Goodbye to 2008

Leave it to me to send out my Christmas cards with our blog address printed on the back so everyone could "keep up" with our goings-on . . . and then fail to post anything new for over 2 weeks. I'm sure any momentary surge I had in readership is now gone but I just figure that is the Lord keeping my ego in check. I've had lots of that lately so I think I'm appropriately humble as I begin the new year.

Its been a whirlwind few weeks. The week of the 7th of December I hosted three parties HERE at my house (yes, I'm serious) and we also trekked up to Kentucky for our Polar Express adventure. But wait, did I mention that Ryan was receiving and IV in our bedroom during party #3 for dehydration resulting from a day of combatives that sounds more like a day of pure hell? Then my parents arrived 24 hours before Ryan and I flew out for our respite in Tampa. We had to leave directly from Jake and Ainsley's school Christmas program which was priceless (seriously, those kids rocked the house - out of all the kids in there you could here J and A singing out at the top of their lungs . . . I was SO proud). Anyway, Tampa was awesome, relaxing, fun, shopping expedition all rolled in to one. We had a wonderful time in the sun while my parents suffered through an ice storm and illness here in TN.

We arrived back in Tennessee on Thursday evening, I spent all day Friday doing laundry and packing (oh and fitting in a dinner and fun with the Remick family which is always a priority) and then Saturday morning we were off to Columbus, Ohio. We had a truly fantastic week with Ryan's family up there, so much so that we kept extending our visit and ended up staying until the 28th instead of the 26th. The end was bittersweet as we said goodbye to Jared and his family. We probably won't see them again for about 2 more years and many tears flowed as this realization hit me. I just have to trust the Lord's plan and that He works all for good. Even when I'm not happy about it.

So we pulled back into TN on Sunday night, I ran around like crazy on Monday planning Ainsley's third birthday party, ran around crazy on Tuesday throwing Ainsley's third birthday party and now I'm just trying to catch a breath.
Stay tuned. More to come. I've got bloggin' just itchin' to come out.