Looking back...and forward

"The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." ~Psalm 126:3

I ran across this verse today, and it's now one of my all-time favorites. My! The blessings of my life continue to astound me, and I'm not only filled with joy and thanksgiving, but also humility and even a bit of sadness.

I don't want 2009 to be marked in our memories as the year of Carter's accident. Instead, I want to remember all the good times we enjoyed and the milestones of our lives that I've often written about here.

I want to remember Hannah's first day of school. How she was so excited to finally go to "big school" with all her friends to play on the big slide.

I want to remember Carter's first birthday and the way he dove into his cake face first.

I want to remember our trip to Las Vegas when these two country bumpkins tried our best (and failed) to blend in with the big city crowd. And how I got felt up by the Coca-Cola polar bear.

I want to remember our family trip to Six Flags, where Hannah wanted to ride all the coasters -- even the big ones. It was Carter's first time spending the night in a hotel room, and Pop and I drove him around Atlanta for an hour in an attempt to get him to sleep.

I want to remember how much the kids enjoyed chasing Paw Paw and Maw Maw's chickens around their yard. And Hannah named hers Kenny.

I want to remember how, even though during the "bad" times, we gained strength from our love for each other and our faith in God. That through our trials we gained a renewed sense of family, togetherness, compassion and gratitude. That, no matter how difficult our situation, we can see God's blessings and purpose for our lives.

Yes, the Lord has certainly done great things for us. 2009 has been a year to remember, and I pray that God blesses us with many more to come.