Homemade Pizza

A great way to end a crazy week.....have three of the grandsons over! Of course, Tater is here everyday, but he really gets excited when 'his cousins' come over and play! Friday morning, Connor came over, and the two of them had such a great time! First activity for the day, PLAY-DOH!  I love the guy who invented Play-Doh!

Next on the schedule was playing Wii....oh my!  Two 3-yr-olds + MarioKart = great morning entertainment!  It took them about 10 minutes to finish one race!!  But they loved it and had great fun and that's all that matters!

At 12:00 we went and picked up Caleb at school....let the fun begin! While Tater and Connor have fun together, adding Caleb to the mix takes it to a whole new level! (Word of explanation here: It was Jammie Day at school, so yes, Caleb is wearing his jammies in some of the following pics!)

Homemade pizzas were on the menu for the day.  I made the dough, divided it into four balls, and gave each of the boys one...and one for me!. With a little help from Nana, we got the dough rolled out into circles.....somewhat. Then each of the boys spooned and spread their sauce and added cheese while Nana sliced up some ham & turkey...sorry, all out of pepperoni and sausage! Then more cheese on top!

Then into the oven they went.  What shall we do while we wait?  Eat more cheese, of course!!!

The pizza turned out pretty good! The boys were surprised, I think! I know they had a fun time, and it is definitely a do-again project!

After naptime, it was time for some more Wii!  Best entertainment of all, watching two 3-yr-olds and a 6-yr-old playing Wii....especially boxing!!  First, though, Caleb & Tater played Carnival Games while Connor was still napping.  Then bowling.  Couldn't get a picture of the boxing....would've been just a blur!

What a fun day!!  Made this Nana one happy lady!!

So Maybe Not Every Day

Maybe the goal of doing a blog post every day was a little over-achieving. Maybe I don't need to post if nothing of consequence happens. Maybe I don't need to write something down just to be writing something down. Maybe I get busy some days and don't have time to write. Maybe I'm tired some evenings and just don't want to do blog. Maybe sometimes I just forget!

So I'm going to take the stress off myself. I've been too hard on myself. I know no one else really cares whether I post every day or not, but I said I was going to, so I've felt bad when I didn't.  That's exactly why I don't make new year's resolutions! 

But I do promise to try to be better about posting. I promise myself to at least try.  And when I have something to write about, I'll write about it! And if I don't have time to write about it the day it happens, I've figured out how to change the date on the post!!

So there!

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Freedom through Christ

Yuri, imprisoned in Russia in the 1940's at the age of 12 for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his family...because he was caught, his family starved to death, and he only survived because he was put in prison. Years later he was still imprisoned, lost in the beauracracy of the day.  But God sent a miracle...He sent a worn, used Gideon Bible into the prison where Yuri was, and Yuri became a Christian. And even though he was in bondage, he was freed.

My friend who went to Russia several years ago told Yuri's story this morning in Sunday School. He told how he had visited a prison filled with violent political prisoners, of the barrenness and filth of the aging prison, then of getting to the top of the spiraling staircase in the dormitory where the prisoners were and finding fresh paint, clean floors and walls, ivy painted on the walls, and meeting Yuri. He told my friend, "For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Phil 1:21) Yuri had such a peace that even living almost his entire life in prison was nothing. Because it was there that he had found Christ. He told of the many prisoners there who had found Christ within those crumbling walls who now had a hope for the future, who now were set free in their hearts even though they would never be set free of the prison walls.

Four years later, my friend returned to Russia where he was scheduled to speak in a worship servicein a church. As he sat waiting, he watched the little children being led in to sit on the front row. As the old man who was leading them turned to sit down, my friend recognized him....it was Yuri!  In Russian, he said to him, "Yuri! You've been set free!"  To which Yuri replied, "Ah, but I was already set free in my heart!"


The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed. (Luke 4:18)

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Weddings & Farewell Receptions

How strange it is to say 'hello' and 'good-bye' all in one day. People come and go in our lives, everyone on their own little conveyor belt, going at their own speed, and sometimes our paths travel along together for a while. And whether those together times are just a short while, or whether they last for years, the times together with friends are cherished. That's just the way life is. And today was one of those days that found one conveyor belt running alongside of mine and another one moving on.

This morning we officially said 'hello and welcome' to Mary, Buck's new wife. They had a beautiful wedding ceremony followed by a simple cake & punch reception, then followed by a big family lunch at Kenny Blanek's cafe. And since Kerry and I are sort of adopted family, we were included. It was good to see Buck's kids and some of the grandkids who were here...Melissa & Leonel came from Caracas, but the children stayed there; Melissa and her grandson were here from Dallas; and Mike and his family were here from Houston. And we had the opportunity to meet some of Mary's family. Like me, she has a big family!  I expect our 'conveyor belts' to run alongside one another for awhile...hopefully a long while....as we welcome her into our hearts and lives.

