Happy New Year from the Howards!

A New Year is almost upon us.  Imagine the possibilities...

I'm sure that we would all agree--this past year has flown by!  So much so, that I'm finding it hard to put my thoughts down on paper.  I wouldn't necessarily say that the year was a big "blur," but definitely busy and packed full of adventure, challenges, and new "norms" for both Mike and I.  The one thing that has remained constant throughout and has always been the case in years past, is that God continued (and continues) to show Himself faithful.  As the conclusion of 2011 draws near, that is truly the one factor that stands out in my mind more than anything.

So, what were we up to this past year?

As the Marcellus-Shale Oil and Gas Industry has continued to thrive in the Eastern part of Pennsylvania, the year started with Mike now working away from home--two weeks on, one week off.  Since its' just he and I in our household (and of course, our trusted and much loved German-Shorthair companion, Meghan!) it has been a significant transition for all of us.  Although our circumstances not considered ideal to most, I cannot begin to tell you, literally story after story, of how God has used Mike to minister to what we would consider, a pretty rough crowd.  He has earned the respect and admiration of his superiors (they have personally told me so!) and amongst his colleagues.  I firmly believe that is why God (and his superiors!) have not allowed him to work his way back towards the West and closer to home.  We continue to stand in faith, asking God to open new opportunities to bring him home--however, we're now beginning to wonder if God has something totally different in store for us.  With that in mind, our prayers have become somewhat different.  We're continuing to stand in faith, but learning to keep our hearts and minds open to what may become another "new norm."  We'll be anxious to see how the next several months unfold as we listen and look for God's divine direction.

My work, as the Director of Facility and Staff Development at Bradford Ecumenical Home, Inc. and as an adjunct instructor for Jamestown Community College, has kept me extremely busy.  I'm not sure if you remember me telling you last year at this time-- that for years, I always defined who I was as an individual by my career.  However, until God got a hold of my heart and reminded me that all He wanted from me was indeed my "whole" heart and to love HIM more than my career, my career and accomplishments would always be mediocre.  As stated last year, upon that realization and through my personal repentance, my career has taken a totally different spin!  New opportunities, new challenges, and new accomplishments have fueled a love and passion for the work that I do on behalf of the elderly and to the other end of the spectrum, seeing my students (young and older) succeed in their personal career paths.  Speaking of students--in the mix of all of the above, I am still a student myself.  Taking one or two classes per semester (with only 4 to go!), I have managed well.  As the student, one thing that I did learn this past semester (which was SO VERY frustrating to me throughout the process) was how to become a better instructor by NOT doing what my professor was doing--enough said! 

Our mantra--when we work hard, that allows us to also play hard!  Mike and I always make it a priority to take vacations and occasional weekend get-aways to refuel and charge our batteries.  We had memory-making, fun-in-the-sun times, as Mike became certified in SCUBA.  Although not the least bit interested in learning or becoming certified in SCUBA myself, I have loved being the benefactor (by association) of having the opportunity to spend some quality time on a beach with a good book!  Not to mention, all of the awesome meals that were cooked over an open-fire or in Mike's dutch ovens as we enjoyed spending time out in the wilderness in our RV! 

Over the last year, in addition to our busy careers, the other thing that significantly stands out on the forefront of my mind is the declining health of Mike's mom.  In July of 2011, mom's previous diagnosis of ovarian cancer re-occurred and came back with vengeance.  After seeking opinion after opinion from some of the best OB/GYN oncologists in the country, and after trying a couple of months of new treatments, mom's body was just not responding.  After having heart-wrenching, heart-breaking conversations, mom decided to forego any further treatment and has been under the care of Hospice since the first part of October.  She continues to be an incredibly strong woman and has surpassed the expected life-span that was predicted.  We continue to take one day at a time and trust that God will keep her in the palm of His hand and allow her remaining days on this earth to be comfortable and pain-free.  One of these days, I really need to "pen" exactly what my mother-in-law means to me and how she has loved me, unconditionally, as her own (Don't worry--she and I have had lengthy, heart-warming conversations regarding such over the years and especially, over the last several weeks!)

With the above circumstances surrounding Mike's mom, we have had some great family time!  Mike's sisters, Jo and Dawne, have been in from out of town on several occasions and our Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays have been extremely meaningful.  Over Christmas, Grandma was surrounded by her grandsons--which brought so much joy to all of our lives!

Speaking of grandsons, which would be our nephews, I'm sure that I don't have to tell you how much Mike and I enjoy and love our nieces and nephews!  Having no children of our own, we delight and take great pleasure in spoilin' and braggin' on the nieces and nephews!  It's so hard to believe that the youngest is now 15 and the oldest is in his mid-thirties!  Up until this last year, our one and only niece Ashly, whom we refer to as our "Princess", will now have to be promoted to "Queen" since we have a new niece-by-marriage (Kelli, who married nephew Kevin in September) and a great-niece, Sydney (daughter of nephew Ryan).   We are extremely proud of all of these kids--(in age order) Keith, Ryan (Sydney), Ashly, Kevin (Kelli), Phil, Peter, Will, Vince, Zach and Michael!  Each have their own unique personalities (Michael--definitely resembling his namesake--Uncle Mike!), great accomplishments already under their belts as young people, and all enjoying life to the fullest.  The Scriptures tell us that with each new generation they will continue to accomplish greater things than the previous generation.  With that being said and believing the scriptures to be true, Mike and I pray blessings upon blessings, and favor upon favor over each one of their lives and look forward with anticipation to see what God is going to do in and through them!

Another memorable moment--my big brother, Tom, turned 60!  My sister Laura and I surprised him by boarding a plane and showing up at his door-step on Carolina Beach!  When Tom's wife, Carolyn, summoned his aide to help unload the groceries from her car, I think we almost gave Tom a heart-attack as we jumped out from behind the car, "SURPRISE!"  The stunned look on his face was priceless!  We had a great few days of celebrating by spending time on the beach and of course, partying! 

With all the above being said--in the busy times, challenging times, fun times, and in the moments of relaxation, Mike and I have learned that when you're in the center of God's perfect will, there is a sense of peace.  Our days have no longer become filled with struggle.  Yes, we've had some challenges and some tough times to push through (and I'm sure, more to come!)  But overall, we really enjoy our life.  I know we both feel a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.  We both rest our head on the pillow each night, feeling at peace, knowing that we're in God's current perfect will for our lives. 

As we look toward a New Year, praying that Mike, I, our friends and family (that includes YOU!), not only survive in 2012, but THRIVE!  Blessings for a great year!