Happy New Year!

This holiday season was an experience similar to running desperately after a fast moving bus bound for where I needed to be- yesterday.

I suppose this is normal for a stay at home, school 'em the best you can mother turned bring home the bacon, fry it up in the pan working woman- also a wife and homeowner who feared that the color of her living room walls would ruin the family Christmas party on New Year's Day. Double distress descended when I realised not having a working television meant the ruination of the lives of approximately one quarter of my relatives, who would not be able to watch Michigan State get stomped by Alabama.

But in stepped I.T.- my hero. He painted my living room walls deep orange-red- cozying up the party palace, and erected the Fraser Fir a few days before relatives arrived. The colored lights reflected all things merry and bright. He brought home a big, fat projector from the office and a five foot square white board purchased for $3.00. He hooked up an elaborate, wire laden, cyberstream of ESPN that brought those oversized Spartans crashing down right in our very own family room. Poor fellas. And everyone was happy. Mostly.

We've enjoyed having our daughter, Fashionista, home from the far away college place, our son, Pilgrim, home from the state of California where he currently works and lives and the whole family (three kids, one girlfriend and my husband of 24 years, as of yesterday) all together for meals and conversations and hugs around.

Couldn't have asked for a better beginning of a brand new year. May we all draw near to God each and every day of 2011.

Blessings,