Another year come and gone..........

Yes, I know it's not quite New Year's yet, but it's REALLY close. So much has happened this year that it literally boggles my mind (no smart remarks please LOL). It amazes me how much one year, just 365 days, of my entire life can bring about such huge changes. Here's a quick recap in no particular order:

*My youngest son began his journey of endless therapy appointments. We started out in Early Intervention Services and by January he was receiving speech therapy, developmental therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy.

*My middle son is just as hilarious as always. ;) I'm amazed at how much he has matured this year. And his reading abilities took off like a jet! He also started guitar lessons that came to a screeching halt with an unfortunate circumstances with his instructor. Hopefully we can get him set up with another one soon.

*My oldest is still going strong (literally!) in Taekwondo. We attended two tournaments for him this year and he earned another belt. In April, he will have completed 3 years with the same instructors. I'm so proud of him and his dedication.

*I've grown closer to family and friends this year. Especially my mom.  She has been and continues to be my best friends.  She's the first one I call when I have concerns and the first one I call when I have exciting news.  You just can't help but love her.  I'm also glad she has her extremely warped sense of humor so I can blame mine on her. ;)

*I've been blessed to have the same friends for many years and I love them all. Steph moved to Japan this year. It was devastating for her to be so far away but I love hearing about all the exciting things they have been doing! Fortunately, Lori and I are planning a trip there later in 2011. Woohoo!!! I get to go to Japan!!!  And I get to go with Lori, who is my voice of reason on probably way too many occasions.  But she is also the most fun to get into trouble with on our shopping adventures.  Hehehehe.  I am also still able to talk at least daily to my best friend from high school, my other Laurie.  She is often my rock and has been for almost 20 years now.  Her stories about her husband and children have mine alive many times and vice versa. At least I know I'm not alone in trying to figure out what makes the creatures with the Y chromosome tick.  LOL 

*Mike is still Mr. Steady in that he is still working at the same job he's been in for almost 20 years. (I love how that makes him so much older than me. Ha!!) He enjoys the people he works with and we have been very blessed for him to continue to have a good job when so many have been laid off in our present economy.

*I lost 40..yes, you read that right - FORTY..pounds this year! Yay me!! I have a love/hate relationship with my elliptical machine. I hate to use the *&^%# thing but I love that I have lost weight. LOL Although I feel like I still have another metric ton to lose, I'm glad that all that blood, sweat, and tears is paying off. ;)

*I saw a dear friend's marriage end, and I've watched her soar in her new independence in a healthier environment for her and her children.  Although she lives further away now, it has been wonderful to see her regain her confidence, self-worth, and happiness again.  I love her children like my own and I applaud her courage through it all. 

*As I am sure you've noticed from many of my other posts, I was chosen to be part of the TOS (The Old Schoolhouse Magazine) Crew this year. I get review various products from all different types of vendors then post a review on my blog. So far it has been so much fun! I've gotten to review some really interesting things and the kids are enjoying helping me. It's amazing how God works, because it seems like each new product I receive has had a perfect spot in our homeschooling journey.

*Lastly, 2 weeks ago we received the news that Mr. Chunky Monkey (a.k.a. Aden, our 3 year old) is definitely autistic. Although I knew it in my head already, my heart still wasn't ready for it. He's had a lot of the classic symptoms for over a year now. BUT early intervention services in our state has worked so well for him. The doctor that diagnosed him was very impressed with how much progress he has made in the past several months. She said she is very eager to see what he will be able to achieve in the next couple of years. Fortunately, we were already doing everything she would have recommended so it's good to know we weren't missing anything. He is such a sweet little boy and we have already learned so much more from him than we will ever be able to teach him in return.

Thank you for hanging in there with me this year. I've enjoyed being able to keep a journal and think through my fingers on this blog. I've also enjoyed being able to read all of your blogs too. I'll be the first to admit, I'm a blog junkie. I love getting to see a small glimpse into your lives. They are often uplifting, creative, and fun.

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May you be blessed with many great things in 2011.

Hugs,
Amanda