Reflections...another year conquered!

So, it has been a long, long....LONG time since I last posted, and it has been a much needed break from everything.  I took a year off from knitting {maybe even more, because I think it's been more like since Reggie was born, yikes!}, hubby took the year off school, we took a year off from work, and we even moved away for the year!!!  And although it may seem looking from the outside in that we took a year off from life in general, I can assure you that I have never felt more alive than I have in the past year.  It was a year of reflection, a year of trials and sorrow and hardship, a year of humility and in the end, it was a year of rejuvenation, of relaxation, and I can honestly say that it has been the best year of my life.  So chalk it up to laziness, defeat, a midlife crisis or whatever you will, but I feel that a lot of "good" things were set aside in order to focus more on the "essential" things, and now after all is said and done, I feel like we can finally see the forest from the trees.  I feel like I have had the opportunity to grow closer to my Father in Heaven than I ever have before, that I truly have felt his love for me, and felt his love for those around me penetrate my heart.  Through his love and devotion for me, he has helped refine me into a person that I like a whole lot better than the one I was before.  I feel like I have been blessed with a whole new set of eyes, like I see my life, my world, and the situations I encounter in a completely different way, like I have a more eternal perspective in life, and that perspective now is at the forefront of who I am, the decisions I make, and the wife and mother that I strive to be, as well as in my interactions with others I come in contact with.

I wanted to share with you today some of the thoughts I've had this week about hard times, because c'mon, everyone has em', everyone gets bogged down by life, by the responsibilities that sometimes feel suffocating, the trials we didn't expect etc.  I thought about a favourite song I like called "Stones in the River" by Doug Walker.  If you're having a crumby day, and need a little encouragement to persevere, I encourage you to look it up and have a listen.  Although it won't do it much justice without the music, here are the words to the chorus:

"like stones in the river

we are tossed and turned

when the current moves so strong

but stones in living waters over time

are shaped until the edges are gone

polished and smooth, that's what we will be

if we put ourselves in God's hands

each day of our lives is a gift from the giver

to smooth all the edges

like stones in the river"

I know that that is exactly what God's plan is for his children.  He wants us to reach our divine potential, he loves his children and yearns for them to come back and live with him again someday.  In order to accomplish that goal, we need to go through trials, we need to experience hard things, and go through a refining process, just as a jagged rock can never turn into a smooth, polished stone along the riverbed without being tossed and thrown in the current.  That refining process is what our mortal life here on this earth is all about.  We are here to be tested and tried.  We alone have the choice as to what we will do with the trials we face.  We have two choices:

1.  We can choose to become bitter and angry, to turn our backs to God, or to ask that all too famous question; "Why me?  Why is this happening to me?"  We can convince ourselves that our trials are evidence that God doesn't love us, or maybe even that he doesn't exist.  Ultimately this path will lead to greater sorrow, loneliness and despair.

or...

2.  We can learn from our trials, we can grow stronger, and climb higher than we previously were.  We can humble ourselves enough to accept our Saviour's help and together we can conquer them!  As we embrace the love of our Saviour and with him discover the infinite power of the atonement, that power can literally lift the burdens we bear and wash away ANY pain or sorrow that life can throw at us.

This is just a small portion of the things that I know.  I promise that I will slowly share with you more of the lovely, sweet experiences I have had as a daughter of a loving Father in Heaven.  But for now, before this post gets too heavy, I will satisfy myself by telling you all about some of the fun things we've been up to over the last year...

So my wonderful husband surprised me with a trip to Hawaii for our 10 year anniversary.  I got the plane tickets for Christmas, and we left new years day {our anniversary is December 27th}.  The trip was full of...

breath-taking views...

good company {and by that I mean the moustache of course ;}...

more great views...

North Shore surfing...

even more great views...

treacherous jungle hiking trails...

and even a little hobbit hole {look closely, hehe}...

In fact, we had so much fun, that with a little luck, we found some super cheap flights and were able to go back at the end of February and take the kids!  What a blessing!  And what an entirely different experience Hawaii is with kids!  For example...

we still did some hiking...

 still saw a hobbit hole...

or two,

but there was a little more mud involved this time...

{as well as maybe a trip to the emergency room...yikes!}

but sill a lot of fun!

We did a lot more hanging around at the condo...

fed some sea turtles...

and we ate a few good things ourselves!

We hit up the zoo...

and the Polynesian Cultural Center...

{which was a blast}

We did a lot of bonding...

and some exploring...

we hung out at the beach...

sand...

sand...

fun...

more exploring...

a little more hanging around...

and a lot more sand...

Did I mention that a mini van does not have the same effect as a convertible?

Suffice it to say that we had a blast, made a ton of lasting memories to be enjoyed for years to come {...like...remember the time Peter fell off the cliff on our hike in Hawaii...}...sigh...and we wouldn't trade the experience for the world {well maybe just that one}!

I've missed my Blog!  I want to write more, and I think it's time for me to come back.  So, here I am!  My priorities are as they should be, with God and family at the top.  That being said, I am working in some of my "spare" {I use the term lightly} time to devote to two of my passions...namely writing {in this case on my blog} and knitting!  I'm so excited to fill you all in on all that I have bursting out the seams of my mind!  So, until next time...and I promise it will be sooner rather than later...