Our Beautiful Journey into a New Year

These are Our latest Family Pictures. I love them and think they turned out beautifully. Each time I look or upload them I admire each one and I am so thankful for the family God has blessed us with. I hope you enjoy seeing how much the kids have grown in the last year. Especially how grown up the boys look. How did I become the parent of a almost 10 year old. I don't feel that old. Even after the year I just had. LOL Oh well it is exciting seeing them each grow into their personalities. Caitlyn is in size 4T clothing and a size 9 shoe. She is not even 2 1/2 years old yet. She is talking so much. Almost nonstop when she is awake.

I was fixing lunch for Caitlyn and she asked for Macaroni and Cheese. I told her I didn't have any. She says, "Well how about some noonles" She is too cute. Each night when I lay her down and cover her up she says, "Thank you Mommy. I love you!" No matter how the day has gone or what she has done or the boys, it makes it worth it all just to hear those sweet little words.

The other night Connor and Chandler had some friends spend the night. Chandler apparently hit one of the other boys in his "privates". This little boy proceeded to tell Connor if you get hit there than you won't have any kids. I heard Connor say, "That is not true." I went in told them to go to sleep. Of course Connor was not done with this conversation. So he asks me. I told him that if you got hurt there very bad then it was possible for things not to function properly. Pretty good right? Wrong. Connor says, "That doesn't make any sense. Boys don't have babies!!!" LOL What am I going to do with him?? Too funny though.

Ok. So for my New Years Resolutions, I figured if I blog them than I would be more apt to follow thru with them if it was all out there for everyone to know and hold me accountable.

1. Lose 10 lbs or talk Shane into having another baby. LOL Contradictory I know. My list. Make your own.

2. Read my devotional/bible every day or at least M-F. Sunday is church. Again my list. Good for you if you do every single day. I am starting somewhere. OK.

3. Not holler at the boys so much. Be more patient

4. Get more involved with the boys school.

5. Make more "We Time" for Shane & I.

6. Make a new friend

7. Be a better friend to the ones I have

8. Don't be so critical of others.

9. Positive Thoughts only

10. Enjoy each moment of every day.

11. Catch up on all my Shutterfly Books.

I think that about sums it up. So now I am held so accountable by all of you.

Well on Wednesday it will 14 years since I married the Love of my Life. I would have to say that this was one of the most trying of all of them. It was 13 of course!!! If I wasn't superstitious of the #13 I am now. LOL JK Kind of????

Anyway, he has been my rock thru all of this. I know most men would stay by their wife's side but I know there are those who don't. It becomes too much and they get scared and run. How blessed am I that I have a husband who has stood by my side thru it all. And it was a lot last year. Not just cancer either. Our motto was, "Just don't cry on the same day!" So if I was down he would encourage me and vice versa. Most of the time it was him encouraging me. My hormones were so out of whack.

But we made it. By the grace of God we Did IT!!! And so in celebration of that we are going to Cancun, Mexico. I am so excited. I love Cancun!! It is very relaxing to us both. I can't wait. We leave Wednesday morning and will be in Cancun by 11:30am. You can't beat it. We don't leave until 4:30pm on Sunday. So 5 days & 4 nights of Heaven on Earth.

When we get back, on February 4th I have my reconstructive surgery. 1 day before my 1 year Anniversary of being told, "You have breast cancer." But I am a survivor. I only have 2 more herceptin treatments. One on the 25th and one February 15th. Yeah!!!!!!!!!!! Then it will only be follow up appointments.

In church yesterday, Pastor Doug was talking about Jesus going into the wilderness and experiencing trials. He asked if we were willing to go thru a trial for ourselves or the sake of our families. My answer: "Not me" LOL I did that last year. The end of 2008 I prayed that God would use me however he chose, without taking my life, to bring our family & extended family to a place of realizing that we desperately needed God in our lives more than ever. We had just experienced the separation of my mom & step dad a few months before. That was a big blow to our family. And so I prayed that prayer that God would use me. Guess what happened about 30 days later. I found my lump. So I am not volunteering anytime soon for any trials this year. Anyone else want to volunteer??? LOL This year is about healing and learning to live again.

This year has a lot of promise and I am still holding to God's promise of Jeremiah 29:11.

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

So I am looking forward to God's plans in our life, on our Journey in this New Year He has given us. I can't wait to be prospered, given hope & live for the future. I have the opportunity for a second chance in life. Now how am I going to use it? I have a different perspective on life after this past year. I am not sweating the small stuff this year either. I am ready to live with hope for my future.

All my love,

Rachael