We have no idea

A year ago today, we were about to be snowed in. We all kind of expected it, but we didn't know how bad it would be. We thought it was the last day of Christmas break. We had no idea that Christmas break would last another entire week because of snow and cold . . . a week I will always refer to as "the longest week in the history of mankind."

A year ago this evening, we did a make-your-own pancake bar with the kids and I smiled and laughed with my kids for the first time in over a week. I was coming off of about 10 of the worst days I've ever had and had finally accepted what I believed to be the loss of my pregnancy. I was anxious to get to my appointment at the hospital the next day because I hadn't yet miscarried. I was so nauseated and just wanted the whole thing to be over. We had no idea that we'd get stuck in in the snow in front of our house the next day and wouldn't make our appointment because the plows didn't come on time. We couldn't have known that we'd have to wait another whole week before we could get a new appointment.

I wouldn't have believed you if you'd told me that the appointment we had a week later would show a 8-week old embryo (named Hattie) with a strong heartbeat.

It's amazing how much has changed in the last year.

Last Christmas, it never crossed our minds that it was our last year to celebrate with Kyle's Grandpa Luke. A year ago, we had no plans to move to a new town. We had no idea that our house would sell in a week, and no clue that we'd live in a trailer for a few weeks since we would close on the sale of our old house before we could close on the sale of our new house.

We wouldn't have been able to fathom how emotional it would be to say goodbye to our old house . . . the one we'd occupied and built our family in for 10 years. We were also completely unaware of how much stuff we actually owned.

We didn't know that I'd go into labor right on my due date and deliver a healthy little girl on Kyle's birthday, just 17 days after getting the keys to our new home.  The weeks that we brought Hattie home, we painted, unpacked boxes, managed Claire, and sent Jack and Ben off to their first days of school and preschool.  These weeks were unbelievably hard, and we were stunned by the outpouring of meals and help by our friends and new neighbors. A year ago, we never could have painted the picture of what our lives would look like in September through December of 2014.

2014 was a very good year, but right from the very beginning it was full of surprises. One thing that I'm sure of? We have no idea what surprises 2015 will bring, but God is always faithful.