Merry Christmas! 2012 at a Glance

I toyed with the idea of making Christmas cards and writing a newsletter this year, but perhaps waited too long. I start my CNA program on Monday, and I am preparing myself to be quite busy for the next 2 months. I decided instead to include a newsletter type post here on my blog, sharing with you some pictures and memories from the past year. I hope you enjoy!

2012 has been a time of change for our family. In June I finished up my teaching contract at East Linn Christian Academy, giving notice that I would not be returning to teach the following year. I enrolled in the Anatomy & Physiology sequence (3 classes and 3 labs) during a summer intensive at Oregon State University, and survived a grueling summer of bones, muscles, dissections and work on a cadaver even. It was difficult, and I felt I ate, breathed and lived anatomy for those 3 months. I was proud that I rose to the challenge though, with each quarter term class condensed into only 4 weeks, I was still able to pull four A's and 2 B's. 

Last Spring Barrett got a promotion at work, changing from a Front Line Support Engineer to an Advanced Technical Support Engineer at Symantec. Basically, to dumb things way down, he fixes broken computer environments for corporations. Barrett likes his job most days, and has the luxury of working at home one day a week and whenever the weather is really bad and would make his commute (only 25 minutes now...used to be an hour) dangerous. It really is a great job and has plenty of paid sick leave and vacation time and great benefits, so we have been incredibly blessed. He is able to support the family while I pursue school, though having one income has of course meant some downsizing of toys and small luxuries. Barrett has also taken to metal-working with a lathe that he has set up in his "man cave", and it has become quite the hobby. 

In May, right when the school year was beginning to wind down, Barrett, the boys and I moved to a new home in Brownsville. We are on 6.5 acres outside of town, and love our house and our view. It has been fun (!) to paint and decorate our home together. In August Barrett and I celebrated our one year wedding anniversary with a surprise trip that he planned all on his own. You can read about that here: The Difference a Year Makes Part 1 & here The Difference a Year Makes Part 2 , and about our story here: Reelin' in the Big Fish. We are doing very well, and seem to grow in our love each and every day. Barrett and I truly are the best of friends and enjoy relaxing (reading books and watching movies), shooting, cooking and travelling together. This spring we have high hopes to be able to take a week's vacation to somewhere tropical and revel in the sun and one another.  Keep your fingers crossed for a big tax return!!! 

This fall I have been taking my last two prerequisite classes down in Eugene at Lane Community College. It has meant some extra time with Isaiah (now 4 1/2), who is not in school this year and bounces between myself and my dad depending on my schedule. It has been really nice to get this one-on-one time with my younger boy.  We go on walks, play at the park, have "school" sessions where we work on math and writing, read together and do various crafts. Isaiah is a joy to watch. His personality is in constant development, and he has proven to have a very strong will (!) and also a powerful imagination. He played soccer for the first time back in the fall, and scored his first goal. He also unfortunately broke his first bone as well, though not playing soccer, instead it was by sledding into a tree over our Thanksgiving trip to the snow. Poor guy, though he has been so tough it dare try to slow him down. After-all 4-year olds (especially boys) are a whirlwind of activity! He has also proven to have quite the technological knack, something that Barrett really gets a kick out of. While playing Angry Birds on my iPhone the other day, Isaiah also decided to text Barrett (a mashed up mix of letters, but still), and open Pandora to play him some music. I was pretty impressed. Isaiah also learned to float and doggy-paddle this past summer, and will resume swimming lessons once his mother's (!) schedule slows down. 

This has been a year of change for Matthew (now 7) as well. The boys now enjoy separate bedrooms, but constantly "hang out" in one or the other together. :) Because of my move, we could not keep either boy at East Linn, so Matthew began first grade at the nearest public school here, Central Linn Elementary School. I was worried about him being new, and having to ride the bus...both things he took to with flying colors. Matthew has excelled this year, making new friends, dominating on the soccer field (he is now playing U8, which seems to be much more competitive and fun for him), and proving to be far ahead of most of his class in math and in reading! We now take turns reading to one another, and my heart overflows with pride as I hear (almost on a daily basis!) his fluency improving.  And you know what? The public school has been outstanding so far. He has a fantastic teacher, who encourages parent involvement and I've been able t o be more active in his classroom than I ever could when I had my own class to teach! Matthew learned to swim this past summer, and can do a few different strokes and get himself all over a pool.

Coming up in just four days, I will begin training as a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA), and I hope to secure a part-time job afterward. My nursing school applications are almost complete. I am applying to OHSU and Lane-both programs that start next fall. Keep me in your prayers that I get accepted into a program right away! This year has been a time of growth and change for me, and I have learned more about myself than ever before. I have become more interested in politics, human rights and current events, have read many books and started to draw, have blogged and set up a page to answer questions for the teen community Awkward Silence, and have decided (well I think) that I would either like to go into public health nursing or reproductive health nursing eventually. I turn 31 on New Year's Day, and we will celebrate (as a couple) with an overnight trip to Cowboy Dinner Tree and a stay in a rustic cabin there, and then a birthday dinner with our boys after we return home. 

I wish you peace, love, health and happiness in the year to come. Merry Christmas!
-Sarah