The Decade of Little Boys

On December 31st, 1999, I celebrated the new millennium at my soon-t0-be Uncle Joe's house in the Keys. I stood on the second story veranda and watched our future Uncle and his nephew engage in a pyro-spectacular bonanza of enormous fireworks (of the state park variety) and thought about the decade to come. I thought about the boy I was madly in love with at the time, I thought about getting to drive a car and going to college, becoming an archeologist and traveling to Egypt. I remember specifically wondering what my life would be like in 2010, I was convinced I would be living in either Tel Aviv or Cairo, a lone reed, immersed in my career and missing home dreadfully.

Last night I rang in the new decade holding my first born son in my arms while my husband stood with our youngest in his arms. We kissed each other and wondered in amazement over how differently our decade turned out. How very glad I am to not be the author of my own story, a 2010 New Year alone in Cairo would have paled in comparison to my life this morning. We live a very simple and humble life, but we live it together and for each other and as servants of our Lord. I want for nothing. This next decade will be the decade of my sons' early childhood. It will be a decade of birthday parties, camping, pirate ships and treasure hunts, band-aids, jungle safaris and space explorations, pocket knives, sling shots, legos, Emergency room bills, grass stains, coonskin caps, lizards, juice boxes and mud. The Decade of Little Boys is upon me. Thankfully, gardens, tea and Jane Austen will also be in the mix whenever I have a moment to myself. I am overwhelmed with gratitude today. What a beautiful way to start a new decade. The dreams of my childhood are now silent and gone but the dreams of my own children's childhoods have come true and I now hold them in my hands. I love my sons. I hope I have three more boys in these next 10 years, I could never have too many boys...all though I'm sure J would say 4 boys are plenty.

I am not one for New Year's resolutions. I never make them and therefore never break them. This year is no different than the last in that respect. I only want to do what I do each day: serve God, love my husband and teach my children (and kiss them as much as possible!) Last year we welcomed a son and lost an unborn child, we bought our first home and built a garden, we found a new church and I started BSF. This coming year is one of J's final semesters before writing his PhD thesis, I am savoring each day of our life in the little yellow bungalow and am eagerly watching my children grow and learn in this new year of 2010.

Happy New Year to you dearest friends and family. May God open your eyes to see His work in your life each and every day. :)