The Big Eights of '08

As the end of the year comes to a close, everyone reminisces about the last 365.
We've had a great year, we are very thankful for God's blessings and provisions, and the journey He has taken (& is taking!) us on.

Instead of sending a paragraphed Christmas letter with our pics this year, I tried to think of a different format to share the highlights from our year with you. Hope you enjoy it 1/8th as much as I did thinking it up.

8 places we went this year, in chronological order
1. Snowshoe, West Virginia - Feb, for a young adult ski retreat. Fun, fun. Beautiful! WAY too far of a drive to do it again!

2. Nashville, TN in May for Matt's college buddies golf weekend

3. St. Simons Island, Georgia --family vacation weekend with the Hawkins

4. Melba, ID, July, with Mel's college friends and kids.

5. Republic of Dominica (island)--July, Matt, for Work and Witness trip w/church

6. Nashville, TN for Thanksgiving with the Hays family

7. South Carolina--for Christmas with the Hawkins family, with the return of the now Kenyans- Duranceaus (Matt's sister and bro-in-law who were there for 6 months)

8. Houston, TX--we just moved! JUST NOW!

The 8 newest words Noah is saying: (pretty much new THIS WEEK)

1. "Jon!" (Uncle Jonathon) --#3 favorite family member now (after mom and dad, we hope!)

2. "CAKE!" -- no explanation needed.

3. "Pleeee!" (please) SOOOO happy about this. He's only done invented sign language till now.

4. "Mooo!" (Move) I accidentally taught him this/Not a word I wish he'd learned so early!

5. "Two" --he never wants just one of something, always TWO!

6. "Cole" (cold) --he holds a capri sun to his bare belly and keeps it there until he can't handle it anymore, then says, "Cole!" Also, stands on top of the air vent.

7. "Kime" (climb) the ladder, the couch, up your body to the ceiling, etc.

8. "Preh" (present) Every present was his present this year. He totally "got" opening gifts this year.
(There are more than just 8....home, go, nana (banana), slurp-slurp=icecream, mo(re), bubbles, balloon, play, etc.)

8 NEW events in our lives this year

1. Noah learned to walk, (followed quickly by run), jump, climb, eat real food, fingerpaint, scream, do sign language, and now is speaking real words!

2. We went to a cool Polenesian Luau at Sea World for our 6th Anniversary, July

3. Matt hit the big 3-0! (Mel has another 5 celebratory months of being in her 20s).

4. Celebrated the "10 year anniversary" of our first meeting/August 14th.

5. Became a one-car family after selling the green Saturn for a whoppin $500.

6. Thursday night Girls Night/Guys night: Mel discovered the Beth Moore bible studies thu a wonderful Ladies Bible study this fall and Matt enjoyed a weekly card night with some fellas.

7. Joined the addictive world of Facebook.

8. We moved! Just now! Out West! Texans! Wow, that sounds a bit strange.

8 Blessings that can't go unmentioned
1. Noah's health concerns seem to have resolved on their own without treatment or further testing!

2. Financial--so many to mention, but resolved medical insurance/bills, part time job, and various random discounts/refunds/checks have allowed me to stay home another year with Noah.

3. Reconnecting with college friends this summer

4. Safe travels and ministry for Jessica and Jonathon Duranceau to Africa

5. Enjoyable visits with family during summer and holidays

6. A great church family at Vero who has loved and supported us through 6 1/2 great years.

7. Finding a home for our cat Moseley

8. A new opportunity and ministry on the horizon--Houston First Church of the Nazarene.

So, I'll just leave you with those 4 lists instead of coming up with 8! I'm sure that's enough to update you on our lives and this past year! Hope you will check in on us again and see what God has in store for us in 2009!

Christmas 2008

My Christmas post/pictures are just a bit late getting up. I sent my camera cord back home with Matt, so I wasn't able to upload my pics until I made it to Walgreens to burn a c.d.

