So, here it is...the holiday season. One down, two to go! Did we actually have a 2008? It really seems like it went faster than ever! I guess when you have a third child, time tends to disappear! The minutes all kind of mesh together into one big lump of time called 'Day'. Has it really come & gone just like that?
I told a friend on Facebook the other day, I have a love/hate relationship with this time of year. I love getting together with family & friends. Now, we do that all year long, normally, but for some reason it seems different in the winter. Maybe it's everyone getting cozy when the weather outside is frightful. It could be the aura of the season, knowing that family really means something when there are those without love in their lives. Or, it could be as simple as knowing Mom will have incredible turkey or ham, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, and mmm...pumpkin pie on the table. Maybe it's the warm scented candles glowing, or for those of you so lucky, the glowing fireplace. I know for my kids, it's knowing that presents await them at Grandpa's house.
The part I hate (such a strong word) is just the fact another year has come & gone so quickly. I always reflect on the year around this time & wonder "what exactly did I accomplish this year". Most years...not a whole lot. Every once in a great while, I can look back & see some growth in my life, maybe some maturity that wasn't there before. Don't ask my husband to confirm that for me!!! I can watch home videos & literally see how much my girls grew. Physically and mentally. I wish that somehow I could do that for myself. I don't videotape things I've learned and definitely don't tape how much I physically grew (haha). But, as a woman, I do have a record in my mind of the experiences I've had, the things I've learned, and the things that maybe I should work on in 2009! Read on, if you dare, and I will share with you some of those things.
In March, I had my third daughter. I learned through Nova, that I am capable of managing 3 little girls with some sanity left at the end of the day! Because of her in my life, I've learned again, that I love being a mommy, that I can be content in the daily routine of life. With Petra & Lexi, I realized that different children need different discipline, different show of love & affection, different activities with Mom & Dad, and that I am not so different than a child sometimes! I've also learned, once again, that what I do or say, they will also do or say!
God has also revealed to me things that only marriage can bring out! My husband has taught me so much about myself, things I would have been fine not knowing...but without knowing, I wouldn't really be living life to the fullest! I was miserable & discontent for so many years, not realizing what was right in front of me. God has shown me that this is my life. I can either love it or long for something else. I learned the hard way that I want this life...no matter how hard it can be, no matter how much pain it can bring me. I can find joy in the little things, if I look past the pain. God's rainbow is always there in the clouds, I just have to look at the clouds instead of running away from them.
So, as this season comes & goes quickly...I thank God for the rainbow in the storms, my children, my husband, my home (without a cozy fireplace), the family & friends He has given me, and the hard times that teach me about myself...who I am & who God wants me to be when I grow up!
Hope you have a blessed Christmas! Love you all!
