Blessings in a Simple Life
It has been a whopping...well...FOREVER since I have blogged. Yes, forever and a day. I am going to do my best to type up a review of what all has happened within the Hawkins household in the meantime...
My last real blog was November 2, 2008. Since then, I have turned 30. I am now three decades old. Am I devastated? No. I view my age more as an accomplishment than a tragedy. My actual birthday, though, was very disappointing. God used it to teach me quite a lesson. For my husband's 30th on October 10th, I went all out. I had a surprise party for him at one of his favorite restaurants out of town with his very best, most elite friends...friends he considers closer than his actual family. He had a blast! His gift? A new truck. A foor door, 4X4 Nissan Frontier. Soooo, I had it in my simple mind that I might have a big surprise or something exciting to look forward to. Nope. My birthday was just like every other day. Nothing special, no cake, no presents...just a birthday card two days late from Wes. The night of my birthday was spent with Wes's step-family, celebrating his step-grandfather's 81st birthday. No one remembered that it was mine, too. In all of this, I learned a valuable lesson. I learned to never, ever expect much on this earth. Seriously, nothing here is perfect. God rejoiced over my second birth the day I accepted forgiveness through Jesus' death and resurrection, more so than anyone has ever rejoiced over my first birth here. How awesome is that!? The one great thing after my birthday, aside from the great spiritual lesson and growth, was that one of my best friends flew here from Kansas to spend Friday night and all day Saturday with me the weekend after my birthday. Roxy, you are fabulicious, doll!
My last real blog was November 2, 2008. Since then, I have turned 30. I am now three decades old. Am I devastated? No. I view my age more as an accomplishment than a tragedy. My actual birthday, though, was very disappointing. God used it to teach me quite a lesson. For my husband's 30th on October 10th, I went all out. I had a surprise party for him at one of his favorite restaurants out of town with his very best, most elite friends...friends he considers closer than his actual family. He had a blast! His gift? A new truck. A foor door, 4X4 Nissan Frontier. Soooo, I had it in my simple mind that I might have a big surprise or something exciting to look forward to. Nope. My birthday was just like every other day. Nothing special, no cake, no presents...just a birthday card two days late from Wes. The night of my birthday was spent with Wes's step-family, celebrating his step-grandfather's 81st birthday. No one remembered that it was mine, too. In all of this, I learned a valuable lesson. I learned to never, ever expect much on this earth. Seriously, nothing here is perfect. God rejoiced over my second birth the day I accepted forgiveness through Jesus' death and resurrection, more so than anyone has ever rejoiced over my first birth here. How awesome is that!? The one great thing after my birthday, aside from the great spiritual lesson and growth, was that one of my best friends flew here from Kansas to spend Friday night and all day Saturday with me the weekend after my birthday. Roxy, you are fabulicious, doll!
Roxy with me, way too early Sunday morning, before her flight back home.We had Thanksgiving twice this year...first with Wes's step-family, then with mine. That Saturday we went to see Wes's dad and extended family in Abingdon, VA. Most importantly, that Sunday we went to a new church. Many of you know how long we have been searching for a new church home. Wes was not growing spiritually in our old church and left each Sunday angry, and regressed in his walk. Not what our family needed! My parents and I went to Crosspoint Community Church that T-giving Sunday and immediately felt like it was where we needed to be. Pastor Berry's sermon was engaging and captivating. The members were so welcoming that we felt as though we were coming home to a family even though it was our first visit. It is a small church, but the spirit is alive and well there and I could see that great things were going to be happening there. They have opportunities for us to be involved, many kids for our two to befriend, and many couples in their 20's to 40's for us to get to know. I felt it was an immediate answer to my two-year prayer.
