Holiday Recap

This is an attempt at documenting our life, so it's not an exciting post by any means.  I just want to recap the 2011 holiday season.

In just two days I will be back at work.  This break has simply disappeared!  Some people say they get bored during the holiday break, but I can definitely say when I am home I am ten times busier.  I have not enjoyed a bored day yet since my lists of to-dos don't ever seem to let up!  :)  Pinterest doesn't help me in that area either.  ;)

Christmas was so much better on my heart this year.  Last year was such a blur, I can only sketch together pieces of the season.  I am most grateful for the JOY that the Lord has restored to us this year.

We still 'minimalized' Christmas between the two of us, but we enjoyed several family celebrations.  Sadly I was out of it and did not document the season with pictures.  Oh well.  There's always next year. :)

I spent a day in Brady with my sister's family and the Shuffields before Christmas, which was so nice!  Chet could not join me due to work (more on that later).  He missed everyone, but will certainly be there next year!  My nephews are at the age that Christmas is magical, which is so fun to be a part of.  The Shuffields treat us like royalty...a family we treasure.  I realized on my drive home from Brady again just how blessed I am to have such precious families in our lives that are Family.

Christmas day was wonderful and simple.  We woke up to a beautiful white landscape and made breakfast in bed.  Chet and I spent the whole day together and loved sharing couple time.  He even helped me in the kitchen baking for several hours.  :)  I am hoping this is the last Christmas we ever have to wake up late and have a quiet house though!  We went to Holden's gravesite and reflected for a little bit.  Although we still cried, it was not because we would ever take Holden away from celebrating Jesus' birth in the very presence of Jesus Christ.  It was simply because we missed our 16-month toddler celebrating with us.  

The next day we had Chet's family Christmases.  That morning we met at Trey and Carrie's beautiful new home for the Erwin Christmas.  Then we all headed to Connie's amazing Winter Wonderland house for the Sterling Family Christmas, where we enjoyed very yummy Mexican food (quite possibly the best holiday meal I have had in a while)!  Must be pregnant since I am mentioning the food before anything else, huh? ;)  It was the first holiday since I have known Chet that every family member was present, which was special to see.  We also participated in the traditional gift exchange, a Chinese gift exchange and a fun game Shea came up with.  Chet's nephews, niece and cousins' kids are all getting so grown up.  It was a good day to visit with the family, and I especially liked getting to have lunch in the living room with Brooke and Carrie for 'girl time', since the tables were all taken up.

Chet surprised me with an offer to paint the nursery (this is big, as much as he hates painting), so he sent me to Dallas to visit Brittney and Blair for a couple of days last week.  I always love to catch up with two of my closest college friends!  I arrived home to a very bright nursery.  (I like the color...it's just going to take some getting used to since it's brilliant.)  It has been a slow process in our hearts getting ready for this baby, but a painted nursery makes me feel more ready to start tackling the rest of her nursery.

We spent the last few days and New Year's weekend sifting/sorting through our entire house cleaning and organizing.  I had a mild (OK major) panic attack on Friday upon my return home from Dallas, when I realized we were going to [Lord willing] bring our daughter home in about 11 weeks.  I almost wanted to sell our house and move, just so that we would be forced to organize everything.  (I have a theory that we should pack up our entire house every 4 years, as if we are moving, and then move back in.  This would keep us a lot more aware of the enormous amount of stuff we have!)

I have always been one to keep an orderly home, but this last year of my life has been so disheveled and crazy.  As much as I would like to blame the awesome emergence of Holden Uganda's growth, on top of regular lives and jobs, I simply cannot.  2011 and I were a little out-of-sorts with each other, and it showed in the fact that nearly every closet and drawer in my house was "the junk drawer".  Ugh.

I woke up today with such a renewed mind, as I walked around with my coffee and realized our home is much more back to normal again.  When my home is in disarray, it feels like a 'house'.  Today it is home.
I am so grateful that the Lord cleaned out my heart in many ways last year, more than anything physical could ever amount to, but I am also grateful that I can breath easier in the fact that my home and life are going to get back to organized as well.  My biggest goal for this upcoming year is finding the right balance between "Martha and Mary" (thanks Jaci!).  I want my main focus to be on the eternal, yet still have a place here on earth that is welcoming, warm and inviting.  I believe much of my stress over the year has been due to the fact that I could not stay on top of our lives, as I once was always able to.  And I also know that my life is not going to slow down with a baby...

