Time to “Tie” up 2011

Let me start off by taking a deep breath.  Ahhhh! What a year it has been.  We started off the beginning of 2011 as a family of five with a 3 year old, a one year old and a newborn baby.  I was the queen amongst all these boys but I felt like I was the queen of Kingdom Crazy.  Not what you think of when you imagine a queen.  I still feel like that on so many days but after some changes, growing and learning that took place in the Woodward household, I feel the ending of 2011 will happen with a little more ease. 

Some major highlights this past year was on February 18th Brad officially signed out of being owned and employed by the United States Air Force after 10 accomplished years as a Special Forces PJ.  We have successfully maintained our comfort level and way of living these past 10 months with the primary bread winner going back to school full time.  He also has worked part time around his school schedule for a military contracting company a few hours away.  We have cut spending a lot but still maintain the same comforts of our home, the foods we are accustomed to and doing activities for the boys and us.  I am very thankful for a husband who is good with money to set his family up for success before he set out to pursue one of his dreams.  We were willing to make major sacrifices but he insisted he did not want that for our family.  A long time ago it was in the plan to move but we are still here.  A North Carolina school for Pre Med is the route we have decided on.  UNC Chapel Hill in particular for this fall.  Combining his 60 plus credits as a paramedic and his classes taken at the local college and online should set him up to not have too much longer for Pre Med. There is still a lot to do and figure out. Like will Brad commute first and us stay in our home and Bradley go to school here or will we rent our house out and move there this fall the same year Bradley starts Kindergarten?  Most likely the first choice but eventually moving to Chapel Hill, NC area is a big possibility because it is an hour and a half commute each way for Brad to go to school everyday.  Time will tell and God will show us all that and the answers to all the other decisions.  There really are too many to write about! 

As for me, yes me! Remember the Queen over here.  This year I have humbly bowed out of all my mommy clubs that while are very helpful because I did feel more normal when seeing all the other moms who live in kingdom crazy with me.  It just did not give me enough time to “Do” mothering when I was involved.  I felt like I was learning and talking about mothering so much and meanwhile my personal social calendar and play dates filled up but I still had the child who was bad and acted out.  I will admit that even though I still may not devote all my time to creating and molding them and being non stop consistent, I have left that window of time open.  After 5 years of living here I also felt that the friends I had would remain and God would place new ones if he desired but I didn’t need to try so hard. I didn't want to only have friends associated with a group.  I wanted deeper relationship friendships.  I am thankful for those friendships I do have but with others it was just time to cut my losses.  At the end of the day I am a wife and a mother and I do not desire to have so many mommy acquaintances that is all surface relationships. After bowing out of being in those groups, besides my one bible study in the evening, I started working at the mommy groups instead of being in them.  Hence the humbling experience.  Since I still have no clue what I want to be when I grow up career wise and I have three amazing children that well, let’s be honest, “tie” me down, I took several small caregiver jobs for morning women's groups to bring in a little cash flow given our current situation.  It is the only thing I could think of where I can take my children with me and get paid at the same time and be able to still take Bradley and pick him up from preschool.  I am thankful and honored to be the mother of these three boys and appreciate being able to be at home with them even still.  I am quite certain it wont last forever so I am trying to appreciate it while I can.  Other than that I am still just trying to navigate my way through being a mom of three boys and praying so diligently I don’t screw them up! I imagine I will be doing that every year though.  Not just this year.  

  

Bradley, this year you have grown into quite the young man as you turned four.  You have a love for learning and we know that because you ask so many questions about life and like to practice your schoolwork which is writing, math and reading mainly that you ask to do.  You are a great helper but as quick as that help comes it can leave just as fast.  You often ask “why do I have to clean all the time?” even if that is the one time the whole day you had to clean your room.  This is where I see the 15 year old teenager coming out in you.  You are silly and a jokester and you can often be heard being loud, tattling on Gavin, saying “toilet talk” and “oh chicken” talk.  There is also not a day that passes where you are cheering your brothers on or teaching them something.  Both great characteristics of a big brother and a shirt you still wear proudly to this day while boasting over your two brothers when people comment on your shirt.  You think of others and what they like and have a great memory.  You can be a bit of a glutton when it comes to sweets.  Your teachers rave over your listening skills  and your genuineness. This year we have had some breakthroughs in your terrible eating habits.  You now eat meat! We are thankful you are a carnivore now.  You love spending quality time with daddy and learning from him but you are still your mommy’s baby boy when you want me to lay with you to sleep.  It is pretty much only when you are tired so your tough guy guard must be down.  One very important thing is you love Jesus and you say he lives in your heart.  This year you also took on your first team competition sport in indoor soccer.  You are still shy to start off with things like this but then you start really enjoying it and asking when you can go again.  You are really into knowing a plan.  I think you get this from me but I don’t really practice it as much as I used to since your younger brothers kind of throw my plans out the window most days.  You however, really wish they didn’t do that. Sometimes it is scary and can be a little OCD but it shows me that you are listening to how mommy runs things around the house and if you are not sure, you check and ask.  You really have the choices thing down to and will say things like “Ok, I choose the choice of peanuts” when it is that versus goldfish for snack.  We can’t wait to venture into the five year old territory with you and look forward to helping and watching you grow in 2012.

