Che and Santa

In a year of rapid and volatile change on a global and national level, it should be no surprise that 2008 was a year of change for our family.  We dug out the roots we had been nurturing in the Boston area, and transplanted our family in Connersville, Indiana, which is pretty close to the middle of nowhere.  We changed jobs and schools, left behind friends that had become family, and embarked on a new adventure.

Now that we are somewhat settled, I can look back and see the miracles that were sprinkled in amongst changes. They were the kind of miracles that allowed hope to thrive and gave us the strength to move forward, and together these small and simple miracles have changed the course of our lives.

As I look forward to the path we are now on, I can’t see very far.  I know the road ahead has many twists and unexpected turns.  But I know that Teo, Che, Feech and I have chosen family over fortune, hope over despair, and love over angst.  While the price of our choices has been high, we are grateful for the peace they have brought our hearts and the hope they give to our future.

This holiday season, we send you our wishes for peace and hope in the year to come, and we are finally providing the update on the family that so many have asked for.

Spring

Miracle: One of Teo’s fingers was saved from amputation and is now almost fully functional.
Blessing: Teo is able to keep working in a job that requires his hands.

Miracle: After a month of frustration and frequently-missed work, I was guided to a new day care. Ms. Leighia loved and nourished Che like a son.
Blessing: Che loved school and Ms. Leighia and thought of Little Lamb as a second home, sparing me the guilt and fear of leaving him each day as I went to work.

Summer

Miracle: Feech chose to come and live with us for the summer.  By the end of the summer, she thought Wayland was the middle of nowhere (not realizing where the family would be in just a few months).
Blessing: I finally had the opportunity to have Feech live with me and be my daughter.  Though we didn’t see much of each other due to work schedules, we learned a lot about each other and Feech and Che were able to bond as siblings should.

Fall

Miracle: We were able to strengthen Che’s relationship with his Baka and Deda through a family trip to Croatia.
Blessing: The devastating financial crisis hit the U.S. while we were away, sparing us the debilitating fear that rampaged through workplaces everywhere and gave us time to plan our future.

Miracle: Though his company was slated for closure, Teo was able to keep his job through a relocation, and I was able to transition to freelancing with jobs waiting in the wings.
Blessing: I was able to reduce my work hours and take a more active role in raising my son, even if it is in the middle of nowhere.  This miracle may become the source of many blessings not yet realized.

Miracle: The wonderful sisters of the Weston 1st Ward Relief Society wrought miracle after miracle as they helped me move and stage my house.  They still act as angels in my life and watch after the house while we pray for the miracle that the home will sell.
Blessing: Teo was able to focus on relocating his entire department at work, and I was given the spiritual, physical, and emotional strength to manage moving the family, the stuff, and my career.

Winter

Miracle: I am at peace with Feech’s decision to be married next summer, despite years of informing her that she could not get married until she had graduated from college and was at least 25.
Blessing: Feech is planning a wedding for which I get to play FPUOTB (female parental unit of the bride), and I still get to be involved in her life.