End of 2011

Another year is over, and it's true, the older you get, the faster they go. Christmas came and went, and once more, I didn't get a Christmas card/letter in the mail. So what happened to the Atkinson's in 2011?

We turned 30. Yup, officially old. Ok, maybe not, old, but we have permanently left those carefree days. Can't stay up late. Need coffee to get going in the morning. Spicy food brings heartburn. Anti-wrinkle cream. Mini vans. Old. It's not actually bad, just different. Like when I changed my hair style and suddenly looked more like my mother. Kevin's birthday was low key. I went away for two nights and had a glorious good nights sleep.

Grandpa went home to be with Jesus. We had a great celebration of his life but I still get sad. I started crying during a tv show a couple of weeks ago simply because the old man on the screen made me think of Grandpa.

Lily turned a year old; yay! she and we survived that first year. We had a great celebration with family.

But probably the biggest change to our family this year was me quitting my job. A great job I was really good at and had been doing for 8 years. But we both knew it was not my forever job. On Kevin's and my very first date, I told him all I wanted in the world was to stay home and raise babies. Suprisingly, it didn't scare him off. It is the most wonderful job I have ever had. However, next time you talk to a working mom, you tell them you appreciate how hard they work at both of their jobs! (I almost got up on a soap box there . . .) But quitting my job did mean a huge change to our finances. It has become almost a full-time job learning to pinch pennies (and I mean pennies, not just dollars.) Kevin and I have made huge sacrificies this year and I am doing a lot more at home; things I didn't even think about doing years ago simply because it means saving money. I did a handful of posts this year about things we have done to save money. This has included cutting cable, letting the gardner go, and making almost all our food from scratch. One day I'll post about how we cut our grocery bill in half while still eating healthy. Kevin has been working a lot of extra hours and at times this has meant he didn't get to see Lily, or sometimes me, on some days.

God continues to take care of us. He provides in sometimes the strangest ways. Family and friends have randomly given us gifts at just the right time. Clothes have been given to for Lily. We have received gifts of turkeys, car seats, dog food, fruit, and so many other things just as we needed them. It seems so strange to think of things like dog food as a blessing, but God knows just what we need. And beyond gifts of necessity, our family continues to spoil us with gifts, trips, and even babysitting.

So what's new for 2012? We don't really know. We hope to eventually grow our family, but as with all things, this falls under God's timing. My go to verse for 2011 has been Proverbs 19:21; Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord purpose that prevails. We plan, but only as a dream. We hope to do a little traveling this year; hence all the overtime Kevin has put in allowing us to save up. As he did in 2009, Kevin has some travel for work planned and we hope to tack on some vacation to such exotic places as Kettering, Ohio, Lorton, Virginia, and El Segundo, California. So maybe it isn't so much exotic and different from Riverside and a chance to get away and see something new. It may not even happen; you never know with the government.

We are actually hoping 2012 will be much like 2011 for us. Calm. Simple. Family and friend focused.

Neighborhood Park

One of the things that drew us to purchase our home was the community. It's clean and quiet without any real through streets and has a great little association park just three houses down. Our back yard is a great size for us but we probably won't ever be installing a large play house and swing set. The park is a great place to run, wander and climb. I don't have to pack up snacks and diapers and the like. If she gets tired or bored after five minutes, it isn't a big deal, we can always come back in an hour if we feel like it. If we do feel like an adventure, we can pack up and head to one of the other parks nearby, but our little one usually hits the spot for wanting to stretch our legs.

The baby swings are fun, but don't usually last too long.

The lady bug didn't last long once she realized there was nothing of interest in it. And heaven forbid Mom should make the thing bounce; you would have thought I was torturing her.

Last Friday nothing could be more interesting than the bicycle rack; she went back and forth for quite some time.

Most of our time is spent wandering the pathways. She just wants to be " 'side." However, after a time, Mommy sits down on the big kid swing and Lily toddles over exclaiming "up-a, up-a." We sit and swing while Mommy sings. My current favorite pastime.

Not Fair!

Kids say it all the time; "It's not fair!" Only most of the time it comes out as, "Ugh, no fair!" I hate that phrase. I hate the whine and the stamping of the foot that goes with it. But I found the phrase drifting in and out of my head this weekend. What people really mean when they say life isn't fair is that either "I didn't get what I think I deserve," or "someone else got something I want, too."


But I praise God that I don't get what I deserve. Sometimes I forget how ugly my sin is. This sin that has a cost, a penalty, a price. God paid the price for me with His son. In just a couple of weeks we will celebrate Christmas and praise God for sending His only son to be humbled as a human and to be crucified so that I can spend eternity with the Father. He offered me a gift I don't deserve. Something I cannot earn. It was given in grace. If I was given what I deserved, I would spend eternity separated from His love. Scripture says that "while we were still sinners," while we were still enemies of God, Christ died for us. Wow, was I really an enemy of God? My sin made me God's enemy. It was only by accepting the gift of life and hope that am not longer His enemy.

Jesus Christ had no sin and yet died an enemies/a criminals death. He died for my sins. Not very fair, was it?

For some reason Matthew 7:9-12 keeps popping up in my head; “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"

But right behind that, Proverbs 19:21 rings loud and clear in my ears; "Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails."

Jeremiah 29:11-12; "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

God has a plan. He has a purpose. He has good gifts for me.

Walking the Huntington Gardens

Kevin has last Friday off for Veteran's Day and we had two passes to the Huntington Library that were going to expire so were headed west for the afternoon. There really was so much to see, I'm not sure we saw half. But our newly walking daughter did not want to be strapped into the stroller, so she did some walking of her own.

In the still pictures, you can see she is holding our hands, but as the afternoon went on, she became more and more confident eventually refusing to hold our hand. I think this is part of the reason she walked so late. She never did like holding anyone's hand and I think in her mind she said "I'll do it myself, or I won't do it at all." She is a little Miss Independent. I have no idea where she gets it from . . .

I Scream, You Scream

Lily and I headed to Riley's Farm today with my family. We had a wonderful time walking around. looking at pumpkins, and EATING ICE CREAM! This was Lily's first taste of ice cream, and on a cone no less! We had a blast! And it was mmmm, so yummy!