Wow... 2010!

Two Thousand Ten or Twenty Ten, whichever way you say it... time really flies.

I had a wonderful Christmas this year... even amidst the sadness.

One of the best things I did this year and hope to do every year from now on is to have all of my Christmas shopping done by Thanksgiving. I did all of my shopping on-line... it is quite challenging to shop on-line and find something special for everyone, but I prayed that the Lord would lead me to good deals and gifts my loved ones would enjoy... mission accomplished.

Because of shopping early, I didn't have to pay a lot of shipping fees (less than I would have spent in gas driving around) and my mailman, Fed Ex guy and UPS guy were daily bringing me presents which was like a pre-Christmas. This year I learned that Christmas is more than just a day, it really is a season. A time to celebrate our Savior and share the good news we have with others.

Maybe next year I will shop mid-November so I can get the gifts wrapped a little sooner. I was able to do a lot of baking this year. Something I haven't done much of in years past. I noticed getting my shopping done early made the biggest difference in how much I enjoyed my Christmas.

Today is a new year... and a new decade. I really believe sometime this year I will become a mom... I have talked about this for so long, but I really believe it will happen this year.

I was thinking about the day I decided to actually start this process. The day I said I am going to stop talking about adopting and actually start the process and adopt... July 23, 2008. That was the day I was offered full time employment at my job. A job where I can work from home. I job I love. I remember Steve offering me full time employment. The pay wasn't much. At the beginning of our conversation about taking the job I thought it was the final nail in the coffin of my dreams of adopting. How could I ever afford to have kids on what I would be making?

I mentioned this to Steve and he said to me so gently, "Don't underestimate God." Those words instantly pierced my heart and filled me with hope. At that very moment I was able to take a step of faith and trust God. I accepted the job. I also said, "Yes Lord, I will trust you."

Almost 18 months ago I started this journey... I can't wait to see what happens next in the story...

Happy New Year.