A New Year, A New Beginning

I have been taking these Year to Year portraits on New Year’s Day since 2005.

This year… my Year to Year photos look a little different.

In July of 2016, when I was five months pregnant, my husband of 12 years (and boyfriend for 10 before that), made the decision to leave this family.

It has been incredibly hard these past months. You will see many of my posts lately were either me trying to maintain some sort of norm or simply a bit of scripture. I am heartbroken, not just for the end of our marriage but for my son. This was not the family and life that I had imagined for him. I have got through it with the help of my friends, family and church family. They raked my leaves, accompanied me to childbirth classes, sent plows in snowstorms and always lent sympathetic ears. I am forever in their debt.

This month Jackson and I will be moving back to Pennsylvania to be with family. I will miss Rochester and all of my friends but 2017 will be a year of fresh beginnings.

Scripture says God uses trials to bring you closer to him. Indeed my faith has been strengthened and carries me through each day.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12

And just this morning in church these two verses jumped out at me.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Philippians 4:4

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

Jackson is here now and is all I could hope for. I am very blessed and we have lots to look forward to in 2017. Happy New Year everyone!