A big year of change!

2010 was truly a big year of change for our little family! Some were really big changes and some were little, but it just seemed like every month something changed in our lives!

I remember that Christmas of last year (2009) Hailey finally learned how to clap! And we were so proud of her- it was such a big deal...and to think, now she's running, climbing, jabbering away, and taking care of her little brother. When I think about all that she's changed in a year I seriously almost cry- she's definitely not my baby anymore- she became a big girl, pretty much all in this past year! She's gonna be 2 in a few short weeks and I'm really NOT ready for that!

We bought a rental this year, too! It had always been a dream of Korey's to own a rental and we purposefully bought a smaller house thinking that someday we'd like to be able to afford a rental and after owning our house for 4 years the time finally came! It was a huge step of faith for us, especially considering that we bought it only a month before Jackson was born, but it has turned out remarkably well! We've only owned it for about 5 months, but so far we are really happy with how well things are going and we love the renters that we have in it.

Not many of the exciting changes in our life have made me feel as old as the fact that my little brother got married this summer! I know that we're only 3 years apart, but for some reason it just doesn't seem right for him to be growing up and getting married! :) (and I shouldn't be old enough to have a brother that is old enough to get married!!)

probably the biggest change for our family this year was the birth of our sweet little man, Jackson! This time last year I didn't even know I was pregnant and I was just looking back at an old journal that I had started in January of 2008 and it was full of prayers begging God to give me a child and a few letters written to the child that I knew God would bring in to my life someday! It really shocked me to think that in only 3 short years God not only answered those prayers, but blessed me above and beyond what I asked for, in the giving of Jackson. I had begged for one child and so far he's given me two! I guess we'll just have to wait and see how generous He's going to be in the coming years! ;)

One of the sweetest changes of the year has been Korey and Hailey's relationship. Hailey always was a Daddy's girl- she reached for him first, she said "dada" first, and she's always had him wrapped right around her little finger- from the day she entered this world, but, it has never been as pronounced or as cute as it has been this year! She's really taken her "daddy wrapping" to a whole new level and she has him- hook, line and sinker! What other Dad do you know gets a deer and the first thing he does is call home and say, "can you get hailey dressed up so I can take a picture with her?" I just absolutely love it and I'm pretty sure she does, too. (not to mention how much her Papa loves it!) I'm so excited about all the new things that this past year brought us and I can't wait to see what God has in store for our family in 2011! (and...I'm actually sort of hoping that it's not another baby, 'cause we don't wanna keep up the pace of a baby a year...that just sounds exhausting!)

I have always loved the promise of Jeremiah 29:11, but this year, the verses that I'm going to claim for my family and for myself are the two verses that come after that:
"For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call on me and pray to me and I will answer you. You will seek me and you will find me, when you seek after me with your whole heart!" Jeremiah 29:11-13 (italics added)

I just love the promises of God found in these verses and I pray that you and I both will have a year of seeking after the Lord with our whole hearts, calling on Him and praying to Him! Because then I know that there is nothing that the year 2011 will bring that we can't handle! Apart from God I am nothing and will accomplish nothing- but with God's help and God's strength there is nothing that this world can throw at me that I can't handle! (even another baby...) ;)

Bring it on 2011- me and God are so ready!! :)

Happy Birthday, Dad!

It was my Dad's birthday, yesterday, and we helped him celebrate-

that's why I couldn't write this blog yesterday! :)

My Dad is a Dad that every girl would want! He loves his family and he loves his God and he encourages me to be better at both of those. I'm pretty sure that every girl thinks her Dad is the best Dad, but I really do know that I got one of the best ones around!

The picture on the left is a picture that whenever I look at I remember why I love my Daddy so much. That day, he called, just to see if he could come up and help me out. My Dad is such an "intune" guy and is so compassionate that he knew I really needed some help that day...it was a HUGE blessing for me to have him there and it definitely was something that helped get me through one of the harder weeks of my life. In fact, I think the two times in my life that my Dad has meant the most to me was that day, when he just came, held both of my kids on his lap and snuggled them and hugged me as I cried and when he came to visit me in the hospital after Hailey was born. She's his first grandchild and he was pretty excited to see her, but instead of running to see her right away- he came in the room, gave me a hug and told me how proud he was of me and what a great job I did. I guess that's what I really love about my Dad- he's so compassionate and caring and he takes the time to let me know how important I am to him. I know that my Dad definitely is a great Dad and I am continually thankful that God blessed me so greatly by putting me in his family! I love you, Dad, and happy birthday.

It's a Wisconsin Christmas!

Korey and I often joke about how "wisconsin" we are and how "hick" our families are and never is it more obvious than when we have a family gathering where a lot of our extended families get together! So, here are just a few clues that you may have had a real wisconsin Christmas!

*you spend christmas morning crawling around on the garage floor installing a new bumper

*your brother snowblows the end of the driveway in his pajamas

*you pack snowshoes, a cheese tray and a shotgun all for the same christmas party

*you head over to an old farmhouse for christmas lunch, get your drinks out of a fridge in the breezeway, the car to pick up ratio is 2:6 (and the two cars have Minnesota liscense plates), the topic of conversation ranges from deer hunting to what year your truck is, and your uncle parades around his trophy rack of horns shot in the woods out back

*your daughter gets a round of applause for knowing the difference between a deer and a dog

*the dog gets a better welcome than your cousin who brought him

*your cousin brings his dog with him to Christmas

*everyone says, "if the weather's good, we'll be there"

*Christmas dinner is spent sitting around the tv, watching the football game

*your aunt and uncle have a full bar in their basement, but everyone is drinking beer out of a cooler, labeled "beer"

*the topics of politics and the Packers are off limits for dinner conversation

*you play a game called, "what irritates you", the only rules being you can't name names

*when deciding when to head home on Sunday, you take into consideration what time the Packers play

*you put the kids down for a nap, put on your snowshoes and go grouse hunting in your parent's backyard on Christmas afternoon

*the temperature on Christmas morning is 20 degrees, you think it's a beautiful day and consider taking your daughter's snowpants so she can play outside after you open presents

and...

*your brother in law sits at the kitchen table tying flies for fly fishing!

I hope you had a great Christmas and I even hope that it was a little "wiscosiny"! :)