Wrapping it up

Hey, sorry I haven't been out here in a while. Not sure I have a good excuse, I haven't been all that busy. Well, I suppose I could give you a blow by blow of all of the things that take up my time, but none of it is all that exciting, and I would just sound like all the other slobs in the world that say, "I've just been so busy" when really they've just been sitting watching trash tv and don't know why they gained 15 pounds this year.

No, I haven't gained 15 pounds, my point was I am not going to make my life seem more exciting than it is. We did add a new member to the family recently. Her name is Mia. She is beautiful. I will post a picture as soon as I download some.

Other than that, I'm sitting here tonight, putting together my Christmas Card list. I had to dig and dig to find my list from last year. Thank goodness I didn't give up, I found it. So I have been updating, verifying addresses when I can, making additions for those who have added to their families, a few that have subtracted, and a name change here or there. I didn't remove any, I think that is a good sign. I mean, the year before I took a whole bunch of people off of the list that I had decided I really didn't need to spend that enery on. All I have to say about that is, it is one of the very few good things that came from having Cancer - emotional house cleaning. AMEN!
So, after I did what I could on the confirmations, I started to think about the new friends and family members I have added this year, and also some of the people that have been in my life that I haven't done a good job of keeping in touch with. Now I'm not doing any sort of resolution and saying I'm some how going to suddenly get better (you all know me better than that) but I do want to at least send out the card and put a picture in it. So, here I sit sorta working on that, sorta working on this.

All and all it's been a pretty good year. A little older, not sure at all about the wiser, definately a few more gray hairs than last year, but also a lot more thankful for what I see in the mirror. I added some great memories to my mental scrapbook: new years dancing with 5 amazing women, sleeping under the stars on a tropical island, not sleeping in the back of my van on a perfect summer night, staying up all night watching old movies with my daughters, counting all the red-neck lawn decorations that Michigan has to offer on a road trip with someone I love, skinnydipping in the ocean, salsa dancing, building a deck with my brother and my dad, so many I can't even mention them all here. Even the bitter experiences this year have been good ones as I look on them now, after all I learned from them, how could that possibly be bad.

We won't be celebrating Christmas at my house this year the way we have in the past. There will be no presents, no tree, no decorations, and furthermore, no cookie baking. This year, we are just going to set aside 30 minutes to talk about the blessing we feel have been given to us and sew a few grocery bags we can send to a few of our friends to move the Green concept forward in our own little way. It might not sound like much fun to some, and it might be hard for some people to understand how a 13 & 11 year old would think that is a Christmas to remember but those people wouldn't understand me, my daughters, or how much my family has grown this year in our desire to make sure we understand the priorities in life and that we are true in our convictions. We are trying to get back to the real meaning of the day - celebrating the great I AM.

Don't worry, we will have our shopping day later, when everything is on Sale.

If I don't get out here again this year, all my love and warmest wishes to you. I hope you learned alot this year as well.

Big SMOOCH!