New Year...We're still here!

You would think that with Christmas vacation and time off we would have had some time to share Christmas pix and details of what has been happening to us the last few weeks...I am just happy to report that we are still here and have started our 2011 differently than I would have liked. You see, Christmas is my busiest time for "work" at church since we have extra services and a lot of my regular worship team members are gone or just need a break. That would be one excuse for lack of postings. My other excuse is that I got sick right before the new year hit, and it was one of those cold-congestion types of sick that just seemed to hang on for a while. I am not saying this to make you feel sorry for me (but feel free to if you want ;-) but just to clarify why we have been "silent" on here for a month.

Although I started off the year with a cold, it has been a reminder to me of all the blessings in our lives. I am soooooooo thankful for our health and for good doctors. For all the people who serve at church in worship--they really make my "job" easy and so rewarding. For family--all three of my boys (that includes Paul!) and the joy they bring to my life, our parents (three of whom visited us in the last month), our siblings and nieces and nephews, and extended family. For friends and the family they are to us on this side of the country.

I am also thankful for the weather here...we had a lot of rain before and after Christmas, but this week is beautiful (sunny and in the 80s the last couple days already) so we are enjoying being outside playing and going for walks again.

We enjoyed a visit with Paul's parents right around his birthday--celebrating Paul's birthday, eating at Red Robin and playing the games there, making donuts, playing Sorry, reading books, opening presents, and trying to stay dry.

We spent lots of time over Christmas and New Year's with Jill and Mark and the girls--presents, puzzles, games, Guitar Hero, and lots of giggling and screaming.

We just spent a week and a half with my mom who gave us the gift of getting away--an entire weekend of movies, a play, dinner out, shopping, and lots of relaxing with no kids!!! (I know it sounds pathetic, but it was so nice to just sleep whenever and however long we wanted! Ahhhh, we are well-rested!)

We ended our long weekend visiting with my great-aunt and my cousin and his family who all came up for Sunday afternoon and evening to just catch up while Mom is visiting.

Now the house is quiet, and we are looking ahead to a "normal" week--just the four of us and a regular week of school and the daily routines of work (incluing having to wash the dishes again since I don't think I did any while Mom was here). I still have a tickle in my throat and an occasional cough to clear the tickle but am finally feeling almost normal again. I think my voice is almost back to normal which is good since I have had three Sundays off from singing--THANK YOU to everyone who filled in for me (especially my hubby) and took leadership while I was MIA.

Happy New Year!