A year in review

Well I have been pondering this post in my head for a week or so now and have been thinking back over the year.  I know that there has been a lot happen but now it is just to write it all down.

So lets start off the year.  Well January, February were uneventful that I can remember.  Then in March I found out that there was a possible baby boy that would need an adoptive home.  I pursued that and even went all the way to Prince George, BC to find out about the baby.  Amongst waiting to hear about the baby Jake and I took a travel Alberta tour.  We had a great time and enjoyed ourselves.  Going to Drumheller, Lethbridge, Calgary, and Banff all in a week.  Thank goodness Jacob is a great traveller and didn't complain a bit about all the driving.  Although I wish he did his share of it! 

Then after our trip I continued to pursue adopting the little baby.  It was a tad complicated; but hey is having a baby ever easy??  I ended up going to Prince George, BC to meet the baby.  After a heart tugging visit I made the decision that I couldn't take this beautiful little boy away from a family that also wanted to adopt him and loved him like their own as well.  So I drove home in tears but with a heart that knew I had made the right decision.  In the midst of all of that I was also house shopping.  I had gone on a trip to SK to visit some friends and I had spoken to my realtor and had said I was interested in a house.  He had told me that at the time there was a pending offer on the house and he thought it was a done deal.  On the drive to SK I prayed and I said to God, "well God if you want us to be in this house it is your doing and I know you can move mountains."   5 days later my realtor let me know that the deal fell through and you guessed it.....

God moved a mountain.
So I then got over the grief of not having another little one to be a mom to by packing and getting ready to move into our own new to us home. 

Jake and I drove by everyday, sometimes 3 times a day.No we weren't excited at all!! On June 29th, my dad's birthday, we moved. On June 30th I woke up at 3am so excited and unpacked a good portion of the house.  Finally I could have room to have people over again!!  Throughout the summer we had company all the time and BBQ's and Jake had his birthday party in our back yard; it was so much fun and I am very thankful that God blessed us and answered my prayer. 

Summer was busy for us.  Jake finished pre-school; we went on a road trip, we took in a few fairs, went to Fort Edmonton Park, spent some time camping, went on the Stettler train ride and just were really busy!! 

Then it was time for fall.  Jake started maternelle; kindergarten for us English speaking folks. 

Then we began to have someone else begin to join our family.  I had met a young girl a few years ago and she was the niece of my friend.  I ran into the young girl at a local grocery store where she was working.  She was so pleasant and polite as a cashier.  I left the store knowing she was going to come and live with us.  Yep it was that definite.  On October 28, 2012 CJ joined our family and moved in.  Jake and I love having her and she has been fun to share our lives with.  So fall was busy with school, and work.  Having a kindergartner and a grade 12 student under one house is fun and interesting all at once.  I truly now understand the role of a teen parent, aka chauffeur!!  I feel like I'm always driving and nowhere that I want to go!  It's great though and I wouldn't change our little family for all the world. 
Jake likes school and is speaking more and more french all the time.  He's a whiz at paper airplanes and no paper is safe with him around.  He took skating lessons and swimming lessons this past year; learning to do both quite well.  His kindness for others amazes me all the time.  Most recently his favorite person to play with is the little girl in his class that hurt her leg and has a cast, when I ask why, he tells me it's because she can't go play with everyone else.  Jake's knowledge of God already amazes me all the time.  I just have to share a picture of his gift to his teacher.  He decided to paint a rainbow on the board and then we put a "B" on it for his teacher's name.  The back of the board is really the treasure though.

I've asked Jacob if he wants to have other kids join our family and he tells me "a sister, like CJ."  One day maybe....
Christmas was very fun this year because we got to spoil CJ with gifts, something that I was really looking forward to.  As you can tell in the picture she was completely shocked by her gift of a camera. 

Jake was also very happy with his horse and transformers; the toy of the year for him. 
So as I reflect on this year God moved some mountains and blessed us abundantly and for that I'm thankful.  So to whomever reads my blog I hope that you too step out on a limb and ask God to move a mountain for you and have the faith that He can in fact move that mountain for you if you believe and trust.