Saturday, January 7, 2017

Happy New Year...2017 is Here!

What an incredibly action-packed, busy and fulfilling Holiday season we encountered with friends and family over the Christmas season (10 weeks and still counting). We continue to count our blessings as we still have our 3 grandmothers with us. So very thankful we got to spend quality time with all 3 of them this Holiday season.  We love our great grandmas!

We rang in the NEW YEAR as a family with amazing friends!
Very thankful we were all together. 
I LOVE MY GIRLS!!

Love this gal more than anything!
2017...holy buckets it's going to be a year of change and excitement.

What a fun group...yes, we ladies continue to be the Carbles CHAMPS!

And then there's my family on THROW BACK THURSDAY.
I love my family and miss the "good old days" way back in 1988.

Over break and always I continue to LOVE my cooking helpers!

As the full Christian Christmas season comes to a close this Epiphany weekend...I'm so very thankful for all of the family and friends who we got to spend time with...and truly thinking of those who we MISSED!


No question 2016 was by far the most challenging year of my personal, professional, and Christian life...but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Who you are, how you act, and how you react to challenges is YOUR CHOICE. 
I'm incredibly grateful to God for giving us "Free Will."

When bad things happen you have a choice to fall down and stay there. Or you have a choice to fall down, get back up, dust yourself off and find something positive out of a negative and make yourself better!

I can't control anyone on this earth except myself, nor would I want to. I can't even control my own children. I can parent them, teach them to follow Jesus, and prepare them for life's challenges and situations, but it's their own FREE WILL and own decisions that will lead them to success in life and Christ in the end.

One of the most important lessons that I learned from my Dad a few years ago was "forgiveness." He told me, "you forgive (whether people apologize or not) because JESUS DID." Thank you Dad for all that you've taught me, but especially that incredible lesson. I truly believe that "forgiveness" for humans is the hardest thing to do (and I believe it was difficult for Jesus as well when he was on earth).  Life is HARD...marriage is hard, being a parent is hard, being a professional is hard, being a sibling is hard, being a child is hard, being a friend is hard...but NOTHING IN LIFE WORTH HAVING IS EASY.

Prayer is powerful and it truly does exist. 2017 no question is going to be scary, sad, stressful, new and adventurous, anxiety-filled...but it's also going to be exciting and gracious. I'm so very thankful for the new opportunities on the horizon. And like Jake has said time and time again...where the 5 of us are together is where our home will be. We're coming HOME! 

God will provide and it truly is HIS PLAN!

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