The Lord has given us a huge gift in the stewardship of Holden Uganda, and we are excited that there are even bigger plans for HUF in 2012 than 2011.  (yikes!)  Many fabulous changes are happening in our family right now, and I look forward to this new year with such joy!!  Chet has been blessed with a new job opportunity (starting soon), one that we are incredibly grateful for.  God's provision over us is always greater than anything I could ask for or even dream up.

There are two words I can use to sum up 2011:  restored joy
There are two words I can use as I anticipate 2012: His faithfulness

We pray that 2012 is a year that the Lord's blessings are showered on our dear family and friends!!  I want to write one thing to my new Hope Mommy friends:  God is the same today as He was at the beginning of time.  His plans are perfect for you.  As impossible as it may seem now, I believe that you too will look back in a year and understand how things (painful, awful things) are what will draw you closer to Him.  You will have joy restored.  Christ's love for us never ends.  I appreciate my "mentor" Hope Mommies sharing this with me a year ago...so I want to share it with you.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  2 Corinthians 5:17

Merry Christmas from the Erwins

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  Luke 2:10-11

My little brother is getting old

Happy birthday to my handsome, adorable, amazing brother Joel Daniel!!  To be honest I couldn't remember how old he was until I logged on to Facebook today.  Sad, since he's only 17 months younger than Charys and me...when you get old, the numbers don't seem to matter anymore. ;)

Joel and Charity are quite possibly the most gorgeous couple on earth...inside and out.

While I was stealing photos from his Facebook page, I thought I should include a couple of his favorite things as well.  After all, it IS his birthday. :)

Oh, and she happens to be one of my favorite things too.

Happy birthday bro.  We love you!!

But take diligent heed to do the commandments and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments, and to cleave unto Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.  Joshua 22:5

Our little princess

We got another glimpse of our little princess at an ultrasound yesterday.  Most importantly, she is very healthy (THANK YOU JESUS), had heart rate in the 150's, growing well (about a week+ ahead of schedule) --- and we think quite cute if we must admit.  Chet said she is beautiful; I agree.

The little stinker decided to be shy about showing her face again.  I literally looked through our ultrasound photos from 13 weeks on, and in every.single.set. she is covering her face with her arms.  I carry all the u/s photos with me, so we had a good laugh that even when she resembled a teeny gummy bear, those two arms were over her face.  I went through my iPhone photos and found many of Holden doing the same thing.  It made my heart leap see and remember that.

Now I know she does not always have her arms covering her face.  As I type this, I feel her whole body stretching out, feet on one side and hands on the other.  I think she senses the u/s wand and quickly covers up!  We suppose she wants us to be a little surprised about something upon her arrival.

This was the best photo we got of her face (profile), and the few people I sent it to could barely make it out.  Her eyes are covered with an arm, but you can see her nose, lips and chin if you are a sleuth.  When we changed to 3D, both of those arms shot straight up to her face. 

I love you my little princess.

Nothing makes me happier at an appointment than to see our healthy baby.  Her Creator takes my breath away.

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.  And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything.  Rather, He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.  Acts 17:24-25

Happy "Anniversary" HUF!!

Since I am definitely not going to be able to describe the past year in mere words on a blog, I just want to say THANK YOU to our amazing Christ Jesus for allowing us to be given an opportunity to experience such hope.  Never in my life would I have pictured being a part of anything like this, yet God has redeemed our hearts and replaced brokenness with joy.

Thank you Lord!  Thank you Lord!  Thank you Lord!

Holden Uganda's 1st Year:
Founded in December 2010
Goal to build nine wells in nine months completed in 6 weeks
55 wells completed, 60 wells funded
1 orphanage clean water and sanitation project (ongoing)
1 primary school water project completed
Hope and life given to thousands of people

We know the Lord is just getting started with Holden Uganda...

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13