A bientot 2008!

Hello friends,
Another year has managed to slip by and it has certainly been a big one! I don't think I;ve ever felt so completely blessed and cursed at the same time before. Most of you know what we have been up to this year but for the sake of posterity I'll give a recap.

January: Jake and I had a feeling the economy was about to take a down-turn and started the hiring process with the Florida Highway Patrol. I should note that we had begun the walk down this road two times before it never ended up being the right road for us... until now.

February: I found out that I was pregnant on Valentines Day which also happens to be the anniversary of our meeting.

March, April, May: Work and school consumed our time. We also said good-bye to some really great friends that made their way to our nations capital.

June: Jake started the academy for the Florida Highway Patrol. Jane and I got to spend a LOT of quality time together from Sunday nights to Friday afternoon. Jane and I took a vacation and hosted some visitors.

July: Jane turned 2! We had a princess party and invited one of Jane's very best friends.

August: We got health insurance. This may not sound like a great big deal to most of you but... Jake and I had been living on the edge for nearly four years without health insurance. We have dental too!

September: Passed without consequence.

October: We found out that we were going to be stationed in Gainesville, Fl and welcomed Sawyer Rutger Smith into the world on 10/25/2008. He weighed 8lbs. 1 oz. and was about 21 inches long.

November: Gramma (my mom) came to visit, Jake turned 26 and we packed like mad.

December: Moved to Gainesville, Jake graduated from the academy, Gramma came to visit, and finally, the year is over.

On paper it doesn't look like such a hard year. In reality it was as hard to go through it as it feels to look back on it. After Jake's graduation I practically cried for an hour and a half because it was over and I didn't know how to process it. This whole year had been about surviving and I have done it well, with a relatively convincing smile on my face. The Lord lifted me up and bore the brunt of my burdens throughout the last year. I should have struggled way more than I did but the Spirit was so strong and so constant in my life; it was almost as though I was walking around wrapped in bubble wrap. I am so grateful for that bubble wrap.

So we are on to a new year. I'll post pictures from our Christmas season in a little bit. I've decided that this new year is going to be devoted to completing projects that will help me really get into the Christmas spirit next year. I'm also training for a triathlon and struggling like crazy to get my pre-pregnancy body back.

I have to apologize if this post seems less than optimistic about 2008. I've done my best to take everything as it comes but, as of right now, I've never been more glad to see a new year come. Cheers to you all! I hope that your new year allows you to walk comfortably through your lives without the help of spiritual bubble wrap!