Top 10 in '10

It seems like I've seen top ten lists popping up all over the blogosphere, I suppose because 10 in '10 has such a great ring to it, so I'm jumping on the bandwagon (albeit, a little late).  My top 10 in '10 list will be a little different than the ones I've seen. This post is number one and nine more will follow it in the coming days, and instead of a review of what I did blog about in 2010, I'm going to blog about the top 10 things I neglected to blog about in 2010....because as I looked through our pictures, there was a lot that never made the blog. It will be my attempt at catching up for the year and documenting our memories before time fades them away.

I spent Christmas break surrounded by our littles, and I found myself reflecting on all that's changed in the last year. Last New Year's Eve there was no celebrating. Chris (and my dad) spent the day and night working feverishly trying to move our equipment out of the shop. A shop we had spent 7 years making payments on a 10 year loan for and thought we nearly had paid off, until, through a series of sneaky moves, a very dishonest man snatched it from us. We tried to fight it, but we were in a warranty for deed with him rather than a traditional mortgage and we were left unprotected....and did I mention he was dishonest?....and sneaky? We hired an attorney, but the man we were fighting was an attorney himself and it became quickly apparent that we were in for fight. We fought for a while. Chris began teaching in the fall and we did our best to keep managing the business. He spent nights and weekends cleaning filters. I tried to help with filter deliveries. Owen and Lily were super-champs and would ride along with me. It became increasingly awkward carrying filters over my growing belly, and pretty soon it was time for Ava's arrival. It was apparent that what we had been doing was not going to work. It was a hard and stressful time. I remember crying and praying and searching for solutions. Every time I'd melt down, I'd feel a measure of peace, and yet things hardly seemed to be working out. We went through the motions of life, but our insides were in complete turmoil. In the end, we walked away from the shop and felt very much defeated. We pieced out the business and sold what we could. While I was pregnant, there were moments when I questioned the timing of Ava's addition to our family, at the time, it seemed like she was coming in the midst of stress and chaos, and most of the time I felt unprepared for her arrival.

In retrospect, I see she came exactly when we needed her most. She came when we desperately needed the chance to step back and refocus. She came when it was time to walk away from the business and the shop and the strain it was putting on our family. She came at a time when, although I knew in my heart it wasn't the right solution for our family, I was considering employment outside our home. Instead, we organized the extra time we had from not needing to run the business, budgeted carefully and focused on our family.
We were blessed beyond anything we anticipated last year. 2010 was a year of change and healing and peace for us. We've been empowered and we've felt the love of our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. Our testimonies have grown, we feel a greater sense of purpose and resolve to "lay aside the things of this world and seek for the things of a better."

That was a long introduction, and more information than you ever cared to know, to introduce our number 1 in 2010.....the arrival of our sweet angel, Ava, in January. She has brought immeasurable joy to our family, we simply adore her. I posted a quick picture and introduction last year after she was born, but never put her down long enough to document her arrival.....

She came late....14 days late to be exact, I guess she knew I needed time to really be ready, and boy, was I ever ready and waiting by the time she came. She was well worth the wait though, we were smitten from the first time we laid eyes on her. I cannot count how many times Chris and I have marveled at just how amazing it is that every baby that has entered our family has brought the same anticipation and excitement as the first. The miracle of birth and life, is just that, a miracle. Our hearts still swell, and our eyes well up as we watch Ava discover all the "firsts" that the first years of life bring, just like they did with Grace nine years and four babies ago. I've heard it said that when you have children, it is like deciding that you will forever watch your heart walk around outside of you body. You are forever vulnerable in a way you could never have imagined.


Ava has always been incredibly alert, these pictures were taken shortly after she was born. She stayed awake forever just looking around and taking in her new world.

The girls were over-the-moon excited about Ava's arrival, it was quite obvious that they too were smitten. Owen took a little longer to warm up to her, but once he did, he was the proudest big brother that ever was.

You must be wondering what kind of parents we are leaving Ava hanging out unwrapped and nearly naked, but you should know that the heater was broken in our hospital room during our stay....as in, it would not turn off, when the nurses would walk in they would say "Whoa! Are you hot? It's an oven in here!"....and we'd answer, "Why, yes, as a matter of fact we are roasting.".....and they'd go fiddle with the thermostat, but the heater never turned off our entire stay. We even had to open a window at one point because it was about 3 million degrees in our room. The maintenance people came and  fixed the thermostat as we were leaving....

We stopped by my grandma's house on the way home from the hospital. She loves babies and I love this picture.







My mom is amazing. She has attended all of our babies births and lends so much support both during and after. I come from a line of natural child birth enthusiasts, of whom include doulas and an aunt who is currently attending mid-wifery school in Utah. I can honestly say though that, without my mom's support (and Chris's, you're awesome too honey), I'm not sure that I would have the resolve to have drug-free labors.

Ava was a week old in these pictures and, once again, so very alert. The reoccurring arm in the pictures is Lily's, she loves babies more than anything and can never get enough of Ava.

 Ava was two weeks old in these pictures.