Number 1...A New Birth--Meeting Callie Renee

It is only fitting after yesterday’s post in which we mentioned the end of life, to discuss in today’s post the beginning of life. On March 2 of this year, we had a wonderful new addition to our home. Callie Renee Robinson was born! Few events in the annals of one’s life can compare to the birth of their children. Words cannot express how miraculous a birth is, and how wonderful it is to see that new person. For nine months we waited with anticipation. We wondered what she would be like. We read to her, sang to her, and prayed for her. And when the moment finally came, we rejoiced. Without a doubt, the number one event that happened in our lives this year, was a new birth--Meeting Callie Renee Robinson!

And so there you have it. The top ten events that happened in our life this past year. If you missed any of them, be sure to scroll down the sidebar at the right and click on the December blog archive.

Deciding on the top ten was a little difficult. There were many events that happened this past year that had an impact on our lives. A few that that did not make the cut would have been the square foot garden, getting a new gas grill, getting free guitars, solving the Rubik’s cube, selling a car, celebrating Halloween, getting a new driveway, playing on the Praise Team, quitting the Praise Team, stressing over a dog problem, and even the death of Steve Irwin all made some sort of impact on our lives this past year. Of course, there were many other events that I chose not to write about that also made impacts on our lives.

As a final treat, we leave you with a link in which you can see a few random pictures from this past year. I hope the link works for you. Click HERE, then select “view pictures” then select “all” then hit “slideshow” at the top. Happy New Year!

No. 2...Understanding the Brevity of Life

The number two big event in our lives this past year is rather difficult to articulate. We both know what it is, but it is very hard to explain. It is perhaps best illustrated to most as an understanding of the brevity of life. The Bible mentions the following:

13 Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. (James chapter 4)

It hit us really hard earlier this year when a good friend of ours died. She was so young, and so full of life. Take a moment to read her story HERE, and also to read our thoughts from a post HERE, after saying goodbye. That event helped us to realize even more that life is not forever, and how important it is to seize every moment. Our children are growing up so fast, and life is flying by at light speed! Whatever we are going to do, we better do it now, because tomorrow will be here way too fast. Life is so very short, and so very precious. The past few days Amy and I have had some time to sit back, relax, and think about these very issues. While going through some boxes from the move, we once again came across the notes and cards we had given each other during high school. In those notes we spoke about how “someday” we would be together forever. You will all think we are crazy, but when we were 14 we were talking to each other in detail about getting married and having children! We thought that day would never come. Well, it is here, and my Dad keeps telling us to enjoy it while it lasts because it all goes by in just a moment. We both understand that, and we are doing the best we can to seize the moment. So “Carpe Diem” folks, it is our Number 2!

No. 3...Cassidy: Baby to a Little Girl

An amazing transformation took place this past year. We watched as our first child turned from a baby into a little girl. Not only did her physical form change, she began to develop her own thoughts and ideas, and began to establishing her own identity. It has been wonderful to watch a little personality in the making. She now picks out her own clothes and dresses herself. She plays games on the computer. She knows her phone number, what street she lives on, and can spell her name. She has learned what stop lights mean, and is beginning to think about abstract ideas. She now has a sense of humor, and tries to make jokes. But with growing up, she also gets her feelings hurt, and knows what sadness is. Her imaginary friend, Puppy Dog, gets talked about less and less. And this year, she made the ultimate, and unconditional graduation from the baby stage to the little girl stage…she gave up the pacifier. Yes, I know, we should have made her give it up a long time ago, but in her defense she used it only at night most of this past year. She felt like she needed it, and it was a really grown up decision that she made herself. Sometimes, with tears in our eyes, Amy and I ask ourselves, “Where did the baby go?” so, Number 3...Cassidy: Baby to A Little Girl.

What Will They Be??????

Well, we are down to the last three. The suspense is mounting!! I bet some of you are wondering what could be more life-changing than what we have mentioned so far! Stay tuned to find out!
Nena wanted to know why I seemed to be taking a break at such a critical time in the posting. Well, besides mourning the death of former President Ford, I was asked to do some work for a friend. Our friend Sarah took a quick trip to Mexico, and needed a little help with some digital editing to record her trip. I ran into some big problems and had to redo it like ten times. It reminded me of why I did not go into that field. I spent today working on my Jeep. It seems like I just worked on the car not too long ago, and now the Jeep has a radiator problem. I’m becoming quite the amateur mechanic these days. So, those things taken together have been keeping me busy. My vacation is going by way too fast!!

