I'm so bad about this...

If there is anyone out there still following our family blog, I am so sorry. I don't get around to posting new information enough. Perhaps that's because there just aren't that many exciting things to tell you about. It would be pretty narcissistic to just blab on all the time about doing the dishes or changing diapers. Not to mention really, really boring. So I'll keep it short and somewhat exciting:

Christmas was good, but a lot of sad things happened in the couple of days beforehand. My cousin's mom, former aunt, passed away pretty tragically on Christmas Eve. The day before that, an old friend's baby boy, 2 months, died suddenly in the night of SIDS. When I got home from visiting family and checked my facebook, I discovered a friend had also passed away on Christmas Eve. It really showed me how Christmas comes no matter what and life doesn't stop for it. It was nice to have Hadlee around, so excited and completely oblivious to everything sad, constantly "singing" Jingle Bells. I was able to truly appreciate all of my blessings this Christmas with all of the things that happened.

With all of the ending of life that I've seen this Christmas season, I was also blessed to see what joy new life brings. My best friend Kelsee gave birth to a daughter yesterday. They named her Shyloh Elizabeth and I can't wait to meet her in person. Listening to her tiny cries over the phone made me miss having a tiny baby in our home, and all of the light and newness in brings. We'll just have to keep trying for our second addition.

I've heard it said that the more people you tell about your goals, the more likely you are to meet them, so here goes: as a New Year's resolution for 2010, Cor and I have decided to read Dave Ramsey's "Total Money Makeover," and do what we can to start cutting down our debt and living more frugally. It will be hard, especially not traveling or going out for dinner and movies, but we can do it and we'll be better off for it. I'm hoping that it will help me appreciate my blessings even more. I'd also like to buckle down and start writing a book in 2010, so hold me to it people! I'm not going to mention the old, "I'm going to lose weight this year," because, as much as I'd like to, I'd like to be all fat and pregnant even more. If we could welcome another baby into our home in 2010, I would love it. But I can't really make that a goal, because it's kind of up to the Lord, no matter how hard we try. Ha ha ha. I'll keep you posted though.

Nothing that's the most important ever really changes in my life. I love Cor and Hadlee so much, and they love me back, even though they see all my imperfections. That's what makes us family and that's my greatest blessing. So even if it's same old same old, and perhaps boring to read, it's what brings me the most happiness and that's worth sharing I think. It's a struggle to be the stay at home mom whose not the independent woman out conquering the world, and it sometimes feels like thankless work, but the rewards are there. And perhaps I'll still shine in other ways later. If I can shine as a Mom for Hadlee now (I'm pretty dull but trying to polish up,) then I'll take that.