January brought some stress along with it. Madelyn was back and forth from Mayo Clinic in Rochester to determine what the lump on the side of her face was. After many blood tests, a CT scan, an MRI and many consults with ENTs and oncologists it was determined that she had a protid gland hemangioma. A harmless birthmark that would go away on it's own, but it was a very stressful time for us. The hemangioma is definately starting to go away, and Madelyn is her happy, healthy self.
February was a big month for me as I turned 30! I had been dreading my 30th birthday for a couple of years, but it ended up being a fun day. Keith successfully pulled of a surprise birthday party for me which was loads of fun. And in case you haven't reached 30 yet, it's not so bad.
March had it's highs and lows. Carsen started out the month by turning 3. He enjoyed his party with his guitar cake! I spent a lot of the month of March away from my family as my sweet Grandma Schuler was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. I was helping with my grandma's personal care, and spent some over-nights with her helping take care of her. Grandma passed away on March 23rd. It was a hard good-bye, but comforting that she is no longer in pain and that we'll see her in Heaven someday. The hurt of my grandma's death is still with me today. I often dream about her. I miss her. I miss her bragging about how smart Carsen is. I miss seeing her kiss Madelyn in the neck. I miss her cookies. I just miss her. It makes me sad knowing that our third child will never meet Grandma Schuler. She was a fabulous lady.
April was pretty low key, but included a trip to Okoboji with my parents. We did a lot of swimming and enjoyed the family time!
May was an exciting month for Carsen as he got his first job! We had a garage sale at our house, and Carsen sold bars and lemonade. He made $10! He was quite excited about this endeavour, and says he can't wait to work at McDonald's when he gets older.
June marked Madelyn's first birthday. We celebrated with a pink birthday party!
In July, Carsen and I (along with a few of our friends) attended a Go Fish concert. It was loads of fun!
August was a busy month! Keith turned 30, but was very adament that he did NOT want a party. We also celebrated our 9 year wedding anniversary, so the 2 of us celebrated by going away to a hotel for a night. It was wonderful! We also went through some health problems with Gracie, one of our dogs. It was discovered that she had bladder stones, and had surgery to remove them. Nothing serious... just EXPENSIVE!
September we went on our annual trip to Lutsen with my family. We had a blast going to Grand Marais, swimming, and going on the gondola and Alpine Slide. Carsen looks forward to this trip each year. Carsen also won a Wii in September. The kid is a champ bowler.
October was very exciting as we found out I was pregnant! The morning sickness would come and go, but I was thankful for the blessing growing inside of me.
November was fairly quiet. Carsen & Madelyn continued to play their silly games with each other. Their love for each other and their bond between one another continues to grow.
December was very exciting. Keith finished his Master's Degree in Accounting! He took 12 graduate classes, and received 11 A's and 1 B. Not to shabby, eh?! If you can't tell, I'm quite proud!
Through the good times and bad, we have so much to be thankful for. It's easy to become discontent with wanting "stuff". It's easy to wish that our kids were a little more well behaved. It's easy to wish for more money. However I'm thankful that we have a roof over our head and plenty of food to eat. I'm thankful for our kid's good health. I'm thankful that Keith was able to complete his Master's degree completely loan free, and that all of our needs are completely met.
No matter what this past year has brought you, I hope you take some time to reflect on the good things that have been given to you, and to count your many blessings.
Happy New Year!
Great post! This should have been your Christmas letter!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
ReplyDeleteNext year, you'll be filling the pages with stories of a new baby! :) Can't wait to see what's in store!