The Last Five Years.....

I have been thinking about the last five years since I was about to deliver Raegen. It has been so eventful! I'm going to take a minute to recap..... 

Five years ago Braxton started kindergarten. I missed his first day of school due to the death of an aunt in Pennsylvania. My oldest child....My first experience I missed. I wouldn't have changed it for the world either. I know that sounds awful, but I hadn't seen my Grandma since Braxton was 18 months old, and it was the last time I saw her. She died three weeks later. This was also the time that I should have been giving birth to a sweet baby. A baby that we lost early in the year. While attending my grandmothers funeral I knew the reason I lost that baby was so that I could be with my family. I wouldn't have been able to go either time if I was within days of or after delivery.

The month after my grandma died, Dave's uncle died. In a three month period, we lost three loved ones. So... If you've lost count, we lost a baby, had one kid start school, lost three family members, AND we also moved.

That crazy year was followed by Dave starting and finishing his master's degree while working full time. Cole started school. We had Porter. Braxton was baptized. We moved into Dave's parents basement. We moved 1900 miles to PA.. 

This year has been crazy much like the one five years ago. My cousin David died the middle of February. I was six months pregnant and beside myself in grief as I attended his funeral with my parents. Porter was with me and I could barely hold myself together. He was way too young to die and life will NEVER be the same without him. Three weeks later, on Easter Sunday, my uncle died. I once again found myself consumed in grief AND, I once again, lost two family members in a few short weeks time. My family likes to go in pairs I guess.....It was Spring Break that week for the boys so I decided that I was too pregnant and had too many kids to take with me to go.

Then....... I had Raegen!!! Whew!!! Our life has been so C.R.A.Z.Y.!!! No wonder half the time I'm losing my mind! Those are the big things, there has been so much more!!! I want life to slow down a little! I want to enjoy it and not feel like I'm missing it all! 

In a brief summation..... 

2 kids started school
1 baby lost
2 babies joined our family
5 family members passed on
1 graduate degree
3 moves (1 HUGE)

I hope that the next five years don't go by so fast. I hope that they aren't very eventful, and that we get time to just enjoy all that we have! I wish we could stop time and just stop to "smell the roses." I know life doesn't work that way and now that we have four children it will only get crazier! Wishful thinking eh?!