What a year.

2009 was an amazingly crazy year.

Last new years we were in our home in Germany, freezing as the kids lit their sparklers while freezing by the firepit in our yard. It was SO cold.

In February we went to Paris. It was so amazing and we had such a great time.

Early March we went to Austria with our church homegroup. Such a great time, and so many memories.

At the end of March the boys and I flew back to the States with Darryl's dad to move back and live with my parents a couple of months before Darryl. I missed (and still miss) my friends in Germany. They are like family to me and I'll never forget them.

March-June we had a great time catching up with our family and the boys got so spoiled by their grandparents. June 4th, Darryl flew home from Germany! We celebrated Caleb's 4th birthday on the 21st with family and friends.

There was supposed to be a 2 month time frame from when Darryl was getting out of the Army to him going to the FAA Academy for his air traffic control job in Baton Rouge, which was perfect for us because Darryl got paid until August with the Army. We kept waiting and waiting to find out the date for the Academy in preparation to his job in Baton Rouge, but nothing. So in July Darryl called and found out that if he still wanted the Baton Rouge position it would be January before he'd get there. Well, that was impossible for us since he was almost officially out of the Army, so he asked if there was anything else. Lo and behold, they had room at the airport in Jackson, MS and he'd leave 2 weeks later for the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City. I cried because we had actually started a contract for building a house in Walker, near Baton Rouge, and because I had so been looking forward to living so close to family! But, at the same time, I knew this was God and it would all work out better than anything I could come up with myself. So, we went to the cities surrounding Jackson and went househunting. Found the house we wanted the 2nd day we were there and put an offer on it. The seller accepted and we were so excited.

In August, Darryl left for Oklahoma City and the boys and I stayed in Slidell with the family.

On September 5th Ayden turned 2, so the boys and I drove 12 hours to go visit Daddy that week so he could see his boys. It was a great time. September 15th I closed on the house here in Brandon, MS. On the 24th-25th, the movers came and brought all of our stuff. I couldn't have done it without my parents and Darryl's mom here helping me through everything since Darryl was gone. They were such an integral part of me not going insane through this whole process! LOL On the 26th Darryl flew in! He finally got to see the house again with our stuff in it and was amazed at how much was done. It was so nice to have him back.

October was spent getting things just the way we wanted everything, though it also included 2 or 3 trips to Slidell, and our friends coming here to visit!

November we had everyone here from both families for Thanksgiving and had a great time!

And now in December we've been keeping so busy, been to Slidell and able to celebrate Christmas with both families. We have had such a crazy, amazing blessed year, and I am so thankful for everything God's given us. Even when we don't know the outcome, He always does and always gives us more than we could ever ask or think.

I don't usually do many resolutions for the New Years thing, but I do have many goals for myself and my family that I hope we can achieve.

* to grow in our love for the Lord. Caleb is learning Bible verses and I hope by memorization he learns to love it and love God for everything He's done for us. Ay is still a little young, but he can memorize too!

* to be a patient teacher to my little students. my babies. I hadn't planned on homeschooling for Caleb's preschool, but I am really glad I am. I love being the one teaching him to read. It can be so frustrating, but ultimately it's so rewarding. Ayden loves learning too, and he listens to alot of what I'm teaching to Caleb. We still aren't sure as to wait we are doing for kindergarten, either private school or homeschooling.

*to play more, and clean less. A clean house is what I love, it's what really makes me happy, but I'll try to do it more when the boys are sleeping and just enjoy them. There always seems to be too many things to do and not enough time in the day.

*speaking of doing things, I hope to craft more this coming year. Craft with the kids, and just projects for the house and stuff like that. I love that kind of thing.

*to grow our own garden. I really would love to go pick cucumbers and bell peppers with the boys. I've always wanted my own vegetable garden.

* to grow in my photography. I hope to start a business this year, but most of all I hope to get as close to perfect as I can with the thing I love to do so much.

To be a better wife, mother, friend, daughter, all of the above! I can be so selfish sometimes, and could use a swift kick in the rear at those times. :) I'm just so thankful that God placed us where HE wants us to be used, and I hope we realize in this next year what He put us here for and that we do His will. Happy New Year Everyone!!

Happy New Year!

Caleb had so much fun doing fireworks last night, but it was SOOO cold. Ayden enjoyed being outside too, but it was hard keeping him away from the firepit! We had a lot of fun though just hanging out and enjoying our time together!