I'm double blogging today and simply dated this one earlier.

We have had a great past week here in South Carolina with Matt's family. Actually week and a 2 days now for Noah and I. Matt and I took all of (week ago) Monday to pack up the house and clean and run errands and all the things we still needed to do, and then left Vero just after 10pm. It turned out to be a good decision, as Noah slept all but maybe an hour of the drive, and he didn't get carsick one single time! Of course I'm sure you're thinking it's hard to get carsick while your sleeping, but he's managed to do it before. We pulled into the house here just before 6a.m. It was very sad for me to leave Vero, but Matt was headed back to get the truck a week later, so it wasn't a big deal for him yet.

We spent the next 2 days dillydallying around the house, doing some shopping, and eating some good homecooked meals. Matt's sister Jessica and our brother-in-law Jonathon have been back in the states only 1 week from their 6 month stint to Kenya. . . and Leah is home from college on break. And Grandma Esther is in from Alabama. So it was a full house for a while. Noah took to Jonathon right away and has been saying his name ever since. Of course Jon was great to play with Noah and wrestle around with him on the floor, but that's what uncles are supposed to do, right? Jess and Leah and the rest of them didn't really have a chance. Christmas Eve we went to a Candlelight service at the big Baptist church in Aiken that was really nice. I haven't been to a Christmas Eve service in quite a while, and I love them.

Christmas gift-giving is always big around the Hawkins house, and this year was no exception. We had a nice morning, sleeping in till 9ish and then opening ALL the presents. Noah did great, he really understood how to open his own presents this year, as well as everyone elses. It was a little difficult at first to explain to him that they weren't all for him, but after he'd see what was in someone else's box or bag, he realized he didn't want it anyway. As far as his own gifts, after he'd open one toy, he'd want to play with it instead of keep opening more. So we had to space it out for him. (He also asked for CAKE constantly during present time.) When we finally sat down to Christmas breakfast, it was closer to noon than it was 11a.m. I love that.

After playing with aaaaaalllllll of Noah's cool new toys, we headed out to partake in the Hawkins family tradition--a movie with the fam on Christmas night. The girls decided to all wear our new sweaters, since Matt's mom somehow managed to buy all 3 of us the same shirt, but at different times. That's what you get when you keep going back to the Target clearance racks, apparently she bought 5 total of the same shirt. Here's the pic. I thought somebody would comment to us about it, but I didn't hear any. I guess we don't stick out as much as the gypsies with big pageant hair and full face of makeup (seriously, seriously). We decided to take shifts this year so that we could all go, so the girls went first and watched Seven Pounds--REALLY quite good--and then the boys left when we got back and watched Yes Man--eh, okay, they said. They might have gone to see the same movie as us, but we warned them they might feel uncomfortable watching it without US, in case they got a bit emotional. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner when the boys got back.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday went by quite quickly. Friday was Matt's moms 54th birthday, and I went boot shopping with her and Jessica, and then we went and enjoyed a MUCH needed mani-pedi. Then Family Game Night topped off the evening. Saturday the boys went and played golf, and Sunday we all enjoyed attending church together and a great roast lunch before we parted our ways: Jess, Jon, and Grandma back to Alabama and Matt and his dad headed back to FL to get ready for a big week of moving. Noah and I were able to stay here for the past 3 days with Sherrie and Leah and relax (a bit, not much) while Matt and Tommy drove the moving truck out to Texas.

