Down...Set....LIFE!: Head up...looking forward

My cousin Haley is really good at expressing herself. I was inspired by her blog to recap a few of the big events of the last year as we look forward to the next. Dave and I were literally on a plane last year at this time, flying to Saint Louis to see grandma and grandpa Brubaker. I am so thankful now as that is the only set of grandparents living between Dave and I. 1 year later Ralph Brubaker, Ritha's dad, went to be with the Lord this morning after 94 wonderful years of life.

After almost getting hired by USC last spring, Dave and I settled in to another year at El Camino College and decided to start saving to buy a house...in a few years. Spring marked the end of Kate playing Basketball at USC. It also marked the end of me eating meat and Dairy. I am coming up on a year of veganism in february and I have literally never felt so good in my entire life.

Summer came and Dave decided to spend the summer working for his dad at church, I taught summer school, and we went to 4 weddings. May: Jessica and Adelo, July: Steve and Giovanna, Kristen and Anthony, September: Mike and Tia. In the middle of this craziness of weddings and baby showers and football camps and cheer camps (we had someplace to be important literally every weekend of the summer) we decided we couldnt pass up the time to buy a house. And God provided the most incredible scenario for us. My dad was also spared a horrible future when a semi-minor surgery to remove some polups from diverticulitus turned into a foot of infected dead colon.

Fall came and saw an incredible football season, training a baby puppy, running around remodeling a house, living with my in-laws, and moving into our very own house. After visiting and housewarming as our first sleepover guests, my parents returned to Seattle in time for prostate cancer surgery. I am happy to report that my dad is cancer free and healing great. The same weekend my parents visited, Judah James was born 9 weeks premature, but healthy and ready to be with his parents. He moved into the NICU and we all assumed greater responsibility with Elisha so josh and Bunmi could be with their newest family member

At the beginning of December we were rocked with the near loss of Dave's father Isaac. There are so many things I can say about that 2 weeks...continuing now with rehab and hopefully coming home soon, but I want to leave it at the truely sacred experience that it was. It felt that the entire world was praying and pleading to not let satan steal a man that needs to enjoy the fruit of all his labor. Lining the hallway singing "Our God is and Awesome God" as Isaac was wheeled away to die on the operating table, knowing that God was going to do miracles because that was all we had seen, will forever be etched into my memory.

2008 was a year I had my head down, my feet dug into the muck and mud, knowing that this year was going to require a lot of patience, perserverence, and hard work. What year in any of our lives does not? But with grad school, new jobs, buying a house, and all of the other craziness of the last year, it has been all I can do most days to make it home and crumble into bed. I also know that Dave and I have grown more in this year than in any previous. On a slightly lighter note..I am grateful for almost being done with grad school, loving to eat food again and having no more braces!

As we start this new year, I feel joy for the adventure and excitement to see all that God is going to do. I think this is one of those years it talks about in the Bible when we will see "showers of blessing, in season." I am grateful for 2008, but looking so forward to living, not just marching through, 2009!