I sent out our Christmas cards this past weekend and I always put our family blog address on there saying, "visit us at... justaddfaithtrustandpixiedust.blogspot.com" so I thought I'd do a post and kind of catch people up on us and our life.
Why do I blog?
I started blogging way back in 2010. My girls were little then. Here is a link to that very first post. Oh my stars how little they were! I didn't even know how to do a blog post. They are just some pictures and no writing.
Back then I was a home full time. Anna was in elementary school and Abigail was still home with me. My days were filled with cooking, cleaning, nurturing, helping, guiding, teaching, laundry, building a collection of books I wanted for them, building a collection of toys that I believed in.
My days were full and happy. I knew that I knew then that I was living in the 'good old days'. I told Scott all of the time, "these are they days I will love the best". I'm so grateful that I knew it, soaked it in and did just that... mothering.
I loved to take pictures and I wanted to remember all that I could. First I scrapbooked, remember that? When that sort of ended I started this blog to remember.
So why do I blog fourteen years later? Well I suppose I do because I just can't seem to let go of these memories that we are making in our lives these days. I'm old enough to know that I will forget the normal, day to day life of of right now.
My posts have changed so much over the years. But I'm grateful for each and every one of them. Each one a place for my girls to look back on. See what they did -- how their mama thought -- things she believed in. {I just checked, there are actually 57 posts on what I believe} So that's why I'm still here.
So here we are fourteen years since that very first post. Here is where we are in our life:
Our family days are really full and now that I have a senior in college and a senior in high school things are about to change even more. I will say that we are a very close family. Anna and Abigail are the best of friends. They are extremely close. Even though Anna lives away at college for most of the year they talk all the time and can't wait to be back together again.
I used to worry about what it would be like to have teenagers and young adults. I thought I knew what my girls would be like. I was completely wrong. They are different than most I would say. Overall very conservative, modest, hardworking. While Scott and I haven't had to deal with 'normal' 21 and 17 year old issues it feels like... the challenges they've had were from when they were younger.
Anna was adopted from China when she was 14 months old. There was very LITTLE research back then in 2004 on the trauma and how these girls would have a forever "primal wound" and how that wound would affect their lives. Over the 20 years Anna has been home Scott and I have had to learn, grow, shift our thinking, shift our parenting, ask for help, and pray pray pray. We will continue until we are in heaven parenting, loving, helping, supporting, nurturing Anna. While we've given her everything she needs, and while she has made tremendous growth {she's amazing} there are still areas that she struggles with. None that I would type here in this space. But overall I'm the luckiest mama in the world that I would get to be hers and she would be mine forever.
Anna is 21 now. She goes to the College of the Holy Cross. You can search college on the bottom of this blog to see more of those posts. Anna is hard working, diligent, deans list every semester. She still plays the viola in her college orchestra, reads, writes her own novels {just self published one} She spent 6 months in Beijing China in a study abroad program.
Anna recently 'found' what she really wants to focus on in her life. She is sure that she wants to be an elementary school psychologist. During her summer work and during her internships she felt led to this field. I know that she will do amazing.
Anna loves the Lord. She goes to Mass weekly and has over these four years has spent time on retreats her college offers. She's found her 'own path' in her faith. It's not mine or Scott's it's her own and as her mama it feels really good. During her senior final semester she sought out and will be taking a catholic class. My favorite is when she calls me up and we talk about all that she feels God is teaching her, things she's read that are drawing her closer to the Lord. The only thing that mattered really was not what they grew up to be or what college they went to but that they love the Lord and want to serve him with their lives. Anna's path on that journey is certainly there.
Abigail is a senior, currently waiting on college acceptance emails and letters. She's thinking about what she might want to major in -- possibly social work in hopes to help people. She has struggled with her health her whole life (find the tab that says EoE at the bottom of this page to read more) (and scoliosis) (and allergies). But through it all she has never let it define her. She's had her tears over the years. She's had to manage more than she should have to and she's had too many days in physical chronic pain. She deals with ADHD and OCD but has made drastic growth in both those areas with the support of counselors over the years.
Abigail is passionate about learning. She's a very hard worker. She conservative and loves being catholic. She has sweet friends at school and she's happy. Is is still the darling daughter I had from all those years ago. I can't wait to see where the Lord leads her. It's just so hard to believe that she is a senior about to graduate!
Scott and I are both in education. We both started teaching in 1995. I took 13 years off to raise my baby girls. Scott is now a principal at a middle school and it is a hard job! I teach 4th grade. It's a lot but I love it so much! Scott is still the love of my life and my very best friend. I love being with him. We dream and talk about the future and what life might look like one day. But we also stay grounded in the present knowing that parenting never ends. We never daydream about "I can't wait till they are grown". We want to mentor, nurture, and guide our girls all our lives. We will forever be a safe place for them and some day the very best of friends. We believe in discipleship parenting. One more meal, one more hug, one more talk, one more cup of tea... that is what leads us as a family closer to Christ. It's not indoctrination but love - love through serving. Serving with our words, and serving with our hearts.
So that is where we are right now. This blog of my, all 13 years of it is here for the clicking away. A little piece of my heart right here; a memory keeper, a scrapbook of sorts. Thanks for visiting.
