We spent a fun and relaxing Thanksgiving at Andy's parents and even though it was a quick trip there and home, we managed to pack a lot of fun (and food) in a short amount of time. :)
December marked the beginning of an extremely busy time for us. Not only were we preparing for Christmas in our household, but we were also gearing up for our busiest season at church. Just as we were getting close to Christmas week and feeling like we were finally "getting there", one by one we dropped like flies with the flu. When I say "flu", I mean, influenza, not just a little stomach bug. It was horrific. Chloe ended up with a secondary infection and Andy and Bella were probably the sickest I've seen either of them. I fared the best out of everyone, but still had a few moments when I was sure I was going to die. ;) Poor Bella had the worst of it on Christmas morning and did her best to enjoy the festivities, but she was just miserable. None of us felt great, so Christmas ended up being a very low key day at the McMinns and in the end, it was just what we all needed.
That brought us right into the New Year which was another low key celebration with a few friends. We celebrated "New York" style which meant we rang in the New Year at 9:00 with the East Coast and were home and in bed well before the clock struck midnight. ;)
While it's always hard to believe that another year has gone by, we couldn't have been happier to say good-bye to 2010. In many ways it was one of the toughest years we have endured as a family and the hope of a new year was already in our sights. Even if I tried I'm not sure I could fully express what last year was like for us, but in the end we have realized that God allows us to go through some very dark and hurtful times to prepare us for the next thing He has in store for us. There were several times that we literally felt like we were at our breaking point, just one more thing and we would be undone, and guess what...every time we felt that way, not only was it "one more thing", but more like "one after the other"...it seemed relentless at times and undoubtedly only through our strength in Christ did was somehow manage to muddle our way through, determined to maintain our character and convictions.
In the midst of these trials, something very powerful was also happening...Andy began to feel a very strong and urgent call to full time ministry. He's always talked about eventually "retiring and working at the church", but it was always something that was far away, in what seemed like an instant, it went from some day to NOW! I have to admit that it was a little scary for both of us, but we couldn't deny what was happening. It was like God all of a sudden said, "your time is now and you are on a fast track, so hold on!" And "hold on" is what we did. We counseled with those closest to us, prayed and as hard as it was started to take some significant steps in faith. The "plan" that we came up with had so many factors in it that it seemed close to impossible for everything to actually work out, especially in a short amount of time. As soon as we had our "plan" things around us began to unravel even further and as the months went by it felt like more doors were closing than opening. As discouraged as we became, there was still something that kept us moving forward.
And then as if a switch were flipped, amazing things began to happen! Road blocks that seemed absolutely impossible to overcome, simply started to fall down in front of us. Each and every detail of our "plan" started to simply work out. It was so much all at once that we were completely overwhelmed, but in an absolutely different way from the rest of the year, in a way that makes you stand back and just watch God work knowing that you have no control over any of it. There were still some "tense" moments as we waited for things to happen at the absolutely last minute possible, but none-the-less, they happened...and in a way that was so much better than we could have ever imagined. The things that we had prayed...no begged for, were finally happening and we were humbled beyond belief.
Now that we look back, we can see how even in the worst of times, God was orchestrating something amazing in our lives, but December 18th marked the beginning of absolute outpouring of God's blessing in our lives. After a little over 2 years of praying for God to bless us with another child, a second miscarriage and 6 rounds of clomid which were all unsuccessful, on a "hunch" I took a pregnancy test and much to our surprise it was clearly positive! As scared as I was there was something deep within me that assured me that this was the child we had been praying and waiting for. We waiting until after Christmas and our first appointment to begin telling those closest to us and slowly but surely we have been more and more comfortable in sharing our news. After our appt. this week we are ready to "tell the world!" :) We have been able to see our sweet baby go from a little flickering heartbeat on the screen at just 6 weeks pregnant, to something that began to resemble a baby at 8 weeks, to a cute little alien baby with arms and legs bouncing around at 10 weeks!
As is par for the course for me, I have been feeling terrible for quite some time, but know that as tough as it is sometimes, it's all worth it. I am counting down the days until I'm out of my first trimester, knowing that the next phase of pregnancy seems to settle very well with me. This time is has been significantly different for me though...instead of vomiting from morning till night, I have instead been terribly nauseous all of the time...even while sleeping. Having now experienced both, I'm honestly am not sure which one is worse?? My migraines have also really picked up and in my attempt to keep my body and growing baby free of any possible contaminants, I have opted not to take anything for them...there is nothing that is considered "safe" in pregnancy, only meds that seem to be okay for the most part. I've visited with my doctor about it and we've agreed to see what happens once I'm out of my first trimester as he shared with me that a lot of times people who suffer from migraines have an increase during their first trimester due to the hormonal shift, but see them reduced significantly after those first few months. So like I said, I'm counting down the days...I will be 11 weeks on Sunday, so slowly but surely I'm getting there. :) I just have to say how wonderful Andy has been through all of this, he is more understanding and helpful than I could have ever hoped for and is absolutely thrilled with the prospect of welcoming another child into our family. It's times like these that make my love for him grow exponentially! :)
As if that weren't big enough news, there's more...
Back to Andy feeling a strong call into full time ministry. After loosing his job in May and working at a job that has been a huge trial in and of itself (not to say that we aren't grateful for the simple fact that he has a job...we truly are). A job that has taken him away from his family in a way that has been very difficult on all of us and that has tested him in every way possible, we are simply thrilled and still in a bit of disbelief to share that he officially quite on Monday! All of those "impossible" things that had to come together to allow him to transition into fully time ministry and still provide for our family, actually came together one by one and beginning next week Andy will be working full time at our church continuing to lead worship and assuming the role of Executive Pastor. For the first time in our almost 11 years of marriage, he will have Saturdays off with the rest of us, holidays will no longer be just the girls and I and the thing that is hands down, the most important to Andy and I...our family...will finally have the time that we have missed out on for so long. We know that with this new chapter in our life, there will be adjustments, a new set of "issues" that we have to tackle and tough seasons, but for now we are choosing to be grateful for the amazing blessings that God has given us. For the first time ever, the girls with have their daddy with them as they hunt for Easter Eggs, BBQ on the 4th of July, trick-or-treat and so much more!
So there you have it. Like I said when I started, it would take forever to write out the whole story, but I really wanted to take some time to not only share what has been going on in our lives, but to also chronicle this amazing time in our lives so that we will always remember how God saw us through the darkest times and used those times to prepare us for some of the most amazing blessings we have ever experienced! There are so many verses that I have held on to during this time, but recently this very short, yet powerful verse has come to mind over and over again.
...sorrow may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning! Psalm 30:5
Andy and I have talked a great deal lately about things that we let "steal our joy" and through the worst of times, we realized that there is only one true source of joy and that is our amazingly faithful God! That is something that no circumstance or person can take away from us!
As I begin to feel better I will do my best to keep up on my posts. This is a very exciting and yes, a little scary time in our life, but we are ready for the journey!
Before I sign off, I will leave you with a glimpse of the sweet little baby growing in my belly...
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