Reflections...

A year ago today...I had been a resident of Oklahoma for one week. Today, one year and one week.

A year ago today...I knew Brent, my children, and one or two names of people that I knew of...but didn't really know. Today, I am blessed with many amazing friends, a Bible study, a church, neighbors...and still, my precious family.

A year ago today...we were living in the temporary lodging facility on base which was very small for a family of five...but we learned that we don't need much! Today, we are more than blessed to be living in the house that we dreamed of and spent so much time and effort planning.

A year ago today...I wasn't sure that I would ever like living in a small town. Today, even thought it's not perfect, I know that I will be sad to leave this place and that I will miss it...at least, parts of it.

A year ago today...I was looking forward to travelling to Asheville to see my family and get out of OK! Today, I'm looking forward to my Mom visiting here in a few weeks!

A year ago...my precious baby was not quite three months old. Sweet as can be. Super sleeper. Wonderfully chubby. So very easygoing. A true delight.

Today...Madeleine is almost 15 months. She is a beginning to walk more and more. She likes to wake up with the sun like her big sister. She is happy as long as she is doing something "big". (No board books for her...she knows they're for babies!) She delights in being with her older siblings. She tries to repeat everything we say. She loves to eat fruit...but is probably our pickiest eater for this age. She is wonderfully snuggly and kissable. The way she says Ma-mee and Da-dee melts my heart. She loves to blow kisses.

A year ago...my little boy was just a little over two. He could talk up a storm. He began to love Thomas the Tank Engine. Every time he heard an airplane, he'd say, "Is that Daddy?" He held tightly to my hand anywhere we went.

Today...Nathanael has been three for almost three months. He is potty-trained--hurray! He STILL loves Thomas the Tank Engine. He is a natural story-teller. He loves Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! He loves to sing. (We walked through Williams-Sonoma last week--all the while he sang "Zuckermans Famous Pig" from Charlottes Web.) He likes golfing with his Daddy. He likes to ask us a long list of "Do you like...?" His favorite color is blue. He still loves to hold my hand when we go somewhere. He struggles with his self-control, but he's trying to work on it. He likes to give me a big hug and a big kiss and then a little hug and a little kiss when I tuck him in bed at night. He says Hadleigh is his best friend.

A year ago...my firstborn was four. She was beginning to love dressing up. She loved to kiss Madeleine in her cradle. She adored playing on the playground. She looked forward to going to Bible study. She liked watching Little Einsteins. Her favorite book was If You Give A Mouse A Cookie.

Today...Hadleigh is five. She loves pretending to be a princess. She enjoys playing with jewelry and paper dolls. She wants to be able to carry Madeleine around. (Madeleine's not quite a fan of that, though.) She loves "doing homeschool". She brings Madeleine her blanket whenever she cries. She still loves to be outside. She always wants to help me in the kitchen. She loves tea parties. Her favorite books are about princesses: right now, Cinderella and Snow White. She loves to golf with her Daddy. She is learning more and more about having a soft and submissive heart. She loves riding her bike. She helps me set the table. She loves watching Mary Poppins and Cinderella. She is a wonderfully mommy to her baby dolls. Her favorite color is still pink. She has become a pickier eater in the last year...but definitely has a genetic sweet tooth! She is still a bit shy in a new situation. She says Nathanael is her best friend.

I'm thankful to be able to look back...reflect...and learn.