Been a long time.

So I created this blog more than a year ago, and I have blogged twice. What is even worse is I knew I would do this and yet I still created the blog. So I am committing to blog at least once a month; to keep this current... if for no other reason than to journal for my family.

There is just not enough time or space to cover all that we experienced and learned since my last blog. All I can say is 2008 ended rough, but 2009 started out just right as we welcomed our beautiful baby Elijah into the world. The rest of the year proved to be tough but was full of blessings as well.

2009 in a nutshell --

Nate played t-ball for the first (and possibly the last) time, he had a very exciting snake party to celebrate turning 5, and he started kindergarten in the fall. He's grown like an entire foot in a year, or so it seems. He is now reading and writing, doing math, and is quite the artist. Nate loves to "explore" in our backyard, play basketball, and wrestle with his dad and brother. He can't get enough of Animal Planet or Star Wars...however, he is now willing to sit and watch a little football with me (and I think he actually enjoys it for a few minutes). Nate likes to play with his friends from church, but his best friend (and probably favorite person in the world) is his cousin Katherine.

I believe Nate is the wittiest five-year-old ever; he's also the quirkiest kid ever. He's amazingly smart and strong but sometimes comes with a short fuse; which can be a deadly combination. I think he may be able to outsmart me sooner than I would have expected. His curiousity has gotten him into trouble on several occasions, but it's also pushed him to know and understand things like the Scriptures. One of the biggest blessings in 2009 was when we realized Nate had gained a basic understanding of salvation. Thankfully he is a compassionate child who seems to want to do the right thing -- most of the time. :)

Calvin provided us with lots of much needed comic relief in 2009. He is still a tiny thing, but it seems he has grown so much. At the beginning of 2009 he was just beginning to speak in full sentences, but it was like pulling teeth. Now he won't stop talking. Although he speaks clearly, he is still in that stage where certain words are distinctly his,... it's adorable. We love to hear him; especially when he's telling an "exciting" story. He was potty trained by early Spring and took his first swimming lessons in June. He turned three in November, and at his request we had a "cowboy party." He attends daycare three days a week and is home with me and Eli the other days. He loves wrestling with his dad as well, but I think he may be an even bigger Star Wars fan than Nate.

Although Nate is so much bigger and stronger than Calvin, Calvin has no problem holding his own. If it came down to a punching match Nate would win only if Calvin stood still. Calvin is little but he's agile and his tiny legs can move really fast. It's like he's the offspring of a spider monkey and a cockroach. You might find him swinging on the chandelier or catch a glimpse of him as he scurries across the living room. I think it's precious that Calvin loves to cuddle and still wants me to sing him lullabies at bedtime.

Our newest addition is Elijah Owen. Eli, as we call him, changed the most in a year (which is no surprise since he was born on January 9, the most exciting day of 2009). I was in a hearing at the Liberty County Courthouse when I went into labor. I left the courthouse at 10:20, and Eli was born in Kingwood Hospital at 11:20. The trip to the hospital was almost as memorable as the delivery. Eli's birth was the most painful experience of my life, but the pain quickly passed once I laid eyes on my blond-haired, blue-eyed, fair-skinned child. He looked nothing like the other two... not what I expected, but just as beautiful. At a week early Eli weighed six pounds six ounces and measured 19 inches long. Although he grew like a weed in 2009 he is still little like Calvin.

Elijah had a busy year in 2009 as he went from liquids to solids, learned to sit up, crawl and eventually stand, and even cut SIXTEEN teeth! He loves watching his older brothers play and shows no interest in watching t.v. (unlike the other two). What I find most interesting about Elijah is that he is the combination of Nate and Calvin. He looks like both of them even though the two of them do not favor each other so much. He is strong like Nate but little and agile like Calvin. He's sensitive like Calvin, but seems to have a great sense of humor like Nate. He is unique though, in more ways than one. He has an awesome smile with two deep dimples; one on each cheek. :) He's clever for a one-year-old and he knows what he wants,... and what he does NOT want! I can't wait to see what he learns next. As of today he is learning to walk,... already up to 6 steps.

We are so blessed to have three beautiful, healthy, charming boys!!

Since December of 2008, Chris has been the primary preaching pastor at FBC Dayton. He's done a fantastic job, not only at preaching but also at leading the church and other pastors through a very difficult time. I am very proud of him, but I know it is only by and through the Holy Spirit that Chris has had this opportunity. God has surrounded Chris and our family with a support network of loving, generous Christians. He has provided Chris with wise and godly counsel from others. Chris' love and compassion for our church family is growing and so is his desire to lead a Christ-centered, God-glorifying life.

I have continued my private law practice, but in 2009 I began to cut back my workload. I started working only three days a week. My primary focus is child advocacy. The more I have been able to narrow down my practice to CPS court appointments and private adoptions, the more I have enjoyed my career. I also love being able to be home with the boys two days a week. I am learning to manage my home and business simultaneously, but it has been very difficult. It's still a work in progress.

In 2009 I was not able to be as active in church or the community as I would have liked to have been because the boys really needed me home most of the time. Eli was an infant, and Calvin and Nate were going through various stages that require a great deal of time and attention. With Chris spending so much time working and attending meeting after meeting, my family really needed me at home. However, I believe this year I will have a bit more freedom. The boys are becoming more and more independent and easier to handle. Chris and I have been able to establish more structure and boundaries for the boys through routine and discipline. Chris is and has always been very generous with his time; which has allowed me time to be involved in the women's ministry and hangout with my girlfriends. I hope to take on a leadership role in the women's ministry at FBC Dayton and possibly participate in more community events.

In May Chris and I celebrated our fifth year at FBC Dayton and in September we celebrated our eighth wedding anniversary. My marriage to Chris has grown stronger and our relationship is so much deeper than I realized it could ever be. I am so, so thankful for my husband. I could never have imagined the blessings I have received from being his wife and best friend. Although things are more challenging, including in our marriage, we are more in love than ever. He is my partner in everything and my true love forever!

I pray that we will take the lessons learned from the past year and push forward with confidence and humility as we journey through 2010. I pray that we do so in a manner that is most pleasing to our Father in Heaven. May our individual lives and our family as a whole be a ministry that points to the One Most High, and may He be glorified in all that we do.