Peace

I had a really restful break.........and entered the New Year feeling restful and centered. Then the ice picks of life and reality starting chipping away..........I have held strong.....and still feel good, but the truth is the feelings shouldn't count as much as my faith and what I know to be true. If I really believe God is in charge, I will trust him. I will trust him with my children who seem to be in 5000 different directions depending on the day......and 5000 moods too. I will trust him when I get on that plane next Sunday to go to San Antonio for a week........alone! I will trust him that Tucker will be ok going back to VMI and "resurrection week" and all the trauma that brings........I will trust him when Chris and I disagree........or my boss and I disagree..........or a kid at school is failing after so many interventions........I just read "The Prodigal God" by Tim Keller..........very good. We are attending a different church today..........new year new church??? We will see and will trust Him with that too......

10 years old.....

This child will be 10 on the 14th............I can hardly believe it. I remember this cute little baby who was so active.......he still is!

Happy New Year!!! 2010!!!!

I think this is the best New Year's start I have ever had.....
All my family is gone places and I have been completely alone!!!! It is heaven. My house is clean, no laundry, no dirty dishes, no TV blaring......nobody screaming for me to do something for them.......a peaceful house...........just me, the dog and the cat and the fireplace. It will all end this evening, but having this VERY special alone time has taught me that I need more peace in my life.....so my goal in this New Year is to try and figure out how to get more of it.... It will be a busy winter........I leave for San Antonio for a whole week on the 17th.........and then we have a work cruise for Chris the end of Feb., first of March............and then we have VMI lacrosse season. Summer needs to be planned. I will not have Jake home all summer again with nothing to do..........ugh....still suffering from that one. Of course, we need to spend spring break doing a few college visits for Emily...........that process will be nuts. I need to exercise, lose weight, eat healthier, stress less, be kinder, yadda yadda yadda.................you know, the same thing I need to do every year. I do have a passport for the first time ever. Maybe I will go to Italy or France.............probably I'll go to Oklahoma........Happy New Year to all of you!!!

White Christmas' are overrated

Ok, it was fun, but now I am ready for the white stuff to go away. The only one who really loves it is the dog..........and he just by far has the best attitude in this family anyway.

Fashionistas

This is what happens when you play with girls..............too much........
Jake loves playing with Viva and Luna..........our neighbors who are full of action and fun.....he may regret the picture above some day....

Merry Christmas Eve

It is Christmas Eve and I am wide awake at 4:30 am. I hate it when I do that. I am really done with everything, but that doesn't stop me from over thinking the whole thing..........and obsessing about little things. Tonight we go to a friends for a Christmas Eve get together down the street. We have done this for years..........when the kids were little, we would go look at lights and eat pancakes, that was so nice. Tomorrow will just be the 5 of us. We are expecting rain and sleet on top of the 2 feet of snow we already have. I just don't want to lose electricity........nothing fancy or exciting planned...........hopefully everybody will be "kind and happy" with no fussing.....:) fat chance with 2 teenagers and an almost 10 year old who LOVES to goad the bigger kids....he still doesn't get it that they can pound him!! I hope everybody stays warm and has a great day tomorrow.........

Bates Schoolhouse

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70 of my extended family met here yesterday for a Christmas potluck..............I am going to try and make it next year....