Sleep Tight 2011!

Photo used with permission from www.milliande-printables.com

As with each passing year, we all love to reflect on what the Lord did for us, brought us through, and taught us.  We like to see what was done from one year to the next, what was and what wasn't, what did and what didn't.  It's always amazing to me to watch the seasons change.... the Lord has given us such an exciting gift in the four different seasons and the change of colors.

 The year began with high hopes as I anticipated going through a free Nurse Aide class at a local nursing home.  When my hopes were dashed, I was forced to rely upon the Lord and His goodness; His perfect will in every situation is not always evident, but I believe He was teaching me patience -- big time!  After several deep breaths, I resolved to wait on the Lord to open doors for the next step in my life. It felt like I was not using my time wisely, when in fact the Lord was teaching me what "longsuffering" meant in Colossians 1:11.

In March, I was blessed to find a part-time job taking care of a 2 year old little boy whose family has since become dear friends of mine.

In April we celebrated my parents' 25th wedding anniversary with a party of family and old friends... it was such a joy sharing what the Lord had done in their lives with those we don't get to see very often throughout the year.  We were blessed to be able to reunite with my dad's uncle whom we hadn't seen in many, many years.

At the end of May we anticipated our second trip to Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri.  Those of us who were under a certain age (and therefore still referred to as "youth" :-) along with our parents participated in the Annual KSMU Youth in Bluegrass Competition.  Even though we didn't place in the top ten (there's some pretty good family bands out there!), it was double the fun since our Memaw could come along with us!  We met families from last year's competition, enjoyed riding the City's train again, walking under cooling spritzers, and riding scary and strange rides!

In mid-June, Faith (19) joined the ranks of high-school grads of the home!  That brought the grand total to 4, with 4 left to go. :-)

Towards the end of June, we headed out of town again; this time, heading through Wichita, Kansas and on to Calhan, Colorado.  Even though the Kansas heat was just as bad as Texas, it was a breath of fresh air -- literally! -- to be able to spend half a week just east of Colorado Springs; we were blessed to be able to explore a small portion of Mount Evans along with fishing and hiking.

Meanwhile, in July I celebrated my one-year anniversary with our local Pregnancy Center in Sherman!  It was such a blessing to volunteer there until October, when I took a full-time job and had to stop until, Lord-willing, this coming month.  I am looking forward to returning to my once a week volunteer work there, and pray that the Lord can still use me.

September brought us two bluegrass festivals to perform at, blessing us with new and old friends and experiencing the Spirit of the Lord in the most unimaginable places!  We traveled up to the Arbuckle Mountains of Southern Oklahoma and also to the Fort Worth area.

In October, we were able to attend the 2nd Annual Bloomin' Bluegrass Festival where we met and mingled with The Whites, listened front row to The Seldom Scene, Russel Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, Special Consensus, among others.  It was such a blessing to spend the weekend with good friends, too.

Also in October, the Lord saw fit to give me a full-time job as a nanny for a 3 year old...something I'd been praying for, of course, for quite some time.  Although I knew the hours would be something I would have to get used to (anywhere from 9a to 9p), I had prayed for the job and couldn't refuse.  However, after 6 weeks, prayer and wise counsel from those who know me best, :-) I put in my notice.  It was one of the toughest things I've ever had to do but I am confident of the Lord's direction in this. 

Early in November, I turned a whopping 25 years old.  Do I feel any older? No.  Any wiser? Not really!  I keep having to remind myself and hopefully, 'act' dignified and refined like a 25 year old woman is supposed to.... :-)

We had a very blessed Thanksgiving, celebrating the day with my beloved aunt whom we had not been able to visit for two years.  It was such a wonderful time of celebrating the goodness of God, along with sharing His bounty with those we love and care for the most!

Christmas seemed to have come and gone in the blink of an eye, but it was an exciting time of secretly shopping, wrapping, cleaning and baking goodies for friends and neighbors.  Oh, and of course, listening to the classic sounds of Christmas to get one into the cheeriness of Christmas!

As the New Year is fast upon us, it is exciting to me to see what the Lord has in store for us as a family and for each of us individually.  There is no reason whatsoever to fear, worry, wonder or fret...if I just keep my eyes upon Him, I can experience the utmost peace that passes all understanding.  By His leading, I am looking forward to getting my shots and then going through Nurse Aide training at our local community college (let's try this one more time!).

May God's will be done in everything I do and everything I say!