After a few set backs, the boys left Vero on Monday evening about 5 p.m. with a U-Haul truck jam packed full of our belongings. He said somewhere between 25 and 30 adults and teens came to help pack up and see him off. Matt, his dad, and the dog and the truck and Vue all made it to Houston this morning and checked in at the apartment office. Then about 20 people from our new church met Matt at the apartment and helped for several hours, taking ALL our stuff up the the 2nd floor of our new "home". We are VERY thankful and appreciate for that, since we didn't know what to expect! We appreciate and are thankful for the help on both ends of the move. I feel like I have gotten off pretty easy by not having to spend 3 1/2 days driving/going with the truck. Of course, I do feel like I did my part by packing up nearly the entire house in the last month or so. Noah and I fly out tomorrow afternoon and for the first time, I realized today I am feeling anxious to be there. To get settled. To get this new experience started. There's been quite the in-between time and although I'm very glad for it, I'm also ready. I don't think I was a week ago, but I am now. Not ready for EVERYTHING that will change, but at least ready to be there with my husband and our new place!

The Race is On

A late night post, but still a Sunday one...
So I didn't get to post during the weekly Daddy/son Sunday nap time, because the Daddy half of that duo was at the teen's flag football game (rescheduled from Thanksgiving due to rain) and the Mommy replacement was also exhausted and gladly took the Daddy's place in the naptime.

Four weeks down, and only one week left of our time here in FL. It is rapidly coming to a close. We enjoyed the week of vacation with my family during Thanksgiving, and then I have spent 3 organized weeks packing the house and systematically looking for housing online. There were days where I got a lot done and days where I allowed the overwhelming task to paralyze me momentarily, but for the most part, we're in good shape house-wise. This last week was a hard one, as all 3 of us experienced the dreaded flu in varying degrees. But the good news is by week's end, we are all feeling healthy again and I was actually able to attend church this morning! Yippee!
Thurs. was a great catchup day and Matt helped me tackle the more dificult and daunting parts of the house: the laundry room and the attic. Now the biggest obstacle to conquer is our closet! We were also able to throw a yard sale together yesterday and make just enough money to make it worth our time.
This next week will most likely be characterized by a flurry of dumping the remaining unpacked clothes and toys into boxes and scrubbing my walls, floors, windows, ceiling fans, and refrigerator. We have one and sometimes two dinners/parties to be at each night, and so-far, at least 3 lunch dates on the schedule. One dinner party got cancelled, but then another one very quickly filled its place. And due to other's schedules, we somehow managed to fill up our one remaining evening time slot. So strange and almost comical all we have to do this week. Here's just a few things on my mind, BESIDES the finishing of the house packing and cleaning:
1) Take family picture, have photo cards made, and address envelopes for family friends.
2) Cards for church people
3) Order new checks for our current account, since it appears the last 5 I have left won't cut it afterall
4) Find a new bank and see how to transfer money
5) Finalize our housing situation and pay our deposits/begin electric company
6) Change of address w/ PO and aaaaall our accounts
7) Put cancel date on all utilities and cable, internet, phone, etc.
8) FIND A HOME FOR MY CAT
9) Christmas shop for entire Hawkins fam, church fam, Matt, and a few Hays---put in mail
10) Oh yeah, turn in an itsy bitsy application for another NEW HEALTH INSURANCE plan. Ugggg...
So I could go on with more church business, future planning and holiday needs, but that's what makes the top ten apparently.

I am so very thankful that we are all feeling healthy again and hope that this will be the most productive, exhilarating week of my life. My heartbeat/blood pressure is raising just thinking about this race -against-the-clock that is before me. I think it is probably God's design and plan that I will be sooooo busy because if I wasn't, this move could possibly be so very sad for me. Saying goodbyes are very hard for me...for us all, I'm sure. But this will be a big one for us. The lump in my throat is already forming, so I've said enough. On to my bed for a good night's rest: I have a feeling I'm gonna need it.

