It's that time when we all dig deep into our memories to
relive the blessings and trials of the past year and review our hopes of things
to come. Reflection teaches us gratitude
and perseverance. I didn't really feel
like writing this letter/blog until I began reading the letters coming in from the
friends and family who have our new address and thought about how much life can
change in a year.
Our year started out with the laying to rest of Seth's mom,
who passed away right about this time last year. She was an outstanding woman, and we miss her,
but she would be disappointed in us if we didn't continue to live wholeheartedly.
Seth moved from the first line response to second line
response and training in his job. He
repairs the machines that Intel uses to lay the blueprints on microchips. Ask him about it sometime. It's a fascinating process. His promotion means that
for the first time in his life, he is working a Monday through Friday, 9 to 5 (or
in his case 7 to 4) schedule for the first time in his life. It also means that for the first time in our
marriage, I have had my husband from Christmas to Christmas with no
deployments, training, or duty days. Go
ahead. Ask me how that feels. Actually, I'm not sure how to process
that.
When he's home, Seth enjoys putting our house in order, cheering on his beloved Broncos, and experimenting with meat and cocktail recipes.
When he's home, Seth enjoys putting our house in order, cheering on his beloved Broncos, and experimenting with meat and cocktail recipes.
I am keeping busy, as of course everyone does. The role of stay-at-home mom treats me well. I've maintained my teaching certificate and
have made a couple of sputtering attempts to start a tutoring business. I haven't given up, and in the meantime I
tutor people online through a company called Brainfuse. I've
dabbled a little in the domestic arts like quilting and trying out new recipes,
but mostly my life seems to be just keeping things rolling right now. I'm a little restless, but I'm pretty sure
that's my fault. I've been meeting with
my pastor to help sort out the complications of being a civilian wife. I really need to get back to work on my many
novels. Wouldn't it be a blessing if I actually published something before I died.
In July we experienced two big blessings. The first was that after about a year of
looking, we found a house that suits our needs in our price range. It was a short sale with plenty of work that
needed to be done. The house is sound,
but in the process of moving in, we had to clear out 3 tons of garbage, scrub
furiously, and paint. Seth refinished
the floors himself. Never again, he
says. The second blessing was with us
only for a few weeks. In July we discovered
that I was pregnant, which was an answer to prayer. In August, I had a
miscarriage, and baby Blessed as we called him/her became another anchor in the
world beyond to draw us home. I learned
that losing a child is a common sorrow, and I learned to appreciate my fellow
women a lot more. And we learned to keep hoping after disappointment, which is something everyone needs to really learn at some point.
Boogaloo finished her year at preschool with glowing reviews
and flying colors. After an energy
filled summer, she started kindergarten.
She loves almost everything about school, from the bus ride to the
teachers to "my kids", as she calls her classmates. She started school in one class under a Ms.
M., a teacher she adored, and then in October, she had to transition to school
in our new hometown. She managed it a
lot better than I had expected, and now she adores her new teacher, Mrs. C., and her student
teacher. The school is providing her
with limited speech assistance, but all her grownups agree that she is a joy to
have in class and does very well on her own.
She has a few friends in her class, and she can tell me their
names. I'm foreseeing an actual birthday
party with kid guests when she turns six, and I'm thrilled.
When Boogaloo is at home, she spends her time memorizing Calvin and Hobbes cartoons and reenacting them with her stuffed
animals. She still loves bears,
dinosaurs, and Dora the Explorer, and she has decided her favorite color is
yellow. Really bright yellow. In many ways, I think she's a lot like me.
That's where we stand at the close of this year. We are excited to see what God will lead us
through in the coming year. Each year is
a new lesson in faith. What will we learn this time around?
Much love from the A. family.
Jennifer
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