The holidays and more!

Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!!! Sorry I didn't get a chance to post last month. The holidays, traveling, and finding a job made life a little hectic.

Wait, did I just say "finding a job"? Yes indeed I did!!! This coming Monday, Jan. 5, I will be working part -time at a local oncology office (about 25 minutes from our house). I will be giving chemotherapy and other medication, as well as providing education and caring for patients in numerous other ways. It is a good sized oncology practice, with three physicians and they are starting radiation on site as well. I plan to orient for two months, my schedule will be Mon-Thurs, 9am-3pm. After orientation I will work as a fill-in nurse. When another nurse is on vacation or sick I will fill in. So the position does not include benefits (which is fine, I haven't had benefits from work for years), but allows me great flexibility. The office is beautiful (the chemo suite overlooks the mountains) and seems well run. The staff are friendly, several nurses have been there for decades.

I am THRILLED with this job!!!! It is really more than I asked for in many ways. The hours will be no more than 8am-5pm, no weekends or holidays, which was my prayer. I am able to continue my career in Oncology, and keep up many of my skills (like giving chemo). The pay is much better than the hospital offered. There is potential for this to turn into a part-time or full-time position with benefits (when the office grows). I am overflowing with thankfulness about this job!!!

And God has also provided what looks like it's going to be a wonderful childcare situation as well. Unfortuneately the young lady that I mentioned in a previous post is unable to Toby-sit regularly now, because she is starting back in school full-time and accepted a part-time job elsewhere. BUT a mom from our church (Serena) was looking to watch children out of her home. I met her before Christmas, just about the time that my job was coming through. She has a three year old daughter, and they live kind of on the way to my work. We met with Serena and her daughter this week, and we are all excited about how God is working this all out! She will pick Toby up from his preschool on the days that he is in school and is available to watch him for all of the hours that I am working! I am REALLY grateful for a stable childcare situation for Toby, right from the start of the job.

I am really excited about getting back to work, especially at this job. I am looking forward to using those specific brain muscles again, not to mention the paycheck! But this will be quite a big transition for Toby and I. I have not worked in 6 months, and never this many hours or days either. In addition, Toby has not had school for the last two weeks, so we have spent A LOT of time together. Although I feel really good about Serena, this whole childcare situation in someone else's house will be all new as well. Please pray that God will guide us carefully and lovingly through this adjustment time, as He has the other transitions we have faced the last two years.

Okay, let me go back a little bit now and update you on the rest...

I had a great birthday at the end of Novemeber. My friends from church threw me a dessert/party (where I got girl-time, chocolate pound cake, AND presents!). My mom went shopping with Toby, and he hid presents for me in his closet that I opened the morning of my birthday. He had a great time helping make my day special! I got to shop at one of my favorite stores (10,000 Villages One World Market) while my mom babysat, and then celebrated with my family over a Mountainous Eclair from our local bakery. What could be better?

Thanksgiving was full of family time! I hosted the Thanksgiving dinner for my mom's side of the family. But before you get too impressed, I didn't cook the turkey nor the meal. Just one dish (like the rest of us), and provided a lovely location to gather together. My sister and brother-in-law came and we had a wonderful time. Then we went to my aunt and uncle's for dessert (uh, that would be the second dessert actually) to see my dad's side of the family. The next day Toby and I drove to Raleigh, where Anton's mom lives, to spend the weekend with Anton's side of the family. It was a joy to spend some time with them as well! And it is awesome to see Toby playing with his cousins, now he is old enough to play what THEY like to play.

The next week (that would be the first week of December), Toby and I flew up to Maryland to visit with friends before Christmas and my job starting. It was a short trip (probably won't ever be long enough), but we got to see many of the people that we love and miss so very much! Because our house still hasn't sold (please keep praying!), we stayed there during the trip. My good friend Carolyn is living there and paying rent (actually another friend and her son have just moved in as well, see how God is providing despite the circumstances?). It was really weird, and cool to stay in our old house with someone else's stuff. Like being a guest in your own house. But it was a joy to be with her, and to spend time with the high school girls, neighbors, June, Joanna, Cortney, work friends, Sarah & Graceanne, the Moriarty's, and the Palumbo's. I came away so thankful for time with those loved ones, and wishing there was time for more than just a passing conversation for SO many more! We were able to go to Grace EP's (our church in MD) Wed night fellowship dinner, and church on Sunday morning. In many ways it felt like we were just living there again! (I can't decide which picture to post for this trip, so you'll just have to watch the slideshow to see them all!)

Then Christmas came on QUICKLY!!! Toby and I picked out and trimmed a tree; decorated the house; sang and listened to carols; opened Advent calendars; made, bought and wrapped presents; read parts of the story of Jesus' birth each day; baked cookies; and gratefully spent lots of time with family! In preparing for Christmas, as often happens before holidays and such, I missed Anton anew. Although having my parents in town was wonderful and very helpful, it just doesn't replace the man that I was supposed to create and share our family traditions with. I am continuing to learn (and sometime struggle with) what it means to be a single parent, when the expectations were to always have TWO parents in Toby's life. I was again faced and comforted with the truth, however, that "Emmanuel" is true. God is with us, and always has been, even when Anton passed on to heaven. He is has repeatedly shown how faithful and loving He is, despite the brokenness of this world.

Christmas itself was joyful- filled with love, giving and receiving, good food, and remembering the birth of Christ. Christmas Eve was spent at my grandparents house, with my dad's side of the family. Big family, lots of love and laughter! Then we went to a Christmas Eve candlelight service with my mom at a church on Main St, about three blocks away. It was beautiful. My mom stayed the night with us, which was so special! She helped play Santa (in our house we like to pretend that Santa just fills the stockings), and get some of Toby's gifts put together and set up. Christmas morning we enjoyed seeing what Santa put in our stockings (wink, wink), reading about Jesus humble birth, opening gifts from each other, and continuing the McCollum tradition of Christmas-tree shaped pancakes

and singing "Happy Birthday to Jesus". After a much needed nap, we spent Christmas afternoon with my granny (mom's mom). The next day my sister came into town and so we enjoyed more family, food and presents with my mom and dad's side again. I think we had about four Christmas celebrations in total, PHEW!

The new year came in quietly for us, as we are trying to get back to normal after Christmas, and preparing for life as a working mom next week! But we have expressed great thankfulness to God, for His faithfulness and goodness to us this past year. The move to NC was smooth and virtually trouble free. We live in an awesome house and area. I have had abundant time to get us settled in. Despite the fact that I haven't worked in months, and (like the rest of the nation) there have been financial losses, God has provided everything that we have needed and more. I am looking forward to starting the year with a great new job, and consistent childcare. We are part of a solid and loving church here, with good friends, and feel part of the body at large. Living near family and sharing life with them has been a tremendous joy and blessing. We have been able to see loved ones afar, like Anton's family and some friends up in MD more than we anticipated!

Praying that you as well are thankful and anticipating seeing God's goodness in the coming year. We love and miss you all!!