2010 A Look Back

It's the end of a year. A lot has happened to our little family and our extended families this year. We tried making a list:

Logan was born
Sarah and Tyson got engaged
Calgary Temple Groundbreaking ceremony
Baby Sarah was born
Trevor and Becca got married
Baby Luke was born
Uncle Jason graduated
Janeen Graduated
Uncle Barrett graduated
Lucy graduated from preschool
Kari and Barrett moved to Lloydminster
Sarah and Tyson got married
Lucy started Kindergarten
Janeen moved to Provo and started BYU
Trevor and Becca announced they were expecting
Mike and Tammy announced they were expecting...on the same day as Trevor and Becca
Lucy broke her leg
Max graduated from Nursery
We announced that we will be moving to Kingston, Ontario.

There have been a lot of ups and downs this year. I struggled with depression a lot. We had a lot of changes. Happy and sad. The biggest thing for me has been the ability to look back and remember the happiness, triumph, joy, laughter, tears, and to have known I have grown this year. I have definitely grown. I am not naive enough to say that it's over, because I know it doesn't work that way, but I am grateful for the growth I have received this year. I most especially grateful for 3 very important things:
-My kids are wonderful and forgiving of a mother who is far from perfect
-My husband supports me through EVERYTHING. I may never know all the reasons why I was supposed to marry him, but I definitely know a lot of them. He is my partner and my support. He is my go-to and the only mortal person I trust with everything.
-Heavenly Father answers prayers. He has heard my cries of despair and grief, many times over and has comforted me. It's a lot easier for me to hear the answers to my prayers when I'm praying in faith, rather than frustration. And when I tried everything else I could think of to make my own situation better, he taught me that nothing else works except relying on Him. I began reading the Book of Mormon a few months after Logan was born. After struggling through months and months of not handling my situation, I finally consigned myself to doing what I've been taught to do my entire life. I started praying, and I started reading. Everyday. The light and life that has come back into my life is indescribable. Nothing else worked. I guess this kind of revelation and growth makes struggle worth it, right? I pray that Heavenly Father will bless me with a memory that allows me to not have to relearn those lessons again and that they will stick with me forever.

So now onto 2011. I hope this year brings a lot of growth and exciting news and tons more joy.