Happy New Year everyone! New Years last year we rung with Kobe and the Lakers. New Years two years ago we planned to spend with friends at a cabin the mountains, but stayed home instead because I was already having contractions. This new years....hmmmmm....let me see, it will probably be a quiet one, Eli won't make it to midnight and my tired pregnant self, will probably not make it either. Boy, how things change with children but I wouldn't have it any other way than to enjoy 2008 as the mother of our sweet little Eli and pregnant with our second child.

The other night David and I couldn't sleep. We were lying in bed talking about what a year 2007 has been. Both of us agreed that this year has been the craziest year in our 7-1/2 years of marriage. This year has been busy, life changing, productive, exciting, frustrating, challenging, risk taking, scary, delightful, and fun. Of course, our move to Texas was the big event of the year. Although there are times it's been rough, and there are times when I've said to myself: "What am I doing here," Texas has turned out to be a great move for us. We love the slow pace of living in the country, we love that we don't feel the need to "keep up with the Jones'," we love our cozy home that fits our family perfect and is a blessing from God, I am thankful for my dear friend that I prayed for over and over again even before we moved, I love the simplicity, I love the community, I love that Christmas day our neighbors brought us homemade tamales and cookies, I love that our neighbor called to congratulate us that we're pregnant again and said on the answering machine, "we love you." In only a year, we've developed this sense of community in our little city...I love that.

David and I were also talking the other night about how we chose Texas, how we just figured we would move out here and have to start all over in building friendships and "family." Never, in our wildest dreams (and I mean that) did we ever think that within a year or so, David's parents would live in the next town over, David's sister and her family would also live here and David's brother and his family would also be looking into moving within minutes of us. Never, did we think this would happen...especially when (I won't name any names) a certain family member said, "I will never move to Texas," I guess we chose well when we landed in Texas in October 2006 and drove from city to city trying to find our next abode. And now, to have my parents looking at properties in Texas for a possibly retirement in a few years, crazy it is, but we love it.

So, this year I have many goals and resolutions. So many that I don’t have time to type them all out right now. But, on the top of my list are the words: HAVE FUN. So, may I laugh at myself if I fall over a pumpkin again this fall, may I not be scared of childbirth…but have fun with it, may I have a blast with my high school sweetheart and my sweetheart of a toddler, let us have fun while gathering around a campfire, let us have fun spending our days outside, may I simply have fun with my family.

Go out and do the same! Happy New Year from one grateful gal.