Reflecting On The Year

This time of year I like to pause and reflect on everything God has done during the year, how my kids have grown and matured as they walked through another year of life, and the way my life and character changed for the better.  So take a moment with me to celebrate this past year!

January 10, 2009 ~ DTS begins!  I started a new, wonderful, crazy adventure as I led my first DTS ever!  And we had our first African students!

January 13, 2009 ~ Joshua started Grade 1 and Emma Grace preschool!  Doesn't he look thrilled?  It WAS early in the morning!  And Emma Grace, well, she was a little unsure.

February 25, 2009 ~ A home was built in Mbonisweni for some kids!  Thank you, YWAM Orlando!

March 27, 2009 ~ Marked 13 years in ministry for me!  Oh, my!  No wonder I need a sabbatical!

April 3, 2009 ~ Joshua turned 7!  My boy is getting big fast! 

May 6, 2009 ~ Hubby and I headed to Jinja, Uganda for a week to visit our DTS team there.  (Day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.)

May 29, 2009 ~ We graduated our second DTS.  These seven students were such a great group of guys and girls.  They will forever have a special place in my heart!  I love them so much!

DTS 2009 from Jen Price on Vimeo.

May 30, 2009 ~ Jeremy traveled to Hong Kong for the Call2All conference.

July 3, 2009 ~ A home was finished in Mbonisweni for Khethiwe and her family!  Thanks again, YWAM Orlando volunteers!

August 13, 2009 ~ Emma Grace participated in her first choir competition!

August 19, 2009 ~ Ten Thousand Homes handed out the first of many blankets, hats, and vests received through Knit A Square for the orphans.

August 21, 2009 ~ I celebrated my 32nd birthday!

September 8, 2009 ~ A Ten Thousand Homes crew traveled to Cape Town to challenge others to engage the orphan crisis and do their part to care for these kids.

September 11, 2009 ~ Jeremy and I celebrated 10 years of marriage!

September 16, 2009 ~ Emma Grace played a bee in her school's rendition of Ferdinand The Bull!

 September 29, 2009 ~ We celebrated the birthday duo!  Daddy and Emma Grace!

October 26, 2009 ~ A home was finished for Thusilia and Maria in Kabokweni!

 

December 2, 2009 ~ I first posted about our upcoming sabbatical. 

Yes, it's been a busy year and a good year full of lots of great things.  I was stretched in more ways than I could have imagined.  Creativity abounded in our home as I become a huge advocate for others finding their creative outlet.  My kids grew a little big bigger and matured a little more.  As I look ahead to 2010, I'm very excited about this first season of rest. What are you looking forward to as you enter 2010?

On A Winning Streak!

Isn't it fun to win something?  I love it!  Games, free stuff, you name it, I always find it fun!  So when I recently won two giveaways, I was ecstatic!  It reminded me why I love hosting giveaways right here.

Remember how I said I wanted a knitting book for Christmas?  Well, I won Knitting A Kiss In Every Stitch from A Friend To Knit With.  Yea!  I've already earmarked some projects that will be on my list of things to make!

And then, just a couple of weeks later, I won a product[RED] iPod Nano from Steady Mom!  A portion of the proceeds from all RED products goes to help fight AIDS in Africa.  How cool is that!  I am thoroughly enjoying this little Nano.  I can listen to music, watch movies or tv shows, shoot video!  All kinds of fun!

all photos by my wonderful husband!

Speaking of giveaways, anyone looking for a makeover?  A blog makeover that is.  Ana at Barefooted Blessings is offering a full photoblog makeover worth $225!  Enter here for your chance to win!

When It Snows In Texas...

You have to take advantage of it!  When we moved to Connecticut, we received our fair share of snow.  In fact, the year we moved there it snowed until April!  Joshua quickly grew to love the snow and the sledding adventures we had.  Since we left Connecticut, we haven't seen much snow.  South Africa doesn't quite get snow (well, they do in the mountains down south but not in our neck of the woods).  So Joshua has been begging to see snow since we arrived.  Well, not only did he get some snow, but he got a white Christmas!  Much fun has been had in the cold, whiteness that filled the yard.  Can't you tell?

This Christmas...

...I learned that I have to try and find better hiding places for Christmas gifts to keep those little snoopers from finding their treasures!

...I loved watching my kids wear their hand knits.  They won't always think those are cool so I have to treasure it while I can!

...I found so much joy in watching the kids open gifts that they really, really wanted...like a $9 princess sleeping bag!

...I didn't realize Star Wars paraphernalia came in so many shapes and sizes!

...Seeing Emma Grace treasure her gift from her brother and call it her best gift melted my heart.

...I realized that my little girl is excellent with pampering.  Painted toenails, makeup, body lotion...what a treat!

...I decided Joshua can hold his own playing Phase 10 with the adults.



...We actually had a white Christmas!



Hope your Christmas was filled with as many wonderful moments as we had!

Chai Shortbread Cookies

This year Santa got a new recipe that I tried, chai shortbread cookies from Food Network's 12 Days of Christmas cookies.  If you like chai, you will love these cookies (I did!)  The kids didn't quite like them, but since Santa is a grown up, we'd figure he might like them!

Sharing Our Holiday Moments...

Hope your holiday was filled with fun, laughter, rest, great food, new memories, and the presence of Jesus, the reason for it all!