(There will be a picture in here later of us with Buck & Mary....Leonel took the pic and will send it to me!)

This afternoon, the ladies of the church officially said 'farewell' to Liz. Liz & Ronnie are retiring Jan. 31....next weekend! Liz has been such a integral part of my life over the last 20 years! Being our church pianist, she has accompanied me numerous times singing both solos and in ensembles. She is so very talented on the keyboard, making the notes just dance and float through the air. She has also been a friend, and she will be greatly missed. This afternoon was her "Farewell Tea", and next Sunday, the 31st, we will have a retirement party for her and Ronnie. And although their 'conveyor belt' is beginning to head off in another direction, we will continue to keep in touch with them as they seek the Lord's direction in their retirement years.

Friends come and friends go, but they never really leave our hearts and minds as the memories made together linger, waiting to be visited from time to time. And who knows when our conveyor belts will come together again, if only for a short visit.

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A Blast from the Past

Look what I found in the closet! I've been working all week on the closet and files in the computer room. Tater has been very interested in everything I've pulled out of the closet....especially this old electric typewriter!  And it's not even all that old!

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He's Already in Your Tomorrow!

He's already in your tomorrow
He's walking one step ahead
Whether it's joy or it's sorrow
He'll do just what He said
He'll never leave you lonely
In the land of the great unknown
He's already in your tomorrow
Don't be afraid, keep pressing

(Mark Lanier/Phil Cross)


I heard this on the radio the other day.....such an awesome truth!
 
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Facebook Friends

One of the fun things about Facebook, other than keeping in touch with friends and family and reconnecting with old friends, is making new friends. It is not unusual (for me, anyway) to become FB friends with 'third-party' friends...for example, friends of my friends who seem pretty cool according to their comments I read on my friends' posts. I have found some pretty awesome friends whom I have never met in person! So the other day, I requested to be friends with a friend of one of my new friends. (Are you confused yet?)

To my surprise and delight, this is the response I got back...."Oh my gosh, Diane! I was just looking at your pictures and realized I'm the Kathie that kept Dana when she was little!" What? This friend of a friend of a friend is actually one of my long-lost friends!! 

In another lifetime, when Jenni & Melynda were in elementary school, I had to find someone new to keep Dana during the day. God placed in our lives a wonderful Christian mom who kept children in her home.....Kat's Kids was the name of her in-home daycare. For two years Dana stayed with Kathie; even when she started kindergarten, she stayed with Kathie in the afternoons.

Kathie was the best childcare provider we had ever had. She loved 'her kids', and they loved her. I can remember when Dana had chicken pox, I called Kathie to tell her, and Kathie told me to go ahead and bring her over! All of the other kids had either already had chicken pox or their parents didn't mind them being exposed, hoping they would get them before starting to school. So I took her, and Kathie put her in the bathtub with Aveeno bath and let her soak her little itching body! Another time, we had to be gone out of town overnight, and Dana stayed with Kathie. We still have a little recipe book that Kathie made with the kids....it has recipes submitted by the moms (favorites of the kids) and recipes made up by the kids. It is a priceless treasure. And in the attic are two things that will be passed on to Dana's kids....a bear-shaped corner shelf and a doll cradle given to her by Kathie, made by Kathie's dad. Get the picture? She was really special to us.

Then we moved to San Angelo. And as much as we missed Kathie, we lost touch with her.

Until today.


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Sisters and Babies

Being an aunt is one of those wonderful roles I have enjoyed playing so much for the last (how old are you, Maggie?) years! I love my nieces and nephews SO much and have enjoyed watching them grow up over the years. And one of the best parts is watching some of them become parents! Mommies to be exact, since none of the nephews have kids yet. But four of my nieces have become mommies, and I have found that being a 'great'-aunt is just as wonderful!! 

Last Friday, on our way to the metroplex to see the kids and g'kids there, my niece, Sharon, was in labor. I anxiously checked my phone for updates as we traveled. Then sometime after 3:00, I got the word...."Amelia Lylan is 8# 3oz and 21 in. Pictures later"....that coming from my big brother who in two and a half years managed to get FOUR grandchildren!  (His two daughters had the privilege of sharing their pregnancies together since last spring, and Lara had Baby Penny 7 weeks ago!)

So here was a new baby in Waco....and here we were up in the metroplex....what would it hurt to take a little detour on the way home to see....and hold....that precious little bundle?

Isn't she just a precious little doll? And she has just the perfect little mouth....just like a rosebud, as Sharon says!

And Sharon is doing great.....she is going to be a wonderful mommy.

