I'm sorry, you're not getting a Christmas card this year. I know one year you received ours in February, so you may think it's still coming...but I can assure you it is not. Instead you get this wonderful recap of the year.
This year has been the best year for our family out of the past three years (other than the birth of our wonderful Brienne all the way back in 2018). I hesitate to even write this, because I know 2020 has been incredibly difficult for many people and I don't want to be insensitive to that fact. So, in order to put this year in perspective for OUR family, first is a very brief recap of 2018 and 2019: in 2018 my pregnancy was miserable. My labor was miserable. Bri had to go under the lights when she was born, so she was miserable. At 2 months old she was exposed to whooping cough, a month or two later she was in the hospital with RSV, and a month after that I was in the emergency room with a kidney stone. 2019 wasn't significantly better. Bri and I were both sick a lot (I was at the doctor at least once a month for 6 months and Bri was there at least once a month for 9 months). I had four surgeries due to the kidney problems that started the year before. We moved because there were 4 shootings in our community, with the last one being a drive by almost right in front of our house in the middle of the afternoon. So...2020 had a lot to compete with in terms of bad things happening. January was rough for the first half because I was still having issues from my surgeries and I believe at least one or two of my kids were sick. However, none of us have really been sick since then (maybe a little stint in May, but that's all I can remember), which is basically unheard of in our house. Kylena did go to the ER in the summer when she had to get stitches in her head, but otherwise our year has been fairly uneventful medically speaking. (And honestly, I budget for at least 1 ER trip per year for injuries and I'm not sure how we made it this long without.) One of the most exciting things for me this year has been the addition of a couple of medicines to help with my migraines. I typically average 3 migraines a week and most of the time they're bad enough that I am out for the day. As you can imagine, I lose a lot of productive hours per week due to this. Towards the end of 2019 or beginning of 2020 I finally started a medicine that helps when I get a migraine - it sometimes takes up to 2 hours, has gross side effects, and I usually have to be in bed for that time in order for it to work - but it works, and that's what matters. Then just 2.5 weeks ago I started a monthly injection and I have only had 1 migraine since. I feel a bit dramatic saying that it's life-changing, but it truly will be if it continues to work as well as it has so far. In March when everything closed down because of COVID, it was hard, especially for Izzy, but it also allowed us to get caught up on all of the school we were behind on (due to the four surgeries the winter prior) and we have remained caught up since. This is the first year we've ever still been on track with school at the end of December. (That's not even mentioning how much easier all these COVID school decisions have been on us since we already homeschool.) We also have been able to get caught up on almost all of our house projects at home, including getting new floors through most of the house, and we are finally 100% unpacked from when we moved in June 2019. I thought I would hate being stuck at home all the time, and although I did lose my patience more than I'd care to admit, I also found that I really enjoyed just being at home and enjoying uninterrupted time with my family. Shawn has been working at home since March and will be for the foreseeable future, which has been a huge blessing for our whole family. Additionally, he got a nice promotion this past summer and we are in the best place financially that we have ever been in, which relieves a ton of stress for me. After my surgeries last year I determined that I needed to be healthier. January 12th I started exercising regularly and in February or March I started eating better (or at least sometimes I eat better...I still struggle on that one). My anxiety got the best of me towards the end of October and I had a couple rough months, but I've been back with it now for a few days and have seen a ton of improvements in my health over the past year that I'm quite pleased with. Our kids are awesome. Izzy (7.5) continues to amaze us with how smart she is and her excitement for life and planning parties (which admittedly has been a little rough this year). She's in third grade and basically excels in everything she does. Kylena (4.5) has made HUGE strides in her speech, comprehension, and behaviors this year. Every day she says and does new things that show she's just growing leaps and bounds. This is my first year homeschooling her and although it's been a challenge at times, it has also been such a joy to be a part of all the progress she's making. She is so incredibly smart and I know that one day she'll use it for good. ;) Brienne's speech and comprehension is ridiculous for a two year old and she keeps us very entertained with her expressions both through her words and on her face. For being a third child she is quite bossy and dramatic, but she is also insanely cuddly and sweet. Today Shawn and I celebrate 12 years since the day of our engagement. I am glad to say that I love him just as much as I did 12 years ago. We've been through a lot together and I could not ask for a more supportive husband. He is truly the best. There have certainly been hard things also. COVID has been rough on Izzy socially. She thrives on interacting with others. We've also had two people close to us who had very hard experiences with COVID and it's hard to see loved ones suffering. Then the derecho in August was huge - we were without our phones for a couple days and without internet for almost two weeks. It felt very strange to not have any idea what was going on around us as we had no way to access the news or social media. We were blessed to not have as much damage as most...the hardest part for us has been dealing with the extra fears and anxiety that Kylena now has in regards to rain, wind, and loud noises in general. Finally, a couple years ago I shared that I was excited that we were still in contact with 4 out of 5 of our former foster children, but due to various circumstances that number is down to 1 (which is Kylena). Each of our foster kiddos takes a piece of my heart when they leave, so this year has been a little heartbreaking in that aspect. Long story short: This year was hard, but it was also filled with better health, better finances, and better quality time with my family. God has been gracious to us and we give all praise to Him for what He's done in our lives this year. Our prayer is that we continually train our kids to love God and love others and that we do it both by teaching them and by setting good examples in our own lives. We pray that you also will grow in your love and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ through both the good times and the hard times that will undoubtedly come throughout the next year. Love, Marla
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Marla HoyMy family says and does silly things and I write it down. Archives
March 2020
Categories |