Friday, December 23, 2011

Christmas Greetings: Reflections of 2011

2011 was a year of changes for us! I would have liked to send out Christmas letters, but I'm proud of myself for just getting the gifts bought and wrapped!

This time last year, we could have never imagined what was to come.  We had a wonderful time at Christmas, but I do remember feeling just a little under the weather.


Christmas 2010

I had just enrolled in grad school with the goal of earning my Masters of Arts in Counseling, I was working as an office manager at IUPUI, and Dustin was working the second-third shift at Fastenal. We didn't see eachother much because of our opposite schedules, but we did what we had to do to make it work!

The Sunday after Christmas, we found out that Matt and Liz Beavers were expecting! I was so excited for them, but my heart ached, because although we didn't plan to have children for several more years, I wanted the same for us. I was pretty nauseous that day, but though I hoped, I doubted it was actually morning sickness. Afterall, we weren't trying; I had just committed to grad school!

The next morning, I decided to take a pregnancy test while Dustin was still sleeping. I figured it would be negative, so I didn't want to wake him up...but two pink lines later, I was yelling for him to come see what I saw! I couldn't believe it. Could we really have a sweet little peanut on the way?! We call Josiah our "God baby", because He came in the LORD's perfect timing.  

The doctor confirmed that I was indeed pregnant a few weeks later, and we were off to tell our families. We gave Paula a mug that says, "Grandma's my name and spoiling's my game" (or something to that effect) when everyone gathered for the Dummel Family January birthday party. The next day, we gave my mom a similar mug and my dad a grandpa's t-shirt. Both families erupted in cheers. There was lots of hugging and tears. Such a happy time!

Between work and morning sickness, my classes were tougher than usual. Fortunately, my boss allowed me to take some time off. I ended the semester with an A and a B-...not the best, but I'll take it!

Dustin earned two promotions at Fastenal during that time. I'm so proud of his work ethic! His second promotion was a supervisor position on the day shift! Praise Jesus!!!

When we realized we'd be bringing a baby into the world, we crunched the numbers and decided it would be best to move out of the city and hopefully become homeowners. The process was somewhat painful, but ended well. After placing offers on two houses in Plainfield, we were so disappointed that neither worked out. However, we found our little gem in Danville, and we couldn't be happier. It is perfect for our little family! Thanks to our friends and family, we were able to get moved in and the entire house painted within the first week! Thank you, Kevin, Daena, Blake, Blair, Bree, Denny, Paula, Devin, Mom, Dad, Lainer, Kalley, Sam, Noel, and Jamie!!! It's been awhile...I hope I didn't miss anyone!

I finished working at IUPUI at the end of the Spring semester after training my replacement, Tamara, who became one of my best friends in the process! The rest of the summer, I spent my time settling into our house (we still have a few packed boxes, haha) and decorating the nursery. I think it turned out pretty well! Besides the furniture and paint, Josiah's room decor only cost about $30...I was a garage sale junkie! I went garage saling up to 39 weeks :) I'm pretty sure people thought I was crazy. Looking back, I can see why...I was huge!


I was so worn out after painting for 8 hours, but the results were worth it!

Pillowy Wall Decor from Garage Sale :)

Woah! I can't believe my stomach was that big! No wonder I was uncomfortable!

On August 30, at 10:52pm, we welcomed Josiah Everett Dummel into the world!


I love those little feet!


I will never forget how I felt when they put him on my chest. Pure bliss! Josiah was 8lb 4oz and only 19in long. We're still a little shocked at how short he was! :)

Because of his elevated temperature and rapid breathing, Josiah was taken away to the NICU almost immediately. It was such a scary time.

Poor baby had an IV :(

We ended up having to stay at Methodist hospital for 5 days, but it felt so much longer! In the end, the problems were unexplained, and left as quickly as they came. Things did not go at all like we hoped, but we brought home a healthy baby boy, and we couldn't ask for anything more!

Since then, we have just been soaking him up and trying to be the best parents we can be. We learn more and more each day. Josiah is incredibly precious. He is very cheery; his chubby cheek smiles are like rays of sunshine on even the gloomiest winter days!


We'd be lying if we said being parents hasn't been a challenge, but it is one we are very grateful for and one that will only make us better. 

This year has not been without its struggles, but it lead us to where are now, and that is a very blessed place! We love our home, being a little family, and living a simple life loving eachother. As we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, we are so thankful for His loving sacrifice for our salvation and His constant provision in our daily lives! We are excited to see where the LORD will lead us in the coming year. 

We hope that you have a blessed Christmas and a very happy 2012!

Love, 
Dustin, Felisha, and Josiah :)     

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