One of the neatest things I witnessed while visiting with Sharon....she got a call from Lara, who had taken Baby Penny to the doctor and found out she has RSV :(  .....but it was so wonderful listening to these two sisters talk to each other as mommies! I just had to smile. They are going to have such great times and make many wonderful memories together as they raise their families together.

Here's a pic of Baby Penny.....sorry the pic is so small...I 'stole' it off Lara's Facebook page!

Praying that she gets over the RSV soon!!

I love you, Sharon!  I love you, Lara!

Wonderfully Wild Weekend

I know, I haven't even made it to the end of the month, and I've already blown my 'blog every day' goal! But I didn't take into account these wonderful little excursions now and then to see the kids and grandkids! And it not really being very convenient to blog while away from the computer. So I'll just group all the days into one blog. Sounds good to me! (FYI...my camera battery was almost dead, so I used my blackberry to take pictures....not as good, but you get the picture!)  ;)

It was raining on Friday! Such a welcome sight! And it rained on us pretty much the whole drive to the metroplex. We met Melynda & Jordan and Rich & Christi & Aidan & Annaliese at La Hacienda as soon as we got to town. (Eric was at a debate tournament, so we missed getting to see him this trip....he's gonna be sorry he missed La Hacienda!) La Hacienda has become one of our favorite eating spots....best fajitas ever! 

Making breakfast at Rich & Christi's is always a family affair...the kids love to help! Aidan has a new Star Wars Cookbook, and Saturday morning he made Boomba Breakfast Tarts! (That kid lives and breathes Star Wars!) They were pretty tasty! After breakfast we played....tea parties, baby dolls, Star Wars....until it was time for Grandpa, Daddy & Aidan to go up to the church to 'shape' Aidan's race car for the Awana Derby. With the 'boys' gone, the 'girls' got to watch The Sound of Music...Annaliese is kinda stuck on that movie right now and wants to watch it all the time! Her favorite part is the puppet show, although she really likes the scene where the kids say good-night at the party! She even had to 'act out' the part where Gretl inches her way 'up' the staircase, step by step, on their staircase....all the way to the top! It was a fun, relaxing morning, and Aidan commented several times on how much fun we had, getting to stay in their jammies and play. I know this Nana had fun!!

Tea Party with Cinderella (aka Annaliese)

Saturday afternoon we went over to Melynda's, and Jordan played with Grandpa while Nana helped Melynda reorganize stuff in Jordan's room. She had gotten new shelves and was getting rid of 'little kid' toys and making room for his 'big boy' stuff and new Christmas things. We had a great time, then went to meet the Burkles for dinner at Olive Garden.  Mmmmm......

Rich & Christi had nursery duty on Sunday morning, and Melynda had 'Little Sprouts' duty at her church! So Kerry & I went by ourselves to Rich & Christi's church, Stonebriar Community, and heard Chuck Swindoll. Awesome message, great singing, worshipful morning.  After church, Rich grilled hamburgers and hotdogs so the guys could watch what turned out to be a very disappointing Cowboys game. Melynda and Jordan came over and joined us, and the kids got to play together. This is what you get when you have two little boys who like to wear costumes, and one of them is a Star Wars nut!

Darth Vader (aka Jordan) and Storm Trooper (aka Aidan)

Now they've switched.....Aidan is Darth & Jordan is Storm Trooper!

What an awesome weekend with the kids! It's so nice that they live fairly close to each other so we can see all of them when we go for the weekend.

Monday morning we got up and left for Waco while they got ready to go to the zoo for the day! 

Waco......that's another post!

Top Ten Thursday

Time for a bullet list!!

