The Burdick Family

my end-of-2009 thoughts -- by Beth

As I was sitting in the kitchen of Jon's parents home, watching the light snow falling outside on New Years Eve, I decided to spill some of my thoughts about 2009 all the while anticipating the first day of 2010 ... maybe it was a mental release so that I could clear my brain and start anew in the new year ...

The year 2009 has been a very busy, crazy, intense year with many ups, downs, and in-betweens ... definitely too much to share in such a small space, but enjoy these few snippets (and some random thoughts) . . . in no particular order =)

1. I have soooooooooo much to be thankful for ...

- God's unfailing love, protection, provision and guidence ... so many stories here, but so little space ...
- my loving husband ... he is more than I could ask for ... he selflessly takes care of me, loves me like no one else can and puts up with my many idiosyncrasies ... he's the best hubby, friend, lover to me and the most amazing father to my babies that I could ever ask for ... honey, I love you with all my heart, for always
- my two awesome kids ... you never understand true unconditional and selfless love until you are a parent ... and the crazy thing is we really don't mind giving up so many things ourselves ... the hugs, kisses and 'I love you mommy' or 'Mommy, you're beautiful' moments make it worth everything =)
- amazing friends ... you know who you are ... though they can't replace family, they have become like family to us and we love them so much
- a new-to-us rental home ... even though it's not our final nesting place, it's been a HUGE blessing to have extra room
- a great new-to-us SUV ... again, though not our end goal as far as cars go, it has been the first really reliable vehicle we have owned and we love our Passport =)
- the gift of good health ... when many people we know have been so sick with various viruses, bugs and other ailments, we have been SO blessed to be healthy, energetic and full of life
- our great country ... even with all the goofy things going on in the government these days (which God ultimately knows and is in control), I still live in the best country in the world, with many freedoms other people in other countries don't even come close to enjoying

2. I have recently gotten the itch to sew, create and basically redecorate our home with beautiful handmade curtains, bedspreads, table-clothes, etc ... but to do that, one needs a reliable sewing machine ... which I don't possess yet, but am patiently waiting and praying for one to arrive SOON (actually, for the $$ to buy one soon is what I am really waiting/praying for) ...

3. I'm convinced that the best way to go camping (outside of taking a fully decked out RV) is in an air-conditioned cabin ... with actual beds ... it definitely made our July camping trip more tolerable and comfortable ... no more tent camping for me!!! Oh, and no communication with the outside world was nice too ... yep, we left our computers home and turned the cellphones off for a week ... what peaceful bliss =)

4. This year the Christmas season held a lot of excitement for our family ... last year we didn't decorate nor celebrate much 'cause we just plain didn't feel like it (still recovering from the shock of having a newborn and toddler) ... but this year, we pulled out and put up every decoration we own ... we bought a fair amount of gifts for each other, made lots of Christmas goodies and just enjoyed the holiday season. And, surprisingly, we all had a fierce hankering for snow ... which we took care of by taking a holiday trip up north to see both sides of family ... oh how I have missed the white stuff ... hmmmm, but, maybe not enough to want to move back north permanently ...

5. So ... my goal of getting back to my pre-kids weight didn't pan out ... for a lot of reasons really; some in my control and many that were not ... but, I still have that goal in mind and by the time swimsuit season is here, I am expecting to be 20 lbs lighter and much more trim and fit ... oh the joy of looking attractive in a swimsuit again -- I can hardly wait -- it's been too long ;-)

6. Abbie is now 4 yrs., going on 16 ... she LOVES anything princess or Cinderella right now -- so adorable =) She also loves playing pretend with barbies and dolls, reading books and terrorizing, er, playing with her brother ... she has begun asking questions about Jesus and what He did on the cross, Heaven, sins and salvation ... we are overjoyed and are praying for her soon acceptance of Christ's gift to her. Abbie is such a blessing to us ... we truly enjoy watching her grow, develop, learn (sometimes the hard way) and become the person she is meant to be.

7. Thane is now 14 months and very much a boy ... he has acquired his daddy's love for electronics, taking things apart and trying to figure out how everything works ... so, in all that, he's isn't too much into baby toys and books ... he would rather play with his new tool bench and trucks/cars/trains ... oh, and he's working on figuring out how to tackle sissy when she bugs him ;-) Thane also is such a blessing to us; we love listening to his laugh and watching him smile with his million-dollar grin.

