Hi Friends,
So with 2016, came many changes (good, bad, and completely unexpected).
The past year has been pretty amazing, and I wanted to talk about some of the past year, and also what we are looking forward to in 2017!
- January - With this month, came an excitement of no longer having to go to the hospital for surgeries. Todd was healed, and we were getting over that awful experience! We had family time with my sister and her husband (delayed Christmas fun with them), and it was special as always. Then the bad - I was in a car accident and the insurance company didn't believe it was worth the cost. So we had to get rid of it and move on. We found Todd a car (Ford Taurus) that was quite old (but to this day is in good condition - so far). Plus, we only paid $600 out of pocket for the thing! YES! Thank you God!
- February - We had our Ohio primary for the election. If I had known then what I know now about the election, I don't think I'd believe it! But, I was able to vote for someone I wanted (he didn't win Ohio). We also celebrated Valentines Day and we made homemade pasta with a pasta maker my parents had gotten us from Italy!! YUMMO! That was a fun experience, and seriously...the best pasta!
- March - It was nice and warm, and spring came much earlier than in previous years. We celebrated Easter and my Dad's birthday. Caleb had his first egg hunts (one at church, one with his grandparents, and one at home with us). It was a fun month and pretty low key.
Always loves the swings!
- April - Caleb is growing and learning how to count and knows his ABCs very well. We also enjoyed springtime and a wonderful vacation in Virginia Beach with my sister and brother, Wes! It was soo nice and Caleb's first roadtrip and first trip to see the ocean!! He had a ball! As we all did!
Our family photo in Virginia Beach!
- May - May was overall a very nice time. Caleb gave up the binky on his own (YAY!). We enjoyed more park days! Unfortunately, he got very sick close to his birthday, and we were in the hospital (twice) because he ended up getting some awful virus that caused his breathing to be very bad, and then the second time, we were in the hospital due to pneumonia. The last visit to the hospital extended over his birthday, so his 2nd birthday plans were postponed for Memorial Day weekend. But, the hospital treated Caleb like a king, and gave him an Elmo balloon and toys. And thankfully, we were discharged on his birthday. So he got to go home and eat his birthday cake! It was a rough month for sure, but thankfully, we had a good ending to the month.
Our birthday boy!
- June - June was mostly uneventful. We enjoyed a lot of time outside and the summer warmth! Caleb had a ball and actually liked walking in the grass! He made a friend with a neighbor girl, and they loved playing with bubbles!
Caleb finally tackled the tunnel and slides at the playground! And he loved them!
- July - We celebrated Indpendence Day with friends in Columbus, and I made my first ever pineapple upside down cake (I did good!). And then a lot of fun memories were made at the park or at Riverscape in downtown Dayton with Caleb. He found his love for cities and tall buildings when we would go there. He became so obsessed with the cities, that I have NEVER known anyone to be as excited to see a city as him. In fact, on one of our Friday dates, G-Pa met me and Caleb at Riverscape after he had a meeting and we had icecream and walked along the bridge, etc. It was a nice time!
Caleb had fun with William at the annual Independence Day picnic we have with friends
- August - More fun in the sun with Caleb. He also really started to sing a lot of songs on his own. He loves to sing "Jesus Loves Me" and "This is the Day." I also tried my hand at making banana nut bread. I enjoyed making yummy food this summer! It was a treat for me (and Todd would say for him too). I also broke my crown and had to have a root canal for the first time. That was no fun! When you see smoke coming from your mouth...yeah...not cool!
- September - This month started pretty good. We celebrated Mom's, mine, and Wes' birthday (since we are all September birthdays). It was so nice to spend time with the family, play corn hole competitions, and enjoy watching Caleb playing and laughing. I turned 36, and Todd treated me to a spa day! So heavenly I tell you what! Plus, he took me to our favorite Jeff Ruby restaurant! It was a good birthday weekend! Sadly, the happiness of September ended on the 28th. I was laid off from my job at CH2M. I had been with them for almost 11 1/2 years! It truly was the end of an era! It was nothing I did...they were making cuts, and I was one of them. It was incredibly hard and emotional for me. And as the person that had 2/3 of our income coming from me, I had to find a job fast!
