Hello all! I know I have not been very good about keeping up with the blog this year. It's been a rough year for sure, and I find that, that isn't something unique to our family. I am resolving to do better blogging in 2013, and I am also hopeful and optimistic that this new year will be great not only for my family but for yours as well.
I read a quote today that the past is just a pebble in your shoe, and I believe that's attributed to Edgar Allen Poe, but don't quote me on that. Anyway, this is how I will look at 2012. I can tell you that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and I do believe that God allows things to happen in our lives for a reason, and even though we may never know what that is, we come out refined.
2012 didn't start out too great. My Father in law passed in January of transitional cell carcinoma at the age of 61. He wasn't necessarily young, but he should have had a lot of years left with us. This loss was huge for our family, especially for my husband who was so close with his father. In May, I suffered a miscarriage, something I find is very common for a lot of women, but something that I had never been through before, and something which just added insult to injury with everything our family was going through with loss of FIL. Also that month my 30 year old cousin died unexpectedly of an undiagnosed heart issue.
In August we got some wonderful news as we found out that we were expecting again. I was afraid to get too excited or to announce the news after everything that had happened a few months earlier, but now I am happy to say that I am almost 23 weeks pregnant with a baby boy (who we will name after my FIL).
In late September my Mother in law came to stay with us for what was supposed to be a month. She sold her homes in Florida to move to New Jersey to be closer to us. The house search was not easy or speedy, and that was especially delayed by Hurricane Sandy which hit us in late October. We were very fortunate but many families in our community lost EVERYTHING! Finally in mid-December she closed on her new home. I love my Mother in law dearly, but I am not even sure I could survive having my own mother living with us for 11 weeks!
I cannot fail to mention the tragedy that happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School in CT. I will always remember where I was when I heard of this shooting. It stopped me in my tracks. I was not personally affected by this, but my heart couldn't help to break for these parents. My oldest is the same age as so many of the students who lost their lives that day. Still two weeks later, I can't turn on the news without shedding tears for these families. It certainly put everything in perspective for me, because like I said what happened to us this year was hard, but nothing in comparison to what these families must be going through. A parent should never have to bury a child, especially because they were at school were they were supposed to be safe. I only hope that something good can come about out of this tragedy.
So like I said, not necessarily the best year, but I know it could have been far worse. So there are only a few days left in this year, and I am optimistic and also hopeful that the new year will bring nothing but blessings for our family and for yours!
