Wrapping up 2008

I was going to write about christmas and our anniversary stuff but thought I would wrap up 2008 first. Happy New Year to you and your family today.

2008 was a good year in many ways for the Stephens Family. Here are just a few things that happened to us.

1. We moved into a nice neighborhood from Wylie to Sachse. We lived in a townhome and had some really crummy neighbors ( and you add to the list a stabbing in our driveway and a gun found in the living room next door by children and our walls connected!) It wasn't like this when we moved to this area, but it got worse as we lived there, so we prayed for a new place and God provided very quickly for us! Praise Him for this huge blessing.

2. Our new home has a 2 car garage and a big back yard!

3. Ted and I started out the year being married for 11 years.

4. Hannah and Micah doing very well in school and love their teachers.

5. Ted's job going very well.

6. My job going very well.

7. The development of new friends that we cherish.

8. Hannah had her adnoids out and things went very smoothly.

9. Ted's new car that he won in November of 2007 is a precious gift.

10. We sold Ted's old car to a family member.

11. Our children for the most part have stayed very healthy with little time missed from school. A Huge Praise! (when the girls were little, we always had one sick with croup, bronchitis, allergies, and strep throat.) So, this past year was really good on that note.

12. I went through grief counseling for the loss of my grandmother. To many this is something I can't explain, but if you have lost a mother and then lost her mother, and you were best friends, it just indescribable. I went through grief recovery for my own mother and it was so very helpful and healing. I am so thankful for ministries like this. I am a stronger person because of it.

13. I went on my first scrapbooking retreat with ladies from the MRBC. It was a blast.....then went on another one in the fall, another great weekend.

14. Time in the summer with family and friends and just being together.

15. My time alone on Wednesday nights after church. Barnes and Nobles became my secret get away. Thanks so much Ted.

16. The girls attended a new school in Wylie that is very good and very close to our home. THey love it there and love their teachers.

17. Ted's Mother and Step-Father finally got moved to Temple from Dumas. For those of you who don't know, they came and stayed with us on an off for over 2 months. I have never had that much company before. It was a learning experience for me because when you have people in your home for weeks at a time, it can get really crowded very quickly. I learned patience for sure.

18. We are actively involved in our church, MRBC and are involved in several different ministries and have recently gotten a new pastor and family who are just awesome. God has blessed our church in so many ways. We praise him for all of his blessings, trials, and for what he is going to do in the coming days.

19. Ted surprised me one evening with a special night at the Meyerson Center where we had a very nice dinner at the Opus Restaurant and then went to the Dallas Symphony where Michael W. Smith was in concert with special guest Melinda Doolittle (from American Idol 2 seasons ago.) It was a great night and we are already making plans for next year.

20. The girls and I spend Thanksgiving with our family in Borger. We had a great time and I beat my Dad at Scrabble....That's a huge feat, cause he's sooo good. He came and got me in the next round, but it was a great time to say the least! I also got to spend time with my little sister Patti and take her shopping because she is going to be a "Mommy"! How exciting!!

21. I had sinus surgery and am healing nicely. Just have a few more weeks of pain to go. THanks for the prayers. My Dad and Step-Mother Del came to help us for the weekend and they were soooo wonderful. We love them so. My step-mother Del is so wonderful. I am so thankful that she is like a Mom to me and she answers to OM which is a name the grandchildren call her; but to me, it means Other Mother. A name that she proudly answers too. I love you Om!

22. Ted finished another year hanging christmas lights and praise the lord, he didn't fall. He is so very careful and does such a good job. He got many jobs with church members and people that I work with.

23. Ted and I celebrated our 12 wedding anniversary on Dec. 21st. I love him so very much. Ted's parents kept the kids and Ted and I got to go and spend the night in Salado, Texas and have some much needed time away together.

24. We spent Christmas with Ted's family in Temple and Belton and we all had a lot of fun. The kids played really well and we all ate way too much!

25. I am officially going back to school and start classes in January. It will be a busy time, but I am excited. God worked out all the details for the financial part and so this time next year, I will be teaching. :)

26. We spent New Year's Eve with good friends and had a marvelous time and I saw Hannah stay up till after 1am. She impressed Ted and I and never once acted sleepy. She even did the happy dance when Ted told her that she could stay up!

27. Lastly, we thank God for all the things we have learned, the ways he has provided for us, and for all the wonderful things that will happen this year. God is awesome and we love him. We pray that you have a great new year. Make him number one in your life and watch how he loves you, provides for you, and blesses you. Of course, life is not always easy, but with the lord by your side, he makes all things new and he always makes a way for you when you place him first on your list. May you have a blessed 2009 in every way!

Jeremiah 33:3 (New International Version)
3 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'