This blog is my attempt to document our busy but BLESSED lives raising and educating our children for His glory. A child of God, wife to one, and mom to 6 fabulous kids. We are in our 15th year of homeschooling using a Classical ~ Literature based approach.

Come along for the good, the bad & the ugly.



Thursday, December 31, 2009

2009 Year in Review

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Wow, What a year it has been. I can't believe today is the last day of 2009. Feels like we just started. We had a great year filled with lots of memories.


January brought on some good news and some bad news. We finally would be moving East to Virginia after being in WA for 11 years. Mike PCs'd (permanent change of station for you non-military folks) to VA. We have been wanting to get stationed on the East coast for a few years and now it was really happening. We were all sad when he left but knew God had a plan to reunite us sooner than we thought. We also found out we were pregnant with our 5th child, who was to be born in October.


The bad was that Mike was diagnosed with a rare form of skin cancer one week before leaving and needed surgery to remove the cancerous tissue ASAP. He had to make the trip to VA regardless and his surgery was scheduled in late January at the Naval Hospital. I felt horrible as he lay in his bachelor housing room recovering all by himself. He is now cancer free, Praise The Lord!


Marie turned 12 in March and got her hair cut. Yikes! That means she'll officially be a teenager in 3 months! Where did the time go? The pregnancy and stress was taking a toll on my body. I was SO tired. Wait!!! Tired doesn't do justice to how I was feeling. After much thought and prayer I decided that it was time to close my daycare business.


I spent much of May getting the house prepared to be put on the rental market. We spent time catching up with friends and preparing for the move East.


June brought the nightmare 16 hour pack out of our household goods and ended with us leaving WA and arriving to VA.


In July I closed on our 3rd new house with God's grace seeing me through the entire time. Never again will I rent a house, fly across country, and buy a house while being 7 months pregnant and 4 children in tow. (well, I shouldn't say never, we may have to do it again someday). It was a challenge but we survived!

In August I was put on bed rest when the OB doctor discovered I had too much amniotic fluid and went from measuring 32 weeks pregnant to full term within a few days. Montana became a big sister when little McKenzie made her grand entrance to the world on August 28th at 4 lbs 13 oz.

September brought Grandma out to visit us for over 3 weeks. It was so good to see her. We all had a blast and really enjoyed her help. Mike and Montana both had birthdays, 35 &3. McKenzie was released from the hospital on Mike's 35th birthday, what a special gift!


The rest of the year kind of flew past. We had Candy day and then Mike left for a 3 1/2 week deployment. We had our very first Nor'easter. I saw my big-little sister Allie for the first time in 5 years. The girls and I decorated the house for The Nester's Christmas home tour. Mikayla lost her first tooth, and then another one the next day. We spent Christmas up at Aunt Joyce's and saw family and friends from all around.


Now, as I sit here writing this I am preparing to send my hubby on his 4th deployment in 4 years. Wow, kind of brings it into perspective when you say it like that. Tomorrow, January 1, 2010 he will officially be a Naval Lieutenant, and I couldn't be any prouder. It's been a long road to this point in his career, with many years to come with God's blessings. I know God has big plans for him, for us, as we continue on in our Naval career and life.


I can't wait to see what God has in store for us in 2010; all 365 days (hehe AJ).



I am linking up with Melissa from A Familiar Path, click on over and link up your year in review.

Happy New Year!!!

8 comments:

  1. that was so neat! loved the slide show idea.

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  2. visiting from a familiar path... you have a beautiful family and hands.full!! i'm sure with all girls!! :) i'm grateful your husband is cancer free, thankful that he is defending my and my family's freedoms, and will pray for you while he's gone. i can't imagine... and i can't imagine what a strong woman you must be!
    happy new year!

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  3. I have a great respect for military wives! You are some of the strongest women I've ever known!! PTL your hubby's cancer free!!!! And congrats on a new baby!! I'm stopping in from The 365 Project to welcome you to the group! ...I also do SITS and Menu Planning - I think one way or another, I was bound to come visit you! :)

    Looking forward to your 365 photos! Happy New Year!

    Oh - I love your blog header!!! Soooo cute!

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  4. Happy New Year! Looking forward to seeing your photos this year :) I'm also a mommy of 5 daughters and we homeschool, too :)

    ~Another 365 Mommytographer, (2010)
    ~Tamara

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  5. Visiting from Bible in 90days. You have a beautiful family!!!

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  6. Yeah! Another smilebox user!! Love your year in review!

    I'm very sorry for the delay in coming to say hello, but wanted to thank you for swinging by my blog on Monday for my SITS day. Hope you have a very happy new year!

    Lauren

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  7. What a year for you!!

    I too was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2009, but like your love am currently clear. May he continue to heal!

    God Bless him for his service and THANK HIM and you for his service.

    May 2010 bring you much more happiness!!

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