As most know, leap day comes once every 4 years. A day that I imagine all of the February 29th babies rejoice in as they get to celebrate their actual birthday again. While I get to celebrate my birthday every year, I am finding myself celebrating the last four years. The pun is probably far overused during leap year, but truthfully, Team Yearley has made leaps and bounds in the last four years. Each of the triumphs coupled with various failures and missteps, have been colored with vibrant lesson and growth.
Looking back to 2016, I was pregnant for the first half of the year, and then had our son Luke. Jesse and I leveled up from dating, to engaged, to married. We were living with my mom and attempted to get prepared for parenting - SPOILER, you can't actually prepare for that.😅 We had two fairly reliable "singles" vehicles that we would downsize to one family friendly lime green Kia Soul. We were working and figuring out our plans for the future. We celebrated Jesse's first year of recovery, our first year of being together while continuing to learn more about each other every day.
By 2017 we were living in a teeny tiny studio apartment with our infant turned one year old. We were in the throes of parenting while also figuring out marriage. Jesse was working hard for our family and we were celebrating his 2 years clean. We were doing our best to stay afloat while providing the best life we could for our son. It was in the beginning of this year that the Lord found us and wrapped His arms around us like a shield. We fell in love with Christ and dove into the deep end of faith.
2018 had us living in a brand new apartment that had just been built in town after sharing a bedroom in my mom's apartment while we waited to move in. We were working diligently on our marriage and embracing the new avenues that God had placed before us. In the midst of life with a rambunctious 2 year old, Jesse was on the border of 3 years clean, and I was getting more involved in MOPS.
2019 led us to new heights. I was asked to become a co-coordinator of MOPS, which I initially declined due to the difficulties of sharing one vehicle. This issue remedied itself not even a week after saying no and I found myself following God's lead in saying yes. After a number of issues with our neighbors, Jesse felt led to seek a home for us to buy. Within a few months we had found, secured, and moved into our new home with our now 3 year old. We continued to seek after God and abide in His direction as we navigated various relationships in our lives. We spent 2019 learning, growing, and evolving greatly in the areas of our lives where we felt a bit stagnant.
In the short (but quick) 2 months of 2020, we have already felt so many provisions and blessings from the Lord. I was blessed with the opportunity of trading in the aforementioned Kia Soul for a lovely Kia Sorento that I love and have dreamed of for quite sometime. We have celebrated 5 years together and 5 years in recovery. We are looking to our 3rd year of knowing the Lord, my dad's big 5-0 birthday, Luke's fourth birthday, our 4th wedding anniversary, the birth of our dear friends' second blessing, a wedding for our other dear friends, and all of the provisions that God will inevitably provide for all of us throughout.
With so much to celebrate, I find myself incredibly blessed to have an extra day in 2020. One more day to praise the Lord for all that He has done thus far in our lives. One more day to love each other deeply. One more day to spend as a family. One more day to embrace the path that we are on. One more day. It may not seem like much, but when you imagine all that can be accomplished in 24 hours, the joy of this extra day is truly everything.
Here's to Day 60 in our 366 days of 2020. May you all feel blessed and enlightened as you walk through this year and the years to come.
Xx,
Mama Yearley
Note: Reposted from my previous blog.
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