Our family at Nana's on Thanksgiving.Christmas came and went quickly this year. Abigail's class had a party that I helped out with and Aiden go to attend. I helped with icing the graham craker houses and helped to make sure the candy got on the houses and not in the kids' tummies! We had fun! We got presents and wrapped them for some families in need. We made contributions to the Hunger Coalition. We donated many toys my kids either outgrew or even never used. We celebrated with our families for over a week...12/20 with my mom, dad, and brother; 12/24 with Wes's step-family; 12/25 morning for our immediate family, afternoon with Wes's dad's family in Virginia; 12/28 with my mom's sister's family and Oma...our calendar was covered!
Abigail and Aiden making their graham cracker house at Abby's class party.
Abigail and Aiden decorated our tree this year!
Abby modeling her Littlest Pet Shop animals from Aiden on Christmas morning.
Me with Aiden at Nana's.On December 30, Wes had surgery to remove his tonsils, uvula, and soft palate to help correct his severe sleep apnea. It was a tough surgery and an even harder recovery. He went for over 2 weeks without food, just eating popsicles and Italian ice. He had a couple emergency visits to the ER and the doctor for hemorrhaging. Over all, he took 3 weeks off of work. I love my husband, but I am not used to having him home! I joke around about it, but truly, I am a single mom who happens to have a husband, so having him home wasn't the easiest thing in the world for me. I was doing my usual daily "chores", but also had to wait on him constantly and hear his"observations" about how I do things. It was definitely a lesson in humility, in patience, and in loving for me. He returned to work this week, day shift, and I was very thankful to have some moments of peace!
Me with Wes before his surgery. Not a great picture of either of us, but we really don't have any pictures of us! Sad, I know.Aiden turned four on January 7th. A friend of mine said she was amazed that he was a boy who made it four years without major injury. Some people would have viewed that as a "jinx", I just thought it was the wisdom of a woman with 3 boys. Well, the Sunday following his birthday, Aiden tripped in the nursery at church and cracked his forehead open on a small space heater. Now when I say cracked, I mean split it clear open. His wound was 2.6 inches long and to the bone. A lady came upstairs and said I needed to come to the nursery because Aiden did something to his head. I expected a little bump, maybe a little crying...not a gaping hole! We went to the ER and waited 3 hours for the doctor to put two stitches on the inside and dermabond glue on the outside. Aiden did great, though! He only cried until I carried him to the car, then played and was happy during the wait and even watched the doctor stitch him in the mirror. While we were waiting, my silly boy actually tried to "bonk" me with his head...future football player!!! His head is healing well and I am now a firm believer in dermabond glue...it makes a hugs wound look like a scratch! The church renovated the nursery rooms that week, removing the heater and making the rooms more spacious. They look great! I know that they were upset that he got hurt there, but really, kids can wound themselves on some of the craziest things! Aiden's little forehead will just match his mommy's now...afterall, I had stitches in mine 3 times before I turned 4!
Aiden with his Thomas the Train cake. It was the only thing he wanted for his birthday!
He's healing well! Abigail has barely been to school sonce their return date of January 5th. Our county has had 8 snow days! Unfortunately for the kids, we have not had snow at our house. There is plenty of snow in Boone and Banner Elk, though, so we might go sledding and ice skating next weekend. Since she has been home so much, I have done my best to "homeschool" so that she will retain what she has been learning. She is doing well with her reading and math, so I sat as she read to me and I helped her practice some handwriting. According to her report card, though, we need to be working on getting her to be quiet during class! She gets so excited to be in school that she apparently can't stop talking now. She so did not get that from me!
Lastly, my most recent visits with my doctors have gone pretty well. The liver damage is slowly healing and my bloodwork has improved greatly. I have lost a total of 34 pounds in the past three years and am continuing to workout as often as possible at the YMCA. Yesterday, I actually ran 8 miles, the last two of which were uphill and backward. I am hoping to run The Bear in July 2010. I had good biopsy results after my last surgery (in November), so that was great news, too. Thank you all for your prayers over the years! Overall, I think this whole blog was praise after praise...so start praising God for being so faithful to us all!
Well, I hope you all are well and happy! You are always in my prayers. Never doubt that!