- October - Well, I spent all of my time looking for jobs. In the first week, I sent 14 resumes. I needed a job, man! But thankfully, I was also able to do some work for my parents too. It helped keep my mind sharp and also busy (instead of sulking and worrying). We also enjoyed the fall weather and went to parks and walked through the leaves. Caleb also loved going to Hobby Lobby (his favorite store - seriously, I mean it). He loved going there to see pumpkins, leaves, trees, and flowers. We also went there a lot to get craft supplies so he could paint, and do many different fun crafts. Caleb got to go trick-or-treating three times!! We went to the Renaissance Fair for a Halloween weekend, did trick-or-treating as a family in a nearby town so Todd could be there, and then Caleb and I went around our neighborhood on Halloween! He made out like a bandit with candy! But this momma made sure he only had 1-2 pieces of candy a day. And it lasted him until mid-December! Not too bad! I also had a phone interview with KMEA (the company I am currently set to start on January 9th). It seemed to go well then, and I was right.
- Our Curious George (or George Monkey like Caleb calls him)
- Fall outing with my cutie pie!
- November - Todd and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary in Red River Gorge (Kentucky) in a beautiful cabin. It was so peaceful and a perfect getaway for us. And thankfully, we had already paid for this trip before I lost my job, so it didn't cost us hardly a thing! I will briefly mention we also had an epic election! We are now getting ready for Trump as president in this new year. What?!! I really didn't see this happening. I may not have voted for the guy, but I do hope he surprises me in a good way and ends up better than I expect. I have many doubts about that, but I still hope it is better than I expect (end of the political discussion). We also celebrated Todd's birthday and Thanksgiving! Jen and Wes were with us for Thanksgiving, and that was super special! Caleb got to help us pick out a Christmas tree for the first time too! He really loved getting a Christmas tree and seeing all the lights and decorations! After Thanksgiving, I had an in-person interview in Cincinnati with a company that has a joint venture with KMEA, and the company I will be getting most of my work from).
Admiring the tree
- December - this month was full of beautiful Christmas fun (looking at lights, making cookies, watching Christmas movies, etc. Caleb and I visited the Carillon tower that looks like a Christmas tree as well! He calls it a tower Christmas tree! We also went to Clifton Mill with Caleb so he could enjoy the lights again this year. HE DID!! He was the loudest kid there during the light show with his Ooohs and Wows! It was sooo cute! I had a third interview in December over Skype with KMEA. This company is based out of California, and I will be going there quite often for work. I waited all month to find out they were offering me the job (found out the week after Christmas). I am going to be an Environmental Project Engineer focused on environmental compliance. The job sounds very exciting, and I am truly looking forward to the fresh start (and the income again).
Christmas morning with Caleb!
So with the upcoming year, not only do I get to start with a new job, Todd will be switching to days! YES! Such incredible timing too. I mean, with my travel for work, Todd will be able to watch Caleb and spend much needed time together. God orchestrated this completely. I am truly thankful for His wisdom and help in all of this. I got discouraged quite often September through December (especially when I was waiting to hear back from KMEA), and thankfully, God always provided the right encouragement when I needed it. He gave me peace, when I shouldn't have had it. He provided hope when I needed it. He also encouraged me to remember who I was and Who I belonged to. He also reminded me time and time again that he didn't just care about me and my job, but my husband and son too.
And another testament to the amazing sitter we have, when I found out I lost my job, this woman was incredibly gracious and told us that she believed God wanted her to NOT take any money from us until I found a job again. I couldn't believe it. We tried to argue with her and tell her we would pay her anyway, but she wouldn't take it. To say we have the best sitter ever is an understatement. She has become family to us, and we are beyond grateful for her! I look forward to being able to pay her again! She is worth every penny we give her!
So as I look back at the highlights of 2016, while there were some definite lows, I see the amazing hand of God in all of it. I see how he provided when I didn't know things were coming or how or when. So really, most of my thanks for this year goes to Him. When life happens and things get bad, Jesus provides so much more hope and peace than anything else.
So here's to a new year...full of new challenges (I'm sure), and full of new and fresh starts, and of course beautiful memories! Happy 2017 to all of you!
Love,
The Taber Family
