Hello in the New Year!

Wow! Blogger is going to let me post on the FIRST TRY!!! It's a little start of 2009 miracle.

Anyway, we had a wonderful Christmas complete with too much food and too many gifts. We spent time with family and friends and it was wonderful.

Starting December 1st, the boys read the nativity story each night before bed and put up a figure in their own nativity. It is very thorough with figures for Mary, Joseph, the innkeeper, his wife, shepherds, angels, the star, the stable, bunnies, rats, goats, etc....Usborne had to work to fill the entire Advent Book. But it is cute and it tells the story of Christ's birth with interaction and by Christmas the boys can tell the story all on their own.

We spend Christmas Eve at Nanny and Pappy's house and had our traditional Christmas Eve dinner....steak and potatoes. Mom started this tradition a few years ago and it is a huge hit. Good food and NO dishes. Can't beat that!!!! We open all the gifts from each other then. Nanny and Pappy go all crazy!! The boys got their very own, real, gas-powered 4-wheeler. Yes, it was a surprise for all of us. They also got matching helmets and the 4-wheeler comes with a remote control kill switch....for the "safety" conscious. Although one could argue that a 3 year old wild child on a 4-wheeler is not safe in any circumstance...and I don't know that I would have a lot of arguments for you.

Christmas Day was spent at home. We have a tradition too...we don't leave the house on Christmas Day. If you want to see us, you know where we are. We start with a big breakfast and then gifts from us to the boys. Some would call them gifts from Santa but as we are still scared to death of Santa we avoid all mention of the big man in red. After gifts are opened by the kids, we get started on Christmas dinner which this year was ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole and corn, oh and home-made bread. Yummy! It was a wonderful day!

On December 26, we all got up early to go meet Raphaela at the airport and see the arch. It was kinda a "Murphy's Law Day' in Shane's words but Raphaela made it safe and sound and we did see the arch. We also went to the City Museum in St. Louis and it was awesome. We were only there for a little while but we will be going back. My cousin performs there also and we need to see one of her shows as well.

Raphaela stayed for several days and we really enjoyed visiting with her. She is the same as always and we still wish we could see her more often. Oh well, it is hard when you live on opposite sides of the world.

We had a nice New Years with friends. Each year we have a party with friends from church here at our house. This year was a smaller turnout with 5 or 6 families. We played games and had a great time! It was funny at about 11 we all started running down and as soon as our clock struck 12 everyone got their things together and left. We are a wild and crazy bunch.

So, now...we are into 2009 and I hope to post more often again. The boys will be starting school up again on Monday and we are ready for the structure in the day. I have started running and will be meeting friends early Saturday mornings to go for a run...my goal is to get out there 3 days a week. A new year brings so many new things...no resolutions really to change but only plans to continue along the paths we have started on....healthy eating (AKA weight loss), exercise (me on foot, Shane on a bike but not at the same time), school work with boys, and being active in church. And the goal of building a garage this Spring and summer. It looks to be a bright year! I can't wait to see how it all turns out.

I will try to post some pictures from the holidays soon! Hope you all have a wonderful 2009!