perspective December 29, 2011 – Posted in: Family

I can’t even begin to count the number of times this year I’ve mumbled, “this is the worst year of my life.”

Grandpa died in June. There are still times I forget he’s gone and expect to see him walk through the door and hug me tight. It’s been six months already, but there are plenty of quiet moments when my mind drifts to him and I’m overwhelmed by tears.

We had major (read: expensive!) car repair work done 4 times between January and August. Just when we were sure it would run like new for years, a drunk driver totaled it and took away our family car, leaving us to pile 3 kids into a teeny sedan.

We had plenty of money and health woes, too. Nothing major, but it’s been one thing after another non-stop this entire year. Things had finally settled, we decided on a van to buy and as we were getting our ducks in a row, we got a letter in the mail on December 9th that the house we’ve been renting for nearly 2 years is going into foreclosure and is being auctioned on the county courthouse steps Jan 3rd. Merry Christmas. So now we’re rushing around trying to buy our first house and it’s just not exactly ideal.

I’ve had so much going on in my personal life I kind of checked out on my blog. I’ve been sewing, but mostly for gifts and family and things that aren’t especially blog fodder. I’ve just felt completely overwhelmed by everything we’re dealing with, compounded by Christmas, and who cares about blogging, right?

So while I was off licking my wounds, I was learning more about the year other people have been having. There’s something so humbling about a huge reality check on life, isn’t there? Sure, we had to have the car fixed, but we had the money to do it. We survived the accident with barely any physical signs. This isn’t our house we’re losing, and in fact, we’re in a position to buy right now. We’ve never had to worry about having a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs or food on our table. Life might not have been smooth this year, but while we mourn and grieve for the loss of my Grandpa, we’re rejoicing in the healthy, beautiful baby girl we welcomed. How lucky are we?

I’m not sad to see 2011 end. It HAS been rough. I’ve prayed hard, cried harder, and laughed until my sides hurt. I’ve grown to cherish life even more, and learned a hard lesson about how you can’t plan for the unexpected. I’m ready for 2012 and all the amazing things it has to offer. I’ve got some things to blog about in the coming weeks, but I assume with the (hopefully!) house buying, packing and moving, I might not be posting much in the way of crafting. I hope you’ll keep coming back, though, as I can’t stay away for long!

So enjoy some pictures of the three greatest blessings in my life enjoying the Christmas holidays! Happy New Year!