Happy New Year!

After a nice long break spent with family and friends celebrating Christmas and New Year's, I am slowly starting to get back in the swing of things. Honestly, I'm struggling a bit. It has been so nice getting some extended relaxation time, family time, and time to get a few things done around the house that have been waiting for quite some time to get done.

However, the time is here and Monday morning will dawn bright and early with return to work and school for all of us in my household. In many ways I am excited about what this year holds for all of us -- for all that God has waiting for us. In a select few areas, I'm a bit hesitant as I know there are new challenges ahead... some foreseen and some not. I also know, though, that whatever God has out there for us, it will be good. Regardless of whether they are easy to live out or difficult to live out, it will all be for good.

I pray we all experience a blessed 2010. Whatever it holds for us may it be lived well and with the Lord in the "top spot" of our lives.

Looking Forward to 2009

I LOVE the idea of New Year's Meditations that is being hosted by Laurel of Laurel's Reflections. The idea is not to make a bunch of resolutions that you know you won't keep (oh, you know what I mean... I will lose 10 lbs this year, I will go to the gym everyday, and on and on), but instead to focus on what you want to see when you look back on 2009. Did my relationship with the Lord become even stronger? Was I a friend to all?

These are the areas I see the Lord leading me to focus on during the next year:

~ I want to show Christ's love to the people I encounter in my daily life. Not just to my close friends, family, people that go to my church or people that I are in my office (although, I do want to include them). What I'm specifically trying to focus on right now are areas like this... Do I stop and smile and visit with the lady that rings up my total at the grocery store or do I just wait impatiently and then rush on with my life? When I'm out shopping at the mall and see the people that always take surveys in the hallways do I rush by in an attempt to avoid them or do I make eye contact and smile?

~ I want to deepen my relationship with the Lord. I want to spend more time in the Bible and in prayer.

~ I want to teach my children more about the Lord. I want them to have a better understanding (appropriate, of course, for their ages) of who God is and the wonderful gifts that He has given us.

~ I want to make an active effort in growing my marriage. Yes, we have a good marriage, but what marriage can't grow more? I want to ensure that it will stand up to ANYTHING. I want it to be centered around Christ.

As I strive to work towards the goals above, I am so excited to see where the Lord leads. There are several paths I see Him taking my husband and I down. How fun it will be to look at this time next year and see exactly where those paths have led!

A Bit of This and That

Hello... It is so good to be back after a little holiday break from blogging! I've missed you guys and have so enjoyed spending some time this afternoon catching up with some of you. As the week progresses I hope to make it around so to say 'Hi' and Happy New Year to each of you, my bloggy buddies.

We had a GREAT Christmas! Very special time spent with family both near and those further away celebrating our time together and the birth of our Savior. We spent a very relaxing and wonderful Christmas Eve at home, just the four of us, as our special day together. Christmas Day was spent with my in-laws where we shared laughter, great food, and enjoyed gift giving. The day after we jumped in the car and traveled to Missouri for some more special time with my family. We were so fortunate to be able to spend several days there and enjoyed more of the same with laughter, good food, time "catching up" and just hanging out together.

This year was special for us as we were spending the last Christmas for a couple of years with my youngest sister and her family. Later this year they will be leaving to serve as missionaries in Prague. I was able to help her set up their own blog for sharing their work and family happenings while they are away. I've asked her if I can share it with all of you and received a hearty 'Yes!' I'll plan to share that later this week.

As with all things, the holidays pass way too quickly and we get back into the daily "stuff" and other occurrences more faster than we would sometimes choose. Tomorrow morning we'll be taking our youngest, Abby, in for an outpatient surgical procedure to correct the vertical muscle movement in her eyes. Shortly before she turned two we discovered her eyes crossing and that she was very farsighted. She has been in glasses since that time and also had a surgical procedure to correct the horizontal muscle movement in her eyes. All went fine with that and now, two year later, the doctor feels we need to go again to correct her vertical muscle movement. We don't expect any complications (and are so very thankful it is nothing more serious than this), but all the same would love to have her covered in prayer.... prayer for no unexpected complications and for a quick and smooth recovery for her. We will be checking in about 7:30am New Year's Eve, with the procedure beginning about 8:30am and should be heading home within a few hours after that. Any prayers during this time would be much appreciated by all of us!

In closing, I pray that each of you has a fun and exciting New Year's Eve followed by a New Year full of many blessings from our Lord!