Last night we started a new family tradition. We came home from a New Year's gathering with dear friends and had our own toast to the new year. We used our beautiful toasting flutes from our wedding and some stellar sparkling grape juice (of which I'm actually becoming a huge fan!). We toasted to things we were thankful for in 2009, to things we were thankful to be leaving behind in this past decade, and to things we are looking forward to in not only the next year but the next decade as well.
Some of the things we were thankful for in the last year were:
- the beginning of our life together as husband and wife
- our beautiful wedding celebration and day (70 degrees in February!)
- our fantastic honeymoon getaway
- our cozy house where we started building our life together
- getting to be present when Joe's beloved grandmother, Fern, passed away
- a church loaded with beautiful Easter Lily's at her funeral service that was held on Fern's birthday
- discovering we were pregnant with Luke and thus beginning our journey as parents
- my mom's healthy recovery (Trish)
- Dr. Nichols, our amazing OB
- fun outings with friends to the Royals and KSU games
- fun family trips to Nebraska, Colorado, central Kansas
- Joe's new job which he truly enjoys
- Heartland Community Church's beautiful new home in Olathe, Kansas
- our baptism as a family
- the Deeper Still conference in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- the Believing God Bible Study
- blogging together
- our amazing white Christmas
- getting to celebrate the holidays with Luke
- hearing Luke's heartbeat
- seeing glimpses of him on the sonogram screens
- feeling him kick and move and wiggle
- watching him grow
- our health
- Netflix and the much needed escape it provided us during this season
- the strengthening of our marriage
- our families
- having the opportunity to build memories with Luke
- our amazing community of friends and family who have surrounded us during this difficult season
- getting to celebrate the marriages of many friends and some family members
- the healthy births of many longed for babies of dear friends
- an entire year of firsts as a married couple
- a wonderful new-to-us car
- God's continued provision over us
- most of all, for our sweet baby son, Luke
We officially declared 2010 as a year of HOPE for us...
Some of the things we are hoping for in the new year...
- hope for healing
- hope for peace in our lives and hearts
- hope for continued health
- hope for emotional and physical strength
- hope for emotional and physical recovery
- hope for another baby
- hope for a healthy pregnancy and delivery
- hope for purpose
- hope for direction for our lives
- hope clarity
- hope for greater depth of love
- hope eyes to see greater beauty
- hope for increased gratitude for simple things in life
- hope for our marriage's continued deepening
- hope for personal, professional and creative growth
- hope for bravery
- hope for more smiles than tears
- hope for continued safety and health
- hope for continued provision
- hope for a brightening of life's colors
- hope for renewal and restoration
- hope for release from fears
- hope for return to fitness
- hope that our second year of marriage holds less drama than our first
- hope for new adventures together
- hope that we will continue to find ways to treasure, honor and remember Luke and his time with us
- hope that we will always remember this difficult season in our lives, but that we will also not be defined by it
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