Looking Back...

This year has been a wonderful year; a year of changes, growth, learning, new experiences, and overall wonderful times for my family and I.

The Wedding Party
The biggest change of this year took place at the beginning of the year, which was spent gearing up for, and rejoicing in, the marriage of Trevor and Thelma! Mom and I were involved in making the bridesmaids dresses while the boys helped Trevor finish up his house. It was an exciting time, although sometimes a bit crazy and hectic, as a new arm of the Castlebury family was established!

Spring Time gardening...
Soon after the wedding, we began gearing up for our 2009 gardening season and put allot of work into getting the garden ready for planting. Once the garden was growing well and bearing fruit, we began to preserve or can the produce that was given to us or came from our garden. Since canning green beans was on our 'want to learn how to do' list, a pressure canner was invested in and we've been learning how to use it; not only for canning but also for everyday cooking!! Did you know that you can have a meal that contains dry beans ready in about a half an hour??? Amazing... and very tasty too!!!

Momma & I putting up tomatoes last year...
Adding in a few (ok, forty-two to be exact!) chickens, reading up on gardening, broadening our sewing repertoire, and a host of other things have all made this year a wonderful and memorable one! I am truly blessed with the Mother that the Lord has given me, as she has so much wisdom in many areas and a thirst to learn about even more things!

Workin' Away
But there is one other thing that has taken place this year... one that affects me. At the beginning of January my Dad, after corresponding with a young man for several months, granted him permission to get to know me. Ryan and I have spent this year getting to know each other, under the guidance of our parents. Now, eight months later, we have entered into a time of courtship where we are getting to know each other in a deeper way with the intent of determining whether the Lord would have us marry.

This is a time of excitement for both Ryan and I (and our families!) as we seek the Lords' will and watch the Lord work in our lives! As we've gotten to know each other, I've been so impressed with Ryan's heart for the Lord and his desire to be in the center of the Lord's will. I've been challenged in my own walk with the Lord; challenged to seriously search out the Lord's heart in all things and to bring myself, even more, under the Lord's control. What a blessing it is to have friends that challenge and encourage us in our walk with the Lord!

Yes, the past eight months have been wonderful... a time of many changes and additions, a time of learning and growing, and a time of growing closer as a family. They sure have flown by in a hurry!