Reflecting on 2012

I'm happy to announce that I actually reached one of my goals of 2012.....to not get pregnant :)  Lol!  I know that may sound horrible to some but it's been a blessing in more ways than one.  Not only does my body have time to recover  and bounce back (ha!) but the biggest blessing has been that Vili and I finally had time to focus on our marriage.  It's been a really trying year for us, marriage wise, and we've hit a few more bumps this year than in the past mainly with parenting, school, and finances.  We were in a huge marital rut and I honestly don't think we could have gotten out of that rut had I gotten pregnant.  It makes me realize just how mindful the Lord is of each of us.

Funny thing is I didn't realize just how big the rut was until now that we are out of it.  No, we didn't cheat on each other or abuse each other if you're thinking crazy things like that.  Things just weren't like they used to be.  We had just gone too long without putting any work into our marriage that all the flaws were starting to appear slowly but surely.  We didn't appreciate each other.  Our "I love you's" were just empty words.  We fought like crazy.  We said the worst things to each other even in front of our kids.  We even brought up divorce, which we agreed never to do when we got married and have kept our word until this year.  We were tired and worn out.  I could go on forever about all the things that were going wrong but I won't.

After months of making a conscious effort to make time for each other, our marriage is now stronger than ever.  I'm not saying the fights disappeared and we're all of a sudden all dandy but there is a noticeable difference.  I feel like strengthening our marriage has allowed us to be better parents and examples to our children, and most importantly it's radiated into all other aspects of our lives.  It's brought us closer each other and in turn closer to our Savior.  Funny how that works.  I feel happy for the first time in a long time.  Maybe that's why I've been gaining weight?  Lol!  I can't wait to see what this new year has in store for my little family and look forward to all the memories we have yet to make.