Wrapping up the Year

Well, we're about 7 hours away and counting until 2011. I, for one, am looking forward to a new year. I felt like I needed to wrap up 2010. Maybe just to give it some good old-fashioned closure. 2010 was a rough year for the Myers family. And yet, here we are, still blessed beyond any great measure.
We took two trips to the ER. One in March - after a very disorienting telephone call from the Normal Police, I quickly met Gabe at the ER after he had been hit by a drunk driver going 74mph in a 35mph. While this could have changed our world dramatically, the Lord was watching over Gabe and the other driver. If not for the ridiculous headache from being strapped to that board in the ambulance for 2 hours, he felt great. We did have to say goodbye to our trusty Buick. No worries though, there's another sitting in our driveway as I write this.
The second trip to the ER came in June. This one slightly more eventful. After finally deciding to spend the money and go on a short trip for our 5 year anniversary, we ended it with a good round of golf - one of our favorite activities. About an hour later, I started feeling bad and by midnight, there we sat in the middle of THE smallest ER/hospital known to man. I'll spare the details, as most of you know them. However, after 7 hours at the Benton hospital, an excurciating 40 minute ambulance ride to Carbondale, more tests and surgery, we finally got to leave and go home 2 days later. This may have been the toughest test for me in my miniscule little lifetime. After learning that we lost the baby, we knew it would be hard. Then losing a part of me that may very well keep us growing our family - well, that was a whole other thing. And yet, the Lord was there. I see Him in the love of my family, in the timing of illness, in the fact that the surgery could have been worse and they could have taken more, in the way my husband cared for me and Caleb in those weeks following. Even at my worst, I see His very best.
Final blow of the year came in August. Yes, it seems we would see another baby come and go. It was hard. It was emotional. After this point, I began doing some searching online for some support on what I was feeling. I found an amazing blog that helped me through that time. There was a mother that had written in about her 9 miscarriages. I cannot even fathom her strength to go through that. She wrote that she is one to serve God, and for all she knows, God needed those little babies in heaven with Him. Isn't it such a great thought that God might call us to be servants in this way? Hard, yes. But the ultimate outcome is amazing. It's the most positive way I can think about this situation, so I'm choosing to put my faith in it.
And now, as we approach 2011, I can say with great joy that my belly is getting larger. We will have baby #2 in June and couldn't be happier. Has it been a tough year? Yes, it has. Will we have more tough years? Yes, we will. But I know the Lord is with us every step of the way, blessing our lives in countless ways, even when we don't realize it. I look forward to 2011 and all that could be for the Myers family....and that includes 0 trips to the ER. :)

Pictures bringing you up to speed

I've absolutely been terrible about keeping up with my blog. I think I went practically 2 months without posting anything. I apologize. I just couldn't stay motivated to download the pictures that inevitably people want to see. So here is what's been happening in our lives during the last 2 months:

The real reason I've been unmotivated....we're expecting #2! I've felt pretty awful through the first trimester, so it's kept me on the couch during any free moment I have. But we're excited!

Caleb was a TRex for Halloween. He really enjoyed going "trip or treating". :)



And of course, Caleb turned 3. He was a little cranky the day we had his party, so I have no picture that shows him blowing out his candle. He didn't want to do it. So he laid on the couch sulking while the whole family sang "Happy Birthday" to him. I will surely tease him about this when he is older.

Other than that, life with Hearts has been super busy! We've just finished rebranding - new logo, new tagline, new colors...the whole shebang! We're looking pretty swanky! Thanks to my lovely friend Leslie who knows how to make us look so good. You'll have to check us out: www.heartsathome.org!

Happy Birthday, Caleb!

Caleb, you are 3 years old today! It's funny how quickly time can pass within a blink of the eye. You're the most amazing little boy that I could have ever imagined God could give us. You're smart, funny, curious, calculating and so many other things that I can't wait to find out about you.

We had a busy day today. We started our day with some breakfast waffles (a breakfast of champions!) and then headed out to the Discovery Museum for fun with Gracie. We spent some time there and then headed to the Golden Arches to pick up lunch to take to Daddy at Grove. You always love to go to Grove, because Daddy's music room is the best place to play. We both got a nap after lunch and then headed back to the museum for more fun to round out the day.

Daddy and I think you are incredible! Thanks for the all of the jokes, funny stories and made-up words. You are quite the ham, and I love how your little brain works! You love reading books and then making up your own version of the story. You love playing with every toy in the room...but not for very long. You love CARS. May God bless the next year of your life - I'm looking forward to all of our new adventures!