see God move in Dave, and his job. He has been able to see that work is place for leadership and ministry, not just a place to fill up his time till he can live his "real" life.

Next up was deciding what to do about our house and moving. We both were done living in Garden Grove. The grace to drive 20 to 45 minutes for everything in our life was gone. We both felt isolated from people, and lonely. But because of the family deal aspect of the house we could not just move, first we had to find out if anyone in the family wanted the house. OI VAY!!!! That was a roller coaster ride if I ever saw one. Dave talked to one uncle, and no they don't want it, so good we put it on the market and sell it, and then he talked to another uncle, and he wants the house, so we see what he offered...six weeks, several frustrating conversations, and lots of family drama later, he does not want the house and then we are back at square one with putting the house on the market and selling it. Once we actually got to that stage, a lot of the stress lifted...it was the being in limbo that was really hard, the going back and forth every other week. But once we knew we were listing on the open market, and we being to take those steps it was a lot easier. And God was so amazing in his grace and provision for that process. He led us to the perfect listing agent. We had and offer in the first week, and even though the first offer fell thru, she had another one within a week or two. We did have to keep the house ready to show at anytime, but actually was not as bad I thought. Our agent was really good about calling first to set an appointment, and I really only had to say "no, not now" a few times. And Dave's parents had their cleaning lady come help us for the month or so that the house was being shown. That was the BIGGEST help. All I had to do was pick up mess, she did a big cleaning once a week. And God opened the door to us to move into the perfect house. In fact, I really think that God used the house falling out of escrow to adjust our timing to move, so that it was line when this place would be available. Because, I told God that this is the place I wanted. It was one of the things, that I as soon I heard that Brian and Tanya were moving at the end of June, and that is when we were going to be moving too, I knew, I just knew that is was where we suppose to live. It took awhile to feel at home here, but now I love it!

Overlapping with the moving process was the tail end of being pregnant and first 3 months of having a baby...so many hormones over those 6 or so months, I am not even sure about all that happened. All I know is that there were lots of tears. This second pregnancy was a lot harder than Seth's was. But I think that had more to do with life's circumstances than the actual pregnancy. Right at the end, on my due date in fact, I was driving to my appointment and complaining to God that I was still pregnant, when I heard him say that the "delay" in Lucy being born was answer to my prayer about being able to have an uncomplicated VBAC...that my body going very slowly into labor was part his plan, and him saying "yes" to me for something else. But it was still really stressful. But when labor happened, it was perfect, really perfect. I was watching a show yesterday where someone was having a baby, and I was remembering that amazing feeling of excitement and joy when I held her for the first time...awesome. Even pushing was beautiful...once I thru transition and could use the pain for a purpose. I think that I am getting to that point of being able to think about being pregnant again...I may not be able to say I am ready for another kid, but the thought a life inside of me is beginning to be exciting again. And my Lucy is a joy! I can't imagine life without her.

And as for church, well moving to Brea has meant just being closer to everything in our life, and that has made things like leading a home group, Dave doing Porterbrook, me staying involved in Mommy Co, doable. Another way that the feeling "being more involved at church" has manifested is being a part of the new Deacon team that was installed a couple months ago. Not sure yet what will be different about deacon then what we were already doing, but it was just one of those things that I knew was right. This was what we were supposed to be doing. Also I am mentoring. That is different than I expected...even though I did not know what to expect. I think it is going well...or a least she seems to think it is going well...I don't really know that I have done anything yet.

So, yeah, it was been a very full year. A year of much change. And that change has required a lot of growing up. But it has also been a year of a lot of joy, and of seeing God's faithful hand in every area our lives. It is really wonderful to be able to look back at this year and see that the waves that I was anticipating have not only come, but we have been able to ride them, and ride them pretty well.

Now it is time to think about next year...