A Year of Blessings

I'm not sure if it's the nesting (that is in full swing, let me tell you) or the end of the year or the impending birth (TOMORROW!!!) or the Conference talks I've been reading, but I have been feeling very grateful lately.  I would like to share some of those special blessings with all of you. (I'm sorry it's so long, I'm more documenting this for me and posterity than all y'all's entertainment.)

1. Jason's Job-  Jason has been employed full time all year long.  This is MAJOR!  I don't think this has happened since 2006, no joke.  And he didn't even have a job for all of 2005, so this is the second calendar year in our marriage where he has been working the entire year and, boy, am I grateful for that!

2. Jason's Job 2- Now don't be thinking because of that we're just rolling in the dough, because we aren't, but, hey, things are better than they've been in a long time and we have two checks coming in regularly.  Back in April, Jason had two different job opportunities.  One was with his current (at the time) job for a big pay raise and the other was a significant pay cut (we're talking less than he has made EVER that we've been married) but a lot closer to home.  Well, even though it didn't make sense, we both felt like he should take the job closer to home.  That was a tough decision, because the pay raise would have really helped us out and put us a lot closer to me being able to stay home, but we both felt he should change.  Jason has made a lot of decisions about work based on confirmations that we've never been able to understand or see why we listened to the Lord, but this time we did!  About six weeks ago, he was delivering a radiator to a auto auction location and saw all of the trucks for his former employer there.  He asked about them, and the guy told him they'd all been repo'd.  So, if he'd stayed at that job, he probably wouldn't have a job now!

3.  Babysitters for Johnny- Barb told me right before Thanksgiving that taking care of Johnny was really hard for her as her health hadn't been doing very well for a few months.  We had to find someone for Johnny fast, for just a few weeks.  I was stressed!  Well, a bunch of things fell into place and we were able to find someone who would come to our house and watch Johnny for only double what we paid Barb.  (Trust me, Barb was a steal, so double was about the going rate.)  Having a babysitter come to you is AMAZING.  I can't believe what a blessing that was.  We still really miss Barb and she's told me how much she misses Johnny.  I secretly hope that while I'm on maternity leave she will magically heal, call me up and tell me she'd love to watch both boys for the rest of the school year!  (Oh and I know that Barb was the most wonderful blessing in my life EVER!!!!)

4. Moving closer to work- In the spring I received an answer to a prayer that I was supposed to work this year.  It wasn't what I wanted, but I knew it's what our family needed me to do.  Well, I decided if I was going to have to keep working, then we were going to move closer to work to make my life easier!  We spent ALL SUMMER trying to find a new place.  Every thing that could go wrong in finding a house did.  We applied probably ten times and every time something happened and it didn't work out.  We were finally able to find a place 5 miles from work for both me and Jason (halelujah!) and moved in the beginning of September.  It is amazing how much more energy I have living closer to work and commuting less!  And fuel costs have been cut in half, at least. (Plus the house is way nicer and newer and better!)

5. Transmission- So the transmission in my car is about to drop, but we really want a minivan. So we don't want to spend all this money to fix my transmission to then trade it in for a van in a few months.  Well, I can milk my car rather well (trust me, Jason refuses to drive it) and because I only have to drive 5 miles each way to work, I can totally get there and back!  Talk about an amazing blessing!

6.  I worked up until 38.5 weeks pregnant!  I am so proud of myself and I know that the Lord was helping me to be able to do that. (Remember, with Johnny I went on maternity leave at 32 weeks.) And now that I'm not working I feel like I could carry this baby another month!

7. Johnny is wonderful.  That pretty much explains itself.

8. Baby Boy #2 will be joining us tomorrow.  It still blows my mind that I'm pregnant and he'll be here tomorrow.  After all the trouble we had getting pregnant with JJ and then losing JJ and then having to get pregnant again, to have a baby this close (21 months) to the last baby is crazy.  The only explanation is pure blessing.  Because there is no way we could have done this on our own.

We are grateful for many things, but these were the major things that stand out in my mind right now.  I am grateful for everyone who blesses my life with love and kindness and generosity and hope that we can return it with the same too.