8. Jon and I celebrated our 6th anniversary in October ... now comes the last trek onward towards 10 years of married bliss ... yes, I know that is still a few year off, but I still think about it ... the wild thing is that while 2009 marks 6 years of marriage, Jon and I have been friends for 10 years ... it seems like just yesterday we met for the first time and it seems like just yesterday that we started dating!! And it seems like just yesterday ... well, you get the picture ... I am so blessed with the man I pledged my life to forever =)

9. We are now pet-less ... in late April we decided that our dogs, Rocky and Diamond, needed to go to a new home ... the last couple years, they haven't been meshing with Abbie very well and there have been several instances where Rocky has gotten mad and snapped at the kids and me ... so, for their sake and ours, we found them a loving new home ... it was very tough 'cause they have been our babies ever since we were newlyweds, but it was for the best ... they now live in GA, with a wonderful older woman and her daughter in a resort community ... I know they are having the best time of their lives, being spoiled rotten, which is what they really do deserve.

10. So it's official ... potty training is my LEAST favorite part of child-rearing. Six months, lots of tears, frustration, bribes, and many ruined pairs of panties later, we finally accomplished the goal. Looking back now, I am SOOO very glad to have potty-trained the hard-headed, stubborn one of my two children first ... I have a sneaking suspicion the next one will be much quicker and easier ...

11. Jon is now working from home ... his company disbanded their Greenville offices, but kept his department intact ... it's been so wonderful to have him at home all day, even though he's got projects to work on ... a taste of things to come, for sure, and I'm likin' it ... believe it or not, I married my man to spend every day with him, doing whatever we want whenever we want to do it ... so when that day comes soon, I'll be a very happy woman =)

12. For Abbie's 4th birthday, we threw her a princess party ... my firstborn's first birthday party ... I wasn't sure if I wanted to attempt it, but it went off without a hitch ... Abbie had a blast and her three friends that were able to attend enjoyed themselves too ... I think the pinata was the best loved part!!

13. Speaking of Abbie, we have been doing alot of thinking, praying and mulling over what to do for her next fall as she (gasp!!) will be ready for Kindergarten ... so many opinions from other people, from things we've talked about and ideas we've thrown around ... almost too many to keep in my brain at any one time ... it's one of those decisions that will affect my daughter, her developing self image, her social, spiritual and mental development and her life in general ... but, it's a decision that I believe needs to be made on an individual basis, after much self-research and self-education about the options; there isn't one cookie-cutter solution that will fit every child and his or hers personality. In fact, there isn't a cookie-cutter solution that will fit all the siblings of one family, in my opinion ... different children learn different ways and learn better in different environments ... so, with that in mind, we are looking at putting Abbie in a christian school next fall ... we have a couple we are looking at; one school where we want her to ultimately end up for the majority of her school years ... if I have one major prayer request for 2010 (outside of Abbie's salvation), it would be this -- please pray with us for the decision of where to place Abbie in school ... we want it to be the place where she will be loved, well taught and stimulated towards higher goals in life.

14. You know it's incredibly NOT cool to be from Michigan, when NONE of the sports teams are playing very well during their respective seasons ... not the pro teams, not the college teams (well, at least the ones we root for) ... and some even miss the playoffs when they really should have been there ... ugh, when will they all get it together and bring some respect back to Detroit??!!

15. Finally, my personal goals for 2010 ... there are many, some I've already mentioned, but here's a few more ...
- develop a regular time of devotion and prayer(a challenge for me ever since my first child was born
- read one positive, personal growth book each month
- make a conscience effort each day to tell my husband how much I appreciate and love him
- guide my children to a desire to know God, to love each other, and to become better people themselves
- keep my eyes open for new friends waiting for someone to care
- expand my dreams for the future a little bit more

Well, I don't have much left to say, other than I am incredibly blessed and highly favored and looking forward to living life abundantly and victoriously in 2010 ... here's a great verse I found while looking for a different passage, but I think it summarizes pretty well our family's theme for this coming year ...

Deuteronomy 30:9
"The LORD your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. For the LORD will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers ... (ESV)"

My wish for my family and friends this coming year is that in whatever God has given you to do, now or in the future, that you would be abundant, victorious and prosperous in those things so that God is glorified. Happy New Year to all!!!!