No. 4...Moving

Honestly, there is not a lot to say here, other than to say it was a major event in our lives this past year. Moving is a rather stressful event. We extend a great “Thank-You” to all those who helped us, especially to my Dad and Jeannie, and to my sister Angie.
I can say that we really dodged a bullet. We had planned on moving in the Texico area. We had already picked out a house and put earnest money down on it. Texico has a good school district, and it would have been a lot closer to church. However, after a housing inspection, we decided it just wasn’t right for us. We found the place we are at now, and (apart from the dog problem), we could not be happier with this neighborhood. I am not exaggerating when I say this has got to be the best place in Mt. Vernon to live. It really is. We have GREAT neighbors, and the house just really fits us well. The plan is still to remodel the house with the intent of selling and making a profit. But with that said, we are quite content with living here for a while.

No. 5...A Full Year at Orchardville

Number 5 was a big step for us. In fact, this blog was originally created to detail our journey from our previous church to this one (most of you are viewing through a URL address that says, “lookingforagoodchurch”). Part of me would like to take a moment to explain why we left our previous establishment, but in the end I suppose it doesn’t matter. Just know that for some reason God allowed us to go through a major valley. The temptation to quit church was very real. But, we are pleased to announce that at least that particular valley is done! For whatever reason, making it an entire year at Orchardville has been a big step for us. We have made a good attempt to become involved. We attended several events, I taught Sunday School and played on the worship team, and Amy has served in the nursery. I don’t know if Orchardville is where we are supposed to be forever, but it is an AWESOME church and has been a pillar of strength for us when we needed it the most. It is a place where solid biblical teaching is found. It is a growing church, and a place that we feel proud to attend. Although we still have a lot of faults, God is working on us. It is a long drive, but as the cliché says, “A Church That’s Alive is Worth the Drive!” So, Number 5...A Full Year at Orchardville!

Soon....

The New Posts will be here soon... I have been rather side-tracked the last couple of days. Keep watching.. they will be worth it!!

No. 6...Meeting New Friends

Friendship has always been a huge part of our lives. For some reason, Amy and I both feel like we have always had a hard time making and keeping friends. I suppose it is natural for friends to come and go, but this is especially an area in which we struggle. That is why we are proud to say that a big event that has happened in our lives this past year has been the addition of several friends. First, Amy became more involved with a play-group. The group is made mostly of moms that get their children together once a week. It became something that really fulfilled a need not just in the children’s life, but also in Amy’s life. Second, Amy and I both have become good friends with the nursery worker at church, Sarah. She is simply an awesome person! Finally, with our move to the new neighborhood, we are slowly becoming good friends with our neighbors. Tom brought a pie over to us for Christmas, Mr. S lets me borrow his tools, and and Holly and Sam have invited us over. They are all just great people! Number 6--Meeting New Friends!

No. 7...Graduation From EIU (again)

One important event happened over the Summer. I finally completed the Specialist in Education Degree from Eastern Illinois University. This degree will eventually allow me to be a school superintendent if I choose. It is a degree that is half-way from a Master’s to a Doctorate. At this point in my life, I’m not sure if I ever want to be a school superintendent or not. I do know that if I ever wish to make triple digits, this would be the quickest way to that point. Of course, with school administration you give up a big part of your life. There are so many meetings and events to attend. Plus, as a superintendent of a school, you have a tremendous responsibility hanging on your shoulders. So, the number 7 event this year… Graduation from EIU (again)!

8...The Trips We Took

In the Number 10 event, I briefly mentioned the trips. These two trips would be the number 8 big event in our life this past year. The first trip came about when Amy and I were trying to decide just what we should really be doing with our life. We thought that perhaps living here, and teaching here, was not really what we should be doing. I got on to the internet, and to make a really long story short, we found ourselves traveling out to West Virginia to interview for house parents at a home for troubled teens. The people were great, and we were offered the job. The job paid really well, and we would not have had any expenses. But in the end it just didn’t feel right. The trip was really good, however, and we grew closer together as a family.


The second trip was just for me (Ryan). I interviewed for a job in Deltona, Florida. The position was for a Principal at a Christian Academy. The Headmaster was a great guy, and agreed to fly me down there for the interview. Once again, the job just didn’t seem right for me, and both he and I knew it. I was not offered the job, but the experience was well worth the trouble. Sometimes you have to go away to find out how much you appreciate what you have right here. So, Number 8--The Trips We Took!