A Cardboard Christmas

Greetings, friends and family--
Another Sunday afternoon. . . aaahhh, how I love them. Matt and Noah on the couch, sleeping once again. I am even more greatful that they are taking their nap and that I have this break today because Noah some how managed to come down with the (violent) vomiting-flu thing in the last 24 hours. I won't linger long on this, but THE POOR KID! He has been sick the ENTIRE month of Nov., first with "just a cold", then a trip to Urgent Care on a Sund. with his first ear infection, then another strong case of "just a cold" (aka coughing like the croup) during Thanksgiving, which led to finally a diagnosis last wed. of "possibly a sinus infection... ...let's do an antibiotic for this one"....at last, some real drugs(the 4th dr. apptment in as many weeks) ...and then only 3 days into his antibiotic, he seemed to get the flu/diarrrrrrr...bug. This is the first time he's EVER thrown up outside of his carseat, and WOW, it is crazy. He can't even keep a sip of water down at the moment. So we're thrilled that he's sleeping. What a month this has been!

Needless to say, after staying at home for the 3RD SUNDAY in 4 weeks with a sick kiddo, I am enjoying a few moments of rest. Matt has the 2nd night of our church Christmas program tonight, which it looks like I will also be missing this year, so he'll be heading over in an hour or so to get miked up. I wanted to throw a few things online while I have the chance.

First, one of those dr. apptments Noah had, last week, was with the pediatric blood specialist we started seeing this fall for his all-over-the-charts blood counts. We have been tracking his low white blood cell count (neutrophils) for the past year with our reg. pediatrician and were recently referred to the clinic in Orlando. Well, we reviewed the genetic tests results we had been waiting on for 8 WEEKS, which came back NEGATIVE (the good result) so it doesn't appear to be a genetic disposition at this point...and then we took further blood work to see where his levels are at now...and then the following day we got the word that he has NORMAL or above normal levels for the 2nd time in a row, and that we don't need to go any further with testing at this point.
Let me say that again: WE DON'T need to do any FURTHER TESTING AT THIS POINT! Which is AMAZING, because we were getting ourselves prepared to go and do a bone marrow test next. Which would be a pretty big deal and could possibly render serious results. We don't know what has changed in his neutrophil levels--we don't know if he's been completely healed or if God is just choosing to heal him for the time being until we are more settled in TX and can deal with it better, but for whatever reason, the anxiety concerning his unknown health concerns has been greatly lifted from us! And there's a strong chance he-we-may be completely over this...So Praise the Lord!

Second, things are in full gear on this move thang. It has been an interesting 3 weeks but the next TWO weeks will be CRAZY. I have a fairly good START on packing, but the more I do of course the more I realize I have to do, and it's rather easy to feel overwhelemed by it all. But of course I have my checklist, and MATT's checklist (he doesn't know I have this yet, but he will, very soon!) and so starting tomorrow we are getting CRACKING. I have spent a HUGE amount of time looking into housing lately, and so we will (hopefully) get that nailed down this week, as well as flights for Noah and I, (&Matt's dad), rental truck secured, yard sale in the paper, etc...health insurance and change of address forms begun...anybody want a cat?....etc. etc. there is a lot to do. A.L.O.T. And THEN, there are all the holiday parties/families who want to take us out or have us over for dinner stuff. Which is all well and wonderful and things we WANT to do, but it's just TOO much at this point in time. So WE'LL SEE what happens and what doesn't!

Then, there's CHRISTMAS to be celebrated! One of my biggest frustrations over this move is the time of year it is! I know God knows exactly what he is doing with this, and we already see several positives because of it.....but....during the Christmas season?!?!? Exactly WHEN am I supposed to shop for gifts??? (And celebrate the Savior's birth) And we have NOAH! He has loved looking at the lights and trees in other's houses....so...I decided to go ahead and decorate just a bit because I just couldn't enjoy the season with my house all covered in cardboard. As I pulled down boxes and tubs from the attic last Sunday, I opened one up, took out the Christmas decor, and then filled the same box with flower vases and a waffle maker. That's why packing has literally been 2 boxes forward, 1 box back. I'm hoping this week will be easier, because only reeeally important things get left unpacked from this point on.
So wish me luck as I embark on the seemingly never ending job of packing/explaining to people "why" we're moving.
Here's a bit of what my living room looks like!

Update: actually I'll post that pic in a few days because it's not loading right now.