Happy New Year!

2012 - The year of Babies! (This was Summer - Jonah was 6 weeks,  Girls were 8 months and 18 months)

     It's a little strange to think that 2012 is over.  What a long and busy year it was!  We began the year half-way through the pregnancy, I was gloriously enjoying the second trimester and teaching first grade. Then we got the 2 foster baby girls at the end of January, and learned how to take care of little babies. This was March/30 Weeks Pregnant:

The girls were 4 and 14 months old here.

 We had 2 big life events on May 18th - Jonah was born at 2pm and John graduated seminary at 7pm.

May 17th - having small contractions :) 

May 18th - having a baby boy :) 

 With lots of tears, we lost the baby girls in late August when we found out they were not adoptable, moved to Mississippi in late September, and have been House Parents ever since.  Jonah is already 7 months old! He has grown so quickly! We took him to the doctor recently and he weighed in at 20.8 pounds, and measured 29 inches long, so he is in the 95%ile for height and 73%ile for weight. Haha tall baby! No wonder he's in his 9 month clothes now.

Around 5 months, being sweet

Being difficult to photograph with his age blocks now.

My only resolution for 2013 is this:

Spend More Time on the Most Important People/Things

 This should result in spending more time in specific prayer, Bible reading, laughing, exercise, healthy eating, playing with kids more, and generally spending my time more wisely.  I don't feel as though I often necessarily waste time because I certainly do not watch much TV at all, it really annoys me.  I only "play" on my computer when I'm on break or the kids are all in bed, or when I am looking up recipes to cook dinner.  I only "play" on my phone while nursing and pumping.  "Play" is in air quotes because I spend most of my internet time reading other interesting blogs, catching up with friends on facebook, learning new things on pinterest, or about babies on a variety of baby websites. Yet I struggle to fit in time for things I love like daily devotions, exercise, being creative, and clearing the clutter from our living spaces.  I am going to try to figure out where the time goes and how to organize it more efficiently because I know that it will help my whole family.  I was very conscientious of time spent in the classroom, but I have not carried that over into parenting.  I am excited about trying to be more mindfully purposeful of the way I spend my time.  What are your plans for 2013?

     I felt this was an appropriate passage to end on:

Ecclesiastes 3

New Living Translation (NLT)

A Time for Everything

3 For everything there is a season,
    a time for every activity under heaven.
² A time to be born and a time to die.
    A time to plant and a time to harvest.
³ A time to kill and a time to heal.
    A time to tear down and a time to build up.
⁴ A time to cry and a time to laugh.
    A time to grieve and a time to dance.
⁵ A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
    A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
⁶ A time to search and a time to quit searching.
    A time to keep and a time to throw away.
⁷ A time to tear and a time to mend.
    A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
⁸ A time to love and a time to hate.
    A time for war and a time for peace.