Adventures in 2008, Resolutions for 2009

Happy New Year! This is The Year! Hahahaha! I don't watch Oprah anymore, but that was her mantra one year. That year lots of things weren't doable for me because I was pregnant...which was true in 2007 and 2008...so I still don't know what year that was her theme...

2008...
A lot of changes for our family. In January we started looking for our new house and on my birthday (Jan. 25) we thought we had come to an agreement on a house with the seller. That didn't work out (something which I would be grateful for later). Feb and Mar was filled with tons of stress as we continued to look for our home. March 21 (David's birthday) David and I had the biggest fight of our marriage. So big in fact, that even though we got past the fight, we still went and sought marriage counseling to help us in future arguments. We were both stressed out from the house hunt and I was almost eight months pregnant, I get quite irritating in my last few months add looking for a house to that and you get a very stressed out Diana nagging an extremely stressed out David.

We went to 4 counseling sessions with my bishop and he really helped. I thought he would point out to David how wrong he was for holding things inside and then exploding when he finally reached his boiling point. But I saw how much of our arguing was me and the way I deal with things. I learned quite a lot on how to stop myself from getting so irritated at him. I have learned a lot in recognizing when I am being overly picky/naggy, at things that aren't really the source of the problem. I still have a ways to go in the area of patience, but I can now stop myself and apologize to David...sometimes it takes a few minutes... He always forgives me immediately. Then I can express what is really bothering me and I can listen to his side too because the tension changes when you apologize and forgive. We got lots of helpful advice. We have been doing pretty great since then. Couseling was more of way to get help before we had a serious problem...nip it in the bud if you will.

We found our house that month too, March, but wouldn't actually move in until May 26th. I was so grateful that the other houses/offers didn't go through, because this house gave us zero pause. Packing the apartment and moving was truly difficult with a toddler running about and climbing on stacked boxes and me being very pregnant. I got most of the house packed myself as David had to work, but David did sooooo much moving and cleaning. We hired movers, which helped tremendously, but David still had his work cut out for him.

A week after we moved in, Violet was born. June 2nd. A wonderful day for our family. We love Violet so much and are so grateful to our Heavenly Father for her. I was so ready to have her too. Near the end there I could hardly move I was so big. Rolling over in bed was a feat in itself, getting up to pee every few hours was even more monumental... Thankfully David was off of work the last two weeks of pregnancy, so that helped in watching Liam. After I had her, David questioned briefly if we should go through this again (pregnancy) that's how hard I was on him :( that makes me sad. We will go through a pregnancy once more, if we are so blessed, that's how much we love our children.

The next six months are a bit of a blur. It has been quite an adjustment getting used to balancing the needs of two children, managing to get myself ready everyday, keeping the house clean and organized...and having to finish unpacking it! I really need to start finding time/energy to start a workout routine. All of these things are adjustments and require new techniques and a new personality lol.

September we did go through a Hurricane. We packed up the kids and found a room at a hotel in Temple Texas...not the loveliest of places, but it could have been worse. We came home to our house virtually unscathed...except for some branches here and there and that back fence that is split in two...which I will take ANYDAY. We also had electricity when we came home. We are very blessed our Heavenly Father puts his hand in our lives because I ask him to. Obviously we all still have our trials, but this year I have come to learn more then ever that I need Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost in the center of my life if I expect to deal sucessfully with the trials I am given. I know that his arm is stretched out to everyone always, it is up to us to take it. I have sooooo much to learn about my Heavenly Father and what is expected of me, but I am more excited then ever to learn and to grow.

October we celebrated Liam's 2nd birthday! I just can't believe how quickly life moves and now that it is measured by my children's growth...it seems to be going by that much faster! Novemember was met with a memorable election. Even though Obama isn't my President of choice, I can recognize how extremely amazing it is that we have an African-American President. For me it had nothing to do with race, that's how it should be in my opinion, and because of this break-through that's how it can be. I will give him a chance and support him as our President...but if he does anything that goes against my values then I won't, in good conscience, be able to support him.

The holidays came and went. We spent them with family. 2009 looks like it may come with some economic turmoil for the Country. I am very grateful to Heavenly Father for David's job. It seems to be stable...at least for now. I heard that among the safe jobs are IT jobs...and David is very good at his job. I hope that information is true.

Resolutions for 2009:

1) Run 1 mile straight (ps I can't even run for 4 minutes straight)
2) Change my sugar intake, meal portions...drink more water
****between those first two things I hope to lose 20 of the 35 lbs I still need to lose.
3) Get my home organized and keep it clean more often then not
4) Finish reading the Book Of Mormon, begin reading the New Testiment
5) Start a vegetable garden. Better maintain my yard.
6) Paint the rooms in the house...will probably have the Kitchen and living room professionally done in a few years...we'll see how I do in the guest room and kids rooms AND dining room.
7) Finish my artwork for the house...or at least some of the artwork...get pictures hung up.
8) Do my vector illustrations and apply for that new job opportunity I am hoping works out.
9) Practice greater patience and apply it ;) Laugh at the silly things...all of them, I need to develop more of David's personality (remember that people were not put here to annoy me, they have their journey too and we should try to help one another).
10) Keep loving my family everyday, every moment...this time with my children will be over too soon.