Another year older...

My birthday was this week. I had a great day...an entire day with my hubbs and girls, followed by dinner with my mom and dad. Cooked entirely by my momma...my favorite foods like fried (healthy as possible) squash, potato salad, coleslaw (my momma's good stuff), grilled chicken and a peanut butter chocolate pie! Can you seriously imagine a better southern spread? Just missed my brother so terribly and my sister-in-law...not the same without the two of them at the table.

So, in the aftermath of turning a year older...I sat and pondered what this last year has brought me. It brought with it laughter, joy and sorrow...but in the end it was so very sweet. In the last year I celebrated 9 amazing years of marriage to my hubbs, I finalized my Doo's adoption at the beginning of the year, I spent time in two children's hospitals with my Bug--watching her recover through surgery, I witnessed the miracle of not loosing my father to the widowmaker, I went through my husband having a heart attack and being in the ICU for a week, I sat beside a friend grieving the loss of a child and witnessed her become a stronger woman, I said goodbye to my sister-in-law and brother and watched them move away, I get to watch my sweet girls learn to love each other--which makes me fall more desperately in love with them, I have made friends with amazing women and rekindled friendships I once thought lost, I began co-teaching a class on my greatest passion for the Lord--adoption, I've been to 4 airport homecomings of little ones being adopted internationally, my Bug is WALKING...a miracle all on it's own for we never knew for certain the day would come, I've witnessed my Doo learn so many new things--she truly learns something everyday and melts me each time, I left my children for the first time to see my brother graduate, I went on a women's retreat for adoptive mothers (something I'd previously said I wouldn't do), I traveled to GA to say goodbye to my brother before he was deployed, I witnessed the joy of a friend becoming a mother for the first time-such happiness for her I feel, I realized that my life is more than blessed...it is abundant and overflowing with His new mercies everyday.

My life is beautiful. Although it appears messy and chaotic to others...beauty is within. I can't fathom my life in any other way. I'll take the stuff life has to dish out...because with it I have grown into someone I actually like. More importantly, Jesus LOVES me. He sees every second of my last year and loves me for the mistakes I made in it, for the beauty within and for the shear fact that I start each day over with the purpose of loving Him, my family and myself.

On my birthday, my hubbs gave me a sweet card that he had written that he was proud of me...proud of the woman I am. I think that is probably the perfect ending to my perfect year.

Much love,
~K