Happy New Year!

Well, to end off the year I had one more disappointment. It has been really rough these last few months with not knowing when Michael will ever come home and I was so looking forward to spending New Year's Eve with my parents, sister, nieces, and nephew as well as my family. I have spent New Year's Eve with my parents and sister every year since I was born. Since Aaron and I bought our current house, we have hosted the New Year's Eve gathering. Usually my aunt and her family have joined us but they moved out of state this year. So I have spent the last week getting my house ready, planning the food, shopping, and preparing the food. Then about half an hour before my family came over, Matthew puked. We thought maybe it was something he ate, so we postponed dinner for half an hour to see how he was doing. He was playing and having a good time. So just as I was going to call my mom and give her the all clear, he puked again. So for the first time in my life, I was not with my parents and sister to bring in the new year. Matthew threw up several times throughout the evening and fell asleep laying on the floor holding his stomach around 10pm or so. Kevin got really fussy and went to sleep shortly thereafter. Alisha was the only one that stayed up with Daddy and I. She was so good. She opened her magnadoodle that she got for Christmas and played for over an hour. I started feeling really sorry for myself as all of this transpired. But as I was walking home from taking my parents and sister their portion of the dinner, the Lord reminded me that life isn't all about me. So I spent the evening caring for my children. It was the quietest New Year's Eve ever. But I am looking forward to an exciting year in 2008. Matthew will graduate from Kindergarten. Alisha will turn 4. We will celebrate many of Kevin's milestones as he learns to sit, crawl, walk, and start talking. And Lord willing we will welcome Michael home to his family. The Lord has blessed us greatly and I am trying to focus on His blessings rather on the things that I didn't get. Thanks for all of your prayers throughout the year. Please excuse me if there are days in the near future when I don't seem to want to talk much, but my heart is heavy and I am leaning on the everlasting arms of my Savior. I do need all of your prayers, but sometimes it is not easy to talk.

Here are the last pictures that we got of Michael for 2007. Notice he once again has a snotty nose.