Last day of a very LONG year

Song of the day: Gavin DeGraw's "Not Over You"
(I love how raw his voice is and the words to this song are just so simple and honest.)

I can't believe it's the end of 2011 already. At the same time, I can't believe how slowly each day has felt over this past year. Someone said, "The years are short but the days are long." It's so true.

Today, I spent most of the day after putting the girls down for their nap cooking a Korean feast for the Choy clan. We decided to do a traditional Korean New Year's meal. I made ho bak jun, seng sun jun, jalapeno jun, meat jun, mee yuk gook, and a very elaborate jap chae. Nathan helped me with prep and even made kim chee boo cheem. It all turned out pretty well for our first go at it. I hope that we can keep on with the tradition every new year, especially once we move into our own place.

So much has happened this year: Alana had many "firsts" and became a little person. She is walking, talking, and laughing up a storm. She used to cry at the sight of anyone new or unfamiliar approaching her, gripping onto me for life. Now, she still cries in some instances when I let her go, but generally she waves, smiles, and plays coy with people around her. Kaia has become a little lady, able to do so many things on her own, including going to the bathroom, washing her hands and mouth, doing puzzles, taking off and putting on her own clothes, brushing her own teeth, helping me with cooking and cleaning, taking care of your sister, slowly being able to go with other people without mommy by her side, etc. Such amazing growth in both my girls in a year's time.

Nathan and I bought a house together. We've been working on it off and on ever since. It's been a long nine months ever since. We're still miles away from being even close to moving in but it's our first place together as a family of four. It'll be where the kids remember growing up and having some of their first memories. It'll be my first kitchen where I'll make regular recipes that my girls will grow up asking for [hopefully].

This past year Nathan and I have gone through so many things. Many ups and downs. Endless tests of our character, trust in God, and bond in marriage. It was a year of humility, trials, tears of joy, tears of heartache, and many discoveries [about my soul, heart, mind, Nathan, my daughters, God, and life].

What an end to the year. After hours of cooking for the family, I got to watch them all devour it with such joy and delight. Then, the boys started a game of Monopoly until Kaia decided we should start watching our movie for the night (we let her stay up past midnight last year because the fireworks around the neighborhood was super loud and lasted for almost 4 hours straight, and she got to watch a movie and eat popcorn with us). We are now on the couch watching "Kung Fu Panda 2" while cuddled on the couch together with snacks on our laps. What a way to end the year.

Thank you, Lord, for an incredible year. It's been hard, lovely, stressful, beautiful, and full of obvious blessings and most a blessing in disguise. Thank you for allowing for me to survive all that this year had to offer and for giving me the teachable heart to see how You were working through those things. May this new year bring forth greater peace, love, and gratitude because of You...and to You.