Gavin, this year you turned two and although these pictures don’t show the terrible side; it is only because they lie!  You definitely have tantrums and a mean streak that would make any one want to run.  We, however, are standing firm and staying put right by your side because when you are not bad you are so very good.  We often refer to you as our sour patch kid because first you are sweet and then you are sour. You really are a random riot full of energy and spunk.  We often shake our heads and wonder if we can ever make sense out of all that you are! A very complex individual but we are certainly up for the challenge.  You are caring and a busy body, captain obvious who likes to point out things and who knows how to tattle already.  You also know how to flash those green eyes just right so they glisten and it somehow makes everything right in the world.  You can even makes your fang teeth seem sweet when you smile.  This is all while you are caught being mischievous so then you totally have mommy writing sucker across her forehead and I just melt into your charm.  Some things you are “caught” doing are climbing on the counters, opening the fridge and handing me the liter or soda saying “soda mommy, soda?” or getting into my purse for the thousandth time.  You have recently been caught coloring on furniture and you rode your first skateboard this year with daddy but still wont petal your trike. I have said it before and I will say it again, your manners are impeccable for a child of your age.  You love saying please and thank you and even telling us we are welcome if we forget to say it to you.  You have the sweetest squeaky voice with a little raspy tone to it. You are a daredevil and a show off but one with the biggest loving heart.  You worry about Easton and when you are not biting him because he is the baby, not you, you are kissing him or helping him or sharing with him or even being bossy out of concern for him.  Mainly this year going from one to two we see you caught in the middle of not understanding danger or why not but still wanting to do it. Your speech and all your new words and sentences have really improved.  You are a storyteller now. In this year you have learned so many things and the world seems so big at two but you Gavin can do it all.  Whatever you want to do, you have the zeal, smarts and no fear to hold you back in order to do it.  You are confident, care free and always ready to give us a laugh!

Easton, this year has been your first year of life so it doesn’t get more exciting than that.  Especially for your family and everyone who loves you.  Watching you grow from an infant to a one year old has been a treasure.  Your personality in your first year has been chill, serious at times, go with the flow, easy, low maintenance, happy and very smiley too.  Other than you throwing minor fits in the middle of the night when you were hungry and I did not feed you fast enough or wanting me instead of the bottle or being too attached to me for going to bed, you have been a peach.  Even your worst cry is calm compared to what we are used to with Bradley and Gavin.  Hoping that trend sticks through everything else that comes along with you.  We are amazed at your calmness around your older brothers and you fit perfectly in the mix.  You are almost too perfect at times.  You have taken two naps a day your whole first year if we were home but also could just fall asleep on the go and that was enough for you to not be fussy or you were known to fall asleep anywhere like the many pictures we have of you on the floor, backwards in your seat or asleep in the highchair. You have currently become our best yet eater.  Lastly, but not the least at all, you took your first steps this Tuesday, the 20th.  You were holding onto my hands and let go then took three steps to Bradley who was holding your walker in the kitchen.  You just had to slip that into 2011 and not keep us waiting.  I am sorry if I every compare you too much and that goes for your brothers also, because you are so unique as our third son and have your very own special place in our hearts.  We are so looking forward to next year with you.  The fun is just beginning and thankfully it is a whole year before you turn two and hopefully the terribleness will hold off.  If we judge from up to this point your terrible stage, whenever it happens, will be mild. 

I want to say a big THANKS to Liz for all of these wonderful photos capturing our boys charm, innocence and pure hearts through their smiles. During the tie picture taking I had to put Easton in his special newborn Christmas hat and try to recapture it.  He obviously is to big to lay like that anymore and is in the phase of not wanting to keep a hat on so we had to feed him to distract him.  Look how different he is but still all the same features.  All the same Easty we love just a big boy now!

As a family we are looking forward to next year and praying it will be another one to count our many blessings.  A year to grow wiser and more Christ like.  Looking forward to what God has in store for our family and seeing what we are capable of to bless him back. 

Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, till he comes and rains righteousness on you. Hosea 10:12