2011 Holiday Letter

You found us!
 (And if you noticed the purple here and there on the pic, it's not real. It's a digital error.
 Just wanted to set the record straight ;)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! First, let me apologize for getting the postcards out later than I planned. We had a few unexpected events take place. About two weeks before Christmas our sweet uncle Claire passed away. My heart breaks for his family. He was one of the brightest, most faithful and righteous individuals to live on this earth, in my opinion. His funeral was in Reno, NV on the Thursday before Christmas. We were fortunate enough to get work off at the last minute so we could attend. A few days before we left for the funeral we decided to stay for the whole Christmas weekend with my sister, Janet (who also lives in Reno), because the drive is SO long. With our two kids its 14+ hours. We felt so blessed to be there. It was incredible and inspiring!
The same day of the funeral we got a call that my mama went into the hospital. She had been very sick since the first weekend in October and progressively got worse. She was in the hospital for about a week. It was bittersweet because we were glad that she was getting the help she needed, but it was hard to have her in the hospital for the holidays. She is now out and recovering. She is staying with my sister Debra, who's husband is a doctor in Queen Creek, and getting the help she needs. I'm so grateful that we didn't lose her. It was too close and I just kept thinking..."I'm not ready for this". Apparently I was right because the Lord spared her life =) Thank you! However, that wasn't the only parental "health scare" in 2011. My dad went into the hospital a couple of times. I think it started in January when he started having heart and chest pains. He felt that he needed to do something about it. So, he went to the doctor who sent him to the cardiologist. Eventually, over the course of six months, he ended up with five stents and avoided any heart attacks. Phew!!! Going through the emotional roller coaster over the last year has been tough! Live Healthy and Eat Live Foods is now our motto for 2012 ;-)
Now for the Barlow's year in a nutshell (a rather large one). John is still going to school, working full-time and volunteer serving in our church as secretary of the Elders Quorum. He is still working toward his ultimate goal of becoming a certified MRI technician. As part of this process he must graduate from a 2 year x-ray tech school program, during which he is not allowed to have a job. To preface 2011 we must go back to 2010. John and I actually moved in with my parents in October of 2010. Through prayer and some deliberation, we felt that it was best to stay with my parents and save as much money as possible in preparation for the program. We also didn't know if he would get accepted to a program in-state or out-of-state. Plus, we didn't want to be stuck in a contract if we had to move. We had high hopes that he would get into a program Fall of 2011. But as it turned out, we accidentally overlooked a few prerequisite classes required by most programs. That has pushed us back another year. Yeesh, we could go through medical school by the time this is all done =D So, now we've decided to continue staying with my parents until we try again this year for programs. We have had such a fun time staying here. It's been better than we ever expected! My parents love having the kids around and Bryce LOVES my parents. 
Another big change in our life, in October 2010, was that John got a new job. He started working for Banner Central Scheduling. This job has been such a HUGE blessing for us. Not only financially, but also the flexibility of his work schedule which allows him to continue his school classes. YAY!!
Also, In October 2010, we found out that we were pregnant. However, we miscarried at 7 weeks. It was hard, but I felt such PEACE through the whole thing. In January of 2011 we found out again that we were pregnant and she was born October 7, 2011. Her name is Aleah Anna Barlow. She was 8 lbs. 7 oz. and 22 inches long. You can read a little bit more about the experience in an earlier post by clicking here. Aleah has been the most amazing baby!! She is so FULL of charity! We call her our angel and she really is =D She brings so much Joy and HOPE into our lives. She is just about 3 months old now. 
Bryce turned 2 on November 10, 2011. Let me tell you, he is active! And maybe I think this just because I'm his mom, but he is one smart kid. Too smart sometimes. It seems like he's figured out how to do everything except for change his own diaper. Ha Ha Ha...truly it feels like that. Now remember I didn't have any brothers, but John did. According to us, Bryce is a typical fun-loving boy, but with daily emotional break downs. Ha Ha...has anyone else here had a 2 year old? It's like living inside of a tiny fragile bubble inside of this big callused world. He is so amusing. I love him so much that it makes my heart hurt. Even better is that Bryce absolutely adores baby Aleah. He comes up to her and loves her, hugs her, and gives her kisses. He thinks she is the funniest thing too. Anytime she is down on the ground, or on his level, he laughs, plays with her and reads her books. I LOVE it! The moments that make a mothers heart swell and you feel like it will burst! Awe.
As for me, I get to be the wife of a loving husband, I get to be home with me sweet kids AND I have the incredible blessing and opportunity to work part-time from home. If that doesn't keep me busy enough...I just got called last Sunday as a Laurel Advisor in church. This is a volunteer service position for the young women ages 16-18. I'm already feeling the weight of responsibility for these girls! It's like being on a mission or out on the trail. But I just have to remind myself that I'm an instrument in the Lord's hands and He knows what I need to do for each precious young woman. I'm not alone in this endeavor. So, with much love and hope for your happiness and ours we say "Goodbye" to 2011 and "HELLO!" to 2012. 
We pray that the Lord will continue to pour out His blessings upon each of you. We pray that we will all have the humility to recognize His love and guiding hand in each of our lives and have the courage to choose the right. We know that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ LOVE each one of you abundantly. 
We love and miss you all!!
-The Barlows
John, Sara, Bryce, and Aleah

Could we be any happier!?  Well, maybe the baby could ;-)