2007-2008

 

 

Well it's 12:05 AM January 2 for me in Germany so since the first day of the new year is officially over, I thought I'd do a review of last year as best as I can remember and share my thoughts for this new year!

January: I was in the beginning of a new pregnancy, dealing with some morning sickness, and we celebrated Jacobs' 6th birthday! The boys wrapped up basketball, which Chad was head coach for them (same team).

Feb. I turned 30, Chad threw me a surprise party!! We went to Rothenburg odT for the first time and loved it and also to Edelweiss for a retreat and had a wonderful time!

March: We marked what would have been Jordyn's 9th birthday.

April: We found out we were having a GIRL!!!!!!! We also were in the midst of planning for my parents upcoming visit in May. Both boys played Tball and Chad was head Coach for Jackson and Asstistant Coach for Jacob's team. I went away for 4 days for a PWOC conference in Willigen (Villigen is how it's pronounced). The city is a beautiful city in the mountains and it was the longest I'd EVER  been away from my children.

May: We marked 7 yrs since Jordyn went home to Heaven. My parents came for 12 wonderful days. We went to area's of Germany we'd never been to before: Triberg in the Black Forest, Berchessgarden, up to Eagle's Nest, The Netherland's to Kuekenhof, and to Poland. May my sweet Emily also found out that there were some very serious problems with the baby who was growing inside of her, Miller Grace...at that point there was still so much not known though. (You can read more about Miller Grace's 5 amazing days on this earth at: www.caringbridge.org/visit/millergracecassetty ) Chad also had knee surgery after waiting 2 yrs from the initial injury to have it. Tball wrapped up, it was a lot of fun and was great to see them enjoy themselves!

June: We spent most of our days at the park or pool, did local trips around the area. On June 23 Miller Grace was born (Emily's baby girl)....she lived for 5 amazing and precious days and on June 28 went to Dance with Jesus.

July:  We celebrated 4th of July in the pouring rain for most of the day. I was VERY pregnant and pretty well counting down the days at this point. Chad braved it and took our 2 boys and 2 friends boys (4 boys in total) camping and fishing.  The day they left my friend Bobbie, her little girl, and I went shopping...we bought BASKETS!! LOL That was the day my stomach almost tipped our table over too as I tried to stand up! ROFL!!

 

August: What a glorious month this was for our family!!! August 3...we welcomed Emma Grace into our family. She was absolutely perfect and beautiful. We'd prayed for her for so long. The boys instantly fell in love with her as Chad and I had! At the end of the month we celebrated Jackson's 4th birthday!

 

 

September: We started back to schooling after taking the month of August off, and adjusting to having Emma here with us. At the end of the month we headed down to Garmisch for a weekend retreat. Emma's first big outing, she did great and we all had a wonderful time!

October: Just local adventures, Jacob and Jack continued to enjoy school (homeschooling remember), Emma turned 2 months old and was starting to interact more and more. Halloween was fun, the boys were both Prince Peter from Narnia and Emma was a Princess!

 

 

 

November: We went to Rothenburg again with the chapel, celebrated with our friends for Thanksgiving. Chad went out to the field for 3 weeks and the night he came home Emma rolled over for the first time.

December: Emma became an expert at rolling over and started scooting backwards! She truly recognizes people she knows, "talks" a lot. Christmas was a blessing and we truly tried to make it special. We invited a friend and her 2 children over for dinner and the evning as her husband's deployed (we had went to her home for Thanksgiving).

Over all it's been a wonderful year with some sadness. I saw my parents for the first time in almost 2 yrs, did some traveling, welcomed our 4th child/2nd daughter to the world, and have had one of my best friends have to hand her baby girl over to Jesus and is now walking this walk of grief that truly turns the world you once knew upside down and inside out.

 

 

For 2008 we are prepared for more changes. More traveling is in order! We're planning a shopping trip to Poland for February!! Can't wait! Still need to line up childcare for the boys, I have a couple options just need to secure. May brings in big changes for our family, which I'll write about later. April I'm planning a trip for our family to Ireland!!! I can not wait for that! It's currently a surprise for Chad! Haven't decided when I'm going to tell him, I'll tell him before the trip. I'm starting to get antsy about telling him so it may be sooner rather than later! :) Planning on at least a day trip to Czech Republic to do some shopping and hopefully we can make it to Prague for a long weekend! We're hoping for a trip to Venice. Chad will be gone for 30 days in Feb (to obviously early March) so maybe in March we can go to Venice or we'll do it after our Ireland trip, it's only a 6 hr drive. I am hoping in March to take a weekend or 4 day weekend trip up to The Netherland's again to Kuekenhof. It's only open for I believe 6 weeks, it'll just depend on our finances for that one. It's a 6 hr drive as well, but the hotel will cost more than when we go to Venice (we'll stay at the Army Post that's just 45 minutes away when we go there and save money). If we can get away for a long weekend I'd love to go to Switzerland in early May. In June or July a friend and I are planning a girls only shopping trip to Belguim! They have gorgeous furniture there, antique's, and we plan on getting a couple things! :) We may have to rent a small truck or a trailor if her van has the hitch (mine doesn't I know). I don't plan on buying a ton, but do plan on buying a couple pieces hopefully! Later in the summer the kids and I are going "HOME" for 6 weeks! We'll be going to Kansas and staying with my parents, we'll be heading down to Ky to visit Emily and my friend Kandy, up to Ohio to see Chad's family for a few days, and then onto Michigan to see my best friend and to see Kelly and hopefully can meet up with Linda if she's available!!

My new years resolution...well normally I don't make them because people just break them, but this one is not going to get broke.

My resolution is to love God as I'm supposed to: With All My Heart, Mind, Body, and Soul.

 

 

My goal is to lose weight. This is something I'm very serious about. My friend B and I are going to start going to the gym. I want to start at least twice a week, and if it's nice out go walking around post and off post as well. I'd like to go twice during the week and if Chad's around on the weekend, go on Saturday with B and see if Chad is up to watching all the kids for an hour or so. He can do it, the boys wouldn't be a problem and if I timed it right Emma could be napping while I'm there and then he'd really only have to entertain B's little girl, D who's about to turn 1 this month! B's husband will be home in last summer and she'd like to have some weight off and I desperately am TIRED of being fat and want to get HEALTHY (B wants this too!!)...so that's the goal. I'd like to see at least 50 lbs off of me by this time next year! I KNOW I can do it.

 

Oh last night we welcomed the New Year in by having B and her kids over. Chad made pizza's, we munched on some snacks, played Sequence, and at Midnight B and her son and Jacob and I went outside to watch the German's shoot off fireworks! They're crazy I tell you!!! LOL They definately get into shooting in the new year! It was cold and snowing. Chad was dozing and Jack had passed out in Chad's arms by then, and Emma was out!

 

I pray your 2008 will be a wonderful year for you.

 

 

 

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