Like every year for us it seems, 2015 has been BUSY to say the least. If you know me, you know busy is where I like to be and where I tend to stay. My life is very high energy and motivated and I attribute a lot of it to the great role models I had growing up, while the other small part I guess to my personality in general.
Although we incorporated our business, Dallas Aeration, in late 2014, we officially launched in early 2015. For our first year in business, I couldn't be more pleased. We saw God's hand in our plans, in the details, and in every aspect of our business it seemed, time and time again. There were SO many things that happened that all we could do was pretty much say, "Wow, God did it..." It's an incredible and surreal feeling and one that I never get tired of.
We celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary and 8 total years together in February and celebrated our beautiful daughter's 6th birthday in May. These may seem like "small" things, but to us, they continue to be magical each year. I have learned that so much of life goes on in the mundane. Appreciating the mundane and letting God rule even your mundane is not only necessary, but crucial. I read an awesome quote in a book I read, "Glimpses of Grace", that reads: "if God doesn't rule your mundane, then He doesn't rule you, because that's where you live- in the mundane." So eye opening.
In July, on my Dad's birthday to be specific, my Papaw went to be with Jesus after a long, arduous fight with Diffuse Lewy Body Syndrome and after several years in the nursing home. It was a hard time for my entire family, but we know that he is healed now and has been made completely new. As hard as it is to let him go, the rock of our family on my Dad's side, we know that it was unfair to wish him here in the condition he was in. I treasure the memories made with him so dearly and hold close all of the photos I was able to get of him with my 3 sweet children.
In August, we found out we were pregnant with our baby boy, Silas! He is due May 7th, although we expect him early April as I have had all of my children early. We could not be more elated about the soon to be birth of another life gifted to us. Finding out I was pregnant with Silas brought back so many memories of when I was pregnant with Gavin which was also when I lost my precious Mam-ma. I was reminded yet again of Job 1:21, "Naked I came out of my mother's womb and naked shall I return thither. The Lord gave and The Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord!" This verse has become even more real in my life over the past few years and shows me every time I read it that the Word of God is LIVING and ACTIVE. I cannot read those words or say them aloud without my eyes filling with tears. The emotions I feel overwhelm me for more reasons than one. It is not only regarding my loss, but also my gain- my gift- new life given to me from The Lord Almighty. It is not only these things, but also the very real and present reminder that Jesus is undeniably who He says He is and proves Himself over and over again in every aspect of my life. Even in the ones that are hard. Those are the ones where it seems He proves Himself even more and I can feel Him carrying me.
In December, we celebrated both Mason's 4th birthday and Gavin's 2nd birthday! We can't believe how big all of our kids are getting and it has seriously been the biggest blessing this year just watching them grow and change in the neatest of ways.
We stayed very busy all year with sports and school activities along with Awana's for the kids at church. We feel like we are going somewhere nearly every day of the week it seems like and surely enjoyed the Christmas break where we did not have anything, but family events going on.
As much as I am prone to stay busy and love being productive, I value my seasons of rest. I value the weeks that we can enjoy each other a little more as a family and slow down enough to soak in some of the things we often fly by and miss. I know I have a lot more to learn through my relationship with Christ about seasons and the importance He places on each one.
As we start 2016, I know many things will be similar in some ways: Savannah will resume soccer here in about 6 weeks and Mason will start baseball (he did soccer in the fall, but we are giving baseball a try this season as he has expressed much more interest in it compared to soccer.), Savannah will resume the second semester of first grade here in a few days as will Mason resume preschool. Gavin will be mad again that he is left at home while the big kids are at school. He'll be okay though ;) and will get to start preschool himself in the fall.
We look forward to all of the things that God has in store for Dallas Aeration in 2016. After seeing His blessings poured out in 2015, it overwhelms me in the best of ways to attempt to fathom what He will do in 2016.
Most of all, I look forward to April for the upcoming birth of my sweet baby boy, Silas Mitchell Hayes. I absolutely cannot wait to hold, snuggle, kiss, nurse, and love on my sweet baby boy! If you know me well, you know that the newborn stage is my absolute favorite. Seriously, I don't know how I'll ever stop having babies!! JK- or am I? ;) Truly though, I adore that stage and it is so amazing to me every time I get to experience the miracle of life and bring life into this world. It is not something I take lightly and I cannot wait to bring baby Silas into this world and do my very best mothering him and loving him unconditionally. The kids and Zach are so excited as well. We love our family and love the thought of growing our family even more- the more to love on, the better, in our eyes!
As we press forward in 2016, I want my focus to be more on the One who sits on the throne above and what He has in store for me and what He intends for me to learn and to grasp out of each season and each event in each season as well.
"He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new.'." -Revelation 21:5
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