Good bye 2007....Hello 2008

There is only a little under an hour left in my 2007 year....some of you have already rung in the New Year, while others are even further behind. It's funny how with each year, the year seems to go by that much faster. Seems like we just said HAPPY NEW YEAR to 2007.....and here we are doing the same to 2008.

2007 has been a truly unique year for me and Michael. It was the year that we felt God calling us to adopt, even though we had come to terms with our infertility in a previous year. The journey to adopt has not been an easy one, but we have experienced the peace and joy of the Lord, unlike any other time in our lives. We started our adoption journey in January of this year, and honestly, we had hoped to celebrate Christmas with our kiddos at home this year. However, we have be reminded, many MANY times, that our plans are not always God's plans....and His timing, not our timing. But as we celebrated Christmas with the rest of our family, we took joy in knowing that this time next year, we will have our children home with us. So, we relished the quiet time Christmas morning ~ when it was just me and Michael. We enjoyed sleeping in until 11am (indeed!) and looked back over the past year, and just shared how God has blessed us so much in this year. We then welcomed the rest of the Crews family (those who were in town) in the afternoon and relished the excitement (and yes, there was PLENTY of it) and joy that Gabriela, Isabela & Maya brought to our home....making us look forward with excitement, when our little ones will share in the same exuberance next Christmas.

Michael & I have been blessed in our marriage, growing closer to each other and in our relationship with the Lord as we celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary in November. We are so thankful in how God continues to reveal Himself to us in new ways each day. We are thankful for our family ~ those in town and those far away ~ who have walked with us on our journey, encouraging us, loving us and praying for us along the way. We are thankful for our friends ~ whose support, encouragement, references, prayers, shared meals, late night conversations, crying sessions and laughing fits have carried us through the ups and downs of this year. We are thankful for our employers, who have worked with us in our schedules and have been supportive of our adoption process. We are thankful for our caseworker, Robyn, who has been a true advocate for us as parents. Thank you, Lord, for all that you've done this past year, and thank you even now, for what you are already doing for us in 2008!

We are thankful for 2007 and even more thankful for 2008. May we all learn from our mistakes, accept forgiveness, mend relationships, reach out to more people, share our hearts and lives with those around us, be true to ourselves, love others and not be afraid to love ourselves!

Happy New Year to you all.