Look back and look ahead!

Happy New Year! I can hardly believe that it is already 2011!

The major things of the year:

 We were in escrow to get a house, but it fell through after 5 months, and so we decided to stay where we are (in a small house behind my parents home), and are so thankful to be so close to my parents, my brother and his family, and our niece.  We are going to wait a bit before looking again.

But, Wes did get a new car instead:) It's a Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder... and fun!

Wes continues to provide for us, working at Cal Baptist and taking a class at a time to get his degree and credential to teach Science.  I am so grateful to be at home and take care of our precious kids.

  

William is our smart and sweet 7 year old.  His highlights for the year include:  school, taking gymnastics, reading Magic Tree house and Narnia, being selected as a student leader, playing and having fun!

 

Joshua's highlights for the year were turning 5, starting kindergarten, learning to read, taking tumbling, having fun playing with dinosaurs, Lego, games.  He was selected to be the Student of the Week in one of the first weeks of school and he is doing so great in his class!














Kathryn will be 4 in February. She is super sweet and helps so much with everything, from bringing things for Matthew to helping me bake and cook.  She started a ballet class  too and loved it so much.  She also never fails to entertain us with her words: from telling Dad to stop playing with his food, or telling me that "cleaning up is dumb" to telling her older brother who was trying to apologize to her that "I don't listen to a whiny pants."  She is very sassy and very girl-y, loving to dress up and play with "girl things".  

And this is Matthew.  Or as he calls himself, "Matt Matt".
This has been a really big year for him.  He turned 1,  had a major surgery,  a subsequent hospital stay, and we have seen first hand how God has touched Matthew; how God has healed him, taken care of him, blessed him.  Matthew also has learned to walk, talk, climb, sing, and really do everything. He's a little miracle :)











(All pictures were taken by my Sister in law, and I love them :)  )


And now it is 2011.  As I reflect on this next year,  I could list a ton of "resolutions".
However, I feel like I would rather just focus on Christ. The message is so simple, yet so life changing:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life:"  John 3:16

That is why we celebrate Christmas, because God loved us and sent his son.

This new year, we need to let others know that good news!
And we need to recognize God's deep love for us.  Something hit me the other day,

I am God's favorite me.

There is no other me in the world.. I am his favorite me.  That means a lot to me.  It makes me stand up taller, be happier, want to show my love back to Him.

This is my simple "resolution".  To see God's great love for me, and for everyone around me.  Enough to die for us so we can live.  Because of His love, we can love others enough to share with them too.

Happy New Year.  Lets share HIS love!