beautiful year.

Look at me, taking up blogging again a few months ago.

Wrote two blogs & called it quits.

Is it such a cliche that I'm only blogging because it's the very end, last day ever of 2013?

Yes.  But I don't care, it's been a beautiful year & I'm excited to see it all laid out on this page.

Oh how God has grown me.  I feel like I have grown spiritually at the same rate that Emma grows now, so fast.  I have ached with growing pains while God has been stretching & shrinking, giving & taking, building & breaking.  How wonderful the outcome.  My heart is set on Him.  I am experiencing His freedom for the first time in my life & have gotten just a small peek at who He really is as my Father & my Savior, constantly seeking more.

I got to experience pregnancy.  I loved it.  I was the ONLY one in my birthing class that said I enjoyed being pregnant & I meant it!  I was really only miserable the last week & if I had known that was my last week I wouldn't have hated it nearly as much.  I got to feel my little girl roll around in my belly, see her on an ultrasound & name her after my grandmother.  This was a wonderful time that I hope I get to experience again one day.  But if not, I have Emma & that will be always be enough.

I had Emma.  I mean, what the heck.  A beautiful HUMAN BEING grew inside my belly & then forever became a perfect part of my life.  Just my kind of perfect too.  God made her for Him, but He was just so kind to make her great for me too.  I'm constantly pouring out gratitude, daily in tears for the simple fact that she's mine.  I always say, "If she wasn't mine, I'd want her."  But I have her & this is easily my favorite part of 2013.

 

My love for my husband has never been stronger.  We just do life so well together.  We have learned compromise which was a game changer & we have seen what love really is.  The bond we had over Emma's birth brought us so much closer than I could have imagined & God is showing both of us what He wants out of our marriage.  This was our fourth year married & was the best year yet.

I gained 33 pounds and lost 38 pounds.  My pregnancy got me motivated to take care of myself & I was forced along the way to change my eating habits.  This carried on after my pregnancy & has given me a new love for GOOD food & fitness.  I still eat cookies, cake, chips & cheese.  But I take better care of myself than ever & am excited to continue doing so.

There have been struggles this year, some lasting weeks, even months.  But overall, as always, God has been good.  Always good.  I have been bad, imperfect, ugly which I've allowed to spoil many days this year, but again, God has been good, perfect, beautiful & sees my beauty, my purpose though the mess & that, my friends, is worth celebrating.

Wishing for you all to have a much more beautiful new year.  Take the time to seek who God really is, He'll blow your mind this year & for years to come.

Happy new year!