Keeping up with....

.... Amanda G!

How to tell you are falling behind on your blog: the girl who just gave birth to twins, is breastfeeding them round the clock, and has three other kids, has blogged more recently than you. Amanda, you inspire me. [For many more reasons than just this one :) ]

Let's see - since I last blogged, we've had Thanksgiving in
New Orleans .....

Taking the ferry to the French Quarter

Thanksgiving left-overs!

Enjoying Mackeys and beignets at Cafe du Monde!

..... and we've had Christmas and New Years .....

My favourite present :)

Christmas morning ... before it got covered in torn-up wrapping paper and toys!

Reading the Christmas story with Papa on Christmas morning

Stockings!

Anna's favourite present - her new "truck" from Dada! She is so hilarious on it - scooting around in the house and crashing into walls :)

.... and we've had the first snowfall of the year!

Just enough to make a snowman!

I was journalling in between Christmas and New Years, and reflecting on the last year - adjusting to our new house and neighbourhood and watching it start to feel like home; Mark's trip to Haiti; Anna's first flight to England; spinning out on the highway and totalling my poor car; taking on leadership of our lifegroup at church; watching our godson when his mom started back at work; one of Mark's best friends; diagnosis of thyroid cancer; Anna's first birthday! - how did that come around so soon?! ... Mark finishing his internship and becoming a second year resident; losing our sweet baby in the summer; flying to England again for Steph's wedding; the crazy pace of the holidays mixed with some awesome time with friends and family .... all in all, it's been a year of serious ups and downs!

But as I looked back at the last year and forward at the next, two things really stood out to me. God's strong and gentle arms carrying us through everything we've been through in the last year, and for the next year - hope. The kind of hope that allows us to say "it is well with my soul", the kind of hope that is a bright window denying the night of its darkness. The kind of hope that lives because Jesus does.

Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow!

Bring it, 2011. I'm ready.