Has It Really Been a Year?...

Hi Friends and Family,

My blog description claims "a recent cross-country move" as the reason for blogging. I'm going to have to strike the word recent though as today marks the one year anniversary of the children's and my arrival to Casper. A couple weeks ago I got to thinking about this day coming up and why this year seems to have gone by so very, very quickly. In true Christy-fashion, I had to pursue it by reviewing our calendar for the year. And here are a few reasons why the year seems to have passed so blurringly fast.

In the last year we've...

...spent 39 nights living in the camping trailer while house-hunting.

...had 59 nights of house guests.

...spent 34 nights away from home travelling.

...had seven puppies for 57 days (and nights!!).

...said good-bye to Daddy for six business trips.

In addition, the following items have been broken/needed repairs: the Expedition's transmission, the water softener, two leaking toilets, the grill, the microwave, the dishwasher, various windows, a leaking sink, a screen door, two fireplaces, the instant hot-water maker, the evaportive cooler, the water heater, and two nail punctured tires. (That I can recall!)

Wow!! No wonder my head spins a little when considering our first year here in Wyoming. But! What number to put on...

...finding a lovely home that suits our family's needs and feels very much like home to us?

...joining a church where folks are sincerely trying to follow Christ with love, fellowship, outreach and a firm, Biblical foundation?

...enrolling in a public school that is as close to a private school in its mission and excellence as it can be (and NO tuition!!)?

...being welcomed into the homes of new friends and getting to know some really warm, wonderful, Wyoming people?

...welcoming a new niece into the world just hours after her birth?

...being allowed to spend a lot more time with Uncle Matt and Auntie Carrie than has ever before been possible?

...sharing our gorgeous new state with lots of friends and family that bravely made a very long journey to visit us?

...having mountains and places to explore within hours of our home in every direction?

...having some great quality time with Todd's folks for the month they came and having my father-in-law fix so many of the annoying things that were broken around the house?

...learning to love our new dog and sharing as a family the wonder and magic of having puppies?

And so on. We are blessed! So, how about you all? Go back and look at your calendars for the year and comment here on what your year's summary looks like! It's pretty amazing when you condense it into numbers!!

I'm grateful today to the people that gave their lives that we can live free, worship free, say/read/write free, vote free, raise our children free!! Let's try not to take it for granted and remember to be thankful for our one nation, under God!!
Love you all,
Christy