a year of new

 i apologize for no blogging for awhile. our life has been a little chaotic. besides this sweet little boy keeping us busy we have had so many other great things happen.

i'll start with the most exciting.... A.J. is now a full time firefighter with Larkspur Fire Department. this is something we have been waiting about 5 years to have happen. we are are so so so excited. the picture below was taken of our family right after we found out the exciting news (even B was happy). today is actually his very first shift! this will be the year of stable work for A.J....

we moved... yes again. story of our lives.... but the great thing about our new place is that we got to give Blake a nursery. setting up a nursery is something i have been waiting to do since we were first pregnant with Sophia. i will admit i teared up while we were doing it- as i feel like this is something that a mommy just longs to do. and this mommy was really really excited. i couldn't help but think that we were supposed to put sophia in this crib and remember tearing it down after she was born... longing for the day we could put a baby in it. it was the first room totally unpacked. (pics are below) the rest of our place still looks like a disaster. but i will get it done. maybe not until this fall... when we hope to move again- in to our own house. this will be the year of saving....

this little guy has found his feet... which is super exciting for him! he has a toy now wherever we go. he   is such a sweet happy baby. although he doesn't want to nap or sleep lately, we are so very blessed by his daily smiles and wonderful personality. this will be a year of enjoying all the little things with him...

christmas with the family...  this went well. somehow thanksgiving went by without me giving too many thoughts to missing Sophia. probably because it was so busy with traveling. but christmas this year was were i missed her most. with having blake, i felt like our family was missing someone. i kept thinking she should be here tearing in to presents with her cute little arms. i think i was also sad not to be putting out all her christmas ornament stuff (since it is still somewhere i don't know). i may get her stuff our when i find it just to feel her around. 

our family picture. (notice i am wearing the rose we wear in sophia's memory.) 

while listening to a song this week, i kept thinking... i want to stay in this place for a long time. i want everything to be this good. i think with all that we have been through in the past 2 years, i am so thankful for where we are at in life. we have been so blessed this year and i am so excited for 2013. although i know that God may not only have good things in store for us all the time, i know that he is with us and will take care of us. that this is a blessing that he is giving us a new year to be together. my heart can't help but ache for those that are going into this new year missing some very dear people to them (as so many people i know are right now) and i pray for them to figure out what a new year will look like without their loved ones, i pray that day by day as the year goes on, the pain lessens, as i know it does. each day and year so far has brought us more peace and healing- as well as making memories more sweet.

may your year be one filled with grace and joy.... where ever you can find that.

thankful- the dinkels