As I sat down to make our Christmas cards this year, I had so many thoughts swirling through my head. The past year has been a full one to say the least.  Last year, we didn’t do cards because we had just found that Conor was being laid off and we had no idea when we’d be getting a steady paycheck again.  So in a panic, we were saving every penny we could. I so vividly remember the evening when he came home to share the bad news. Our worlds were being rocked.  I was very pregnant, we had bills that were going to keep coming, and we didn’t know how or when things were going to work out.  We didn’t want to move, but we were totally frazzled at the thought of finding a job in such a limited radius of where we were.  It was a stressful time.
Months came and went, interviews came and went…My due date got closer and closer…Diapers, baby clothes and hospital bills were going to hit us like a ton of bricks.  We welcomed baby Jase into the world still without an answer, but holding out hope that any day things would take a turn.  And, within 2 weeks of being home from the hospital, Conor was offered his dream job with one phone call and no interview.  Praise the LORD!  We could have been a lot more panicked than we were during those months.  But we had a peace that could have only come from God.
Conor was hired by the Navy in March, but his start date wasn’t until May.  It was slightly discouraging that he still wouldn’t be working for a few more months.  But having him home during our first months with Jase was the biggest blessing.  To be honest, I really struggled to adjust to motherhood.  There were a lot of dark days and I don’t think I could have held it together if Conor hadn’t been home with us everyday.  God’s plan and timing is without fail always better than our own.  We would  never have chosen to be where we were the first half of this year, but looking back it was the greatest blessing I can imagine.
We were able to purchase the most gorgeous home (a house tour post will be coming in the new year!), we have the happiest little boy I could dream of, and most importantly we’ve experienced God’s love, faithfulness, and provision every single day.

With some serious joy in our hearts, I’m thrilled be sharing our Christmas photos from this year!

Jeremiah 17:7-8 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Outtake: This is Jase’s poop face 🙂