• Went out without my coat today....just because I could! For the first time in WEEKS, it was not so cold outside that I had to bundle myself up like an eskimo. It was 51 when I left the house at 8:45! I've rather enjoyed being able to wear my coat and scarf more often, but it was a nice change.
• Worked this morning then got in on a free lunch for the church staff....not a bad deal! Finally got my computer moved over to my desk, away from the window that leaks cold air...much better situation! Put the little space heater back in the closet. Right next to the little fan which comes in handy for my "little personal summers" that hit from time to time!
• After work, and after getting Tater at MDO, I went by and picked up Caleb & Connor and brought them home with us for the afternoon. I let them run wild and crazy for about half an hour before I got Tater & Connor down for naps, then Caleb and I played Wii......such fun! Later, Carey & Carter came over while their house was being shown, and Carter did his little "Carter Chance Baby Dance"....TOO CUTE!!  BTW, he's going to be crawling very soon!
• "If you like to talk to tomatoes, If a squash can make you smile, If you like to waltz with potatoes Up and down the produce aisle...."  Yes, we've been listening to Veggie Tales in the car....it's great!  My favorite is Larry the Cucumber singing "Oh where oh where oh where oh where oh where oh where oh where oh where oh wherrrrrrrre.....is my hairbrush!?!?"
• Found out today that Missy (Kerry's niece) went home from the hospital yesterday. She's been in the hospital since Christmas Day with meningitis and various other infections and ailments. She's still very sick, but at least she's home. Thank you, God!
• My niece, Sharon, went to the hospital today with very strong contractions! In fact, she may be pushing even as I type! She is having a girl, though she is keeping the name a secret. Praying she has an easy and quick delivery and everyone is healthy!
• My other niece, Lara, who is Sharon's sister, had her baby girl, Penny, on Dec. 1. She has been on maternity leave and has to go back to work next week. So now she will have a chance to go see her new baby niece this weekend before she has to go back to work! Nice how all that worked out!
• And yes, this does indeed make me a great-aunt! But then, I'm hoping I've always been a 'great' aunt! ;)
• Had our first board meeting for Venezuela Vision tonight. Awesome! It's going to be great to have a group helping us and Buck do all we've been doing on our own. Kerry is the Board President; I am an ex-oficio member. But I will be in charge of setting up a website....guess I'd better go take a Dreamweaver course at ASU! I think I'll also be doing a newsletter. That's okay....that's what I like to do, so it'll be great!
• Gotta start thinking about packing for the weekend.....we're heading to the metroplex to see the kids/grandkids!  (So here's a disclaimer/warning....I may not be able to blog every day! But I promise I'll post something special for each day when I get back!)

Gotta love it!

Conversation at lunch today, after much coaxing and pleading, after sands of time and patience had passed through the glass....

Nana: Tater, you need to eat your mac & cheese.

Tater: OK (eats a chip instead)

Nana: Tater, you need to eat your mac & cheese.

Tater:  OK (takes a drink instead)

Nana: Tater, you are not listening to me. When I say eat your mac & cheese, you should take a bite of mac & cheese, not take a drink.

Tater: But Mommy says I need to drink lots so I don't have foot cramps.

Nana: And what would Mommy say about you not minding Nana?

Tater: Nana, that is not what we're talking about....you are changing the subject!

Grandpa: (nearly spews everything out his mouth!)

Dinner & a Movie

Dinner at Franco's......okay; Avatar at Tinseltown......fantastic; an evening with friends.......always the best!

(Tuesday, Jan 12....posted Jan 13)

Blessed by 'Women in the Light'

God is so good to bring such a variety of wonderful Christian ladies into my life! A couple of years ago I became acquainted with a group of ladies here in San Angelo who were putting together a city-wide one-day conference for the ladies of the Concho Valley....Women in the Light.  This past November, Women in the Light held its second conference, and I was on the 'design team' this year.

This evening we held a 'de-briefing' meeting to discuss what went right, what went wrong, what we want to be sure and do again, and what we hope never happens again! It was such a neat, sweet time together as we shared all that day meant to us, how we were touched on various levels by the Holy Spirit, and how God had used such a full, varied program to meet so many needs in the lives of the women there that day.  I came away feeling so blessed....blessed to know these women....blessed to be a part of the vision of this group....blessed to be a part of God's work and ministry in this area!

My Jesus, I Love Thee

How many times have I sung this song....My Jesus I love Thee, I know Thou art mine.

We sang it this morning in church...all four verses. And there it was, hidden down in the third verse, a phrase that I don't ever remember noticing before.  I'll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death...now, here it is....And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath!

When I asked Jesus to be Lord of my life, I turned over all rights to Him in exchange for His saving grace and endless mercy. My breath is not even my own! My God and Creator gave me breath, but it is not mine to keep. It is in His keeping, and He allows me to continue to breathe that I might continue to praise Him!

Now that is good stuff, my friends! Good stuff!! 

Thank you, Jesus....I love thee, I know Thou art mine....and I thank you for lending me breath so that I might praise You!

Basketball and Saturdays

I love Saturdays like today.....only thing on the calendar was Caleb's first Upward Basketball game! Upward is a Christian-based sports league....the kids memorize scripture, every kid plays, every game begins with prayer, and Jesus Christ is shared at every half-time! They even have little cheering squads for the girls who don't want to play.

So we started out this morning, after a record overnight low of 11 degrees, for his 9:00 game....20 degrees outside and about 25 degrees in the gym! It was so much fun watching these little guys play, and Caleb did great, making TWO baskets, one of them a pretty good little jump shot!

Here's a shot Carey got on her camera:

He was also VERY good at guarding his man! He kept his hands up most of the time....when they weren't in his pockets of his sweat pants!

This is his yellow star he got for playing today.  The three green stars on his sleeve are for memorizing scripture! 

The rest of the day was great, too....just did a few things around the house....nothing special, but got a few things acccomplished....and ended the day by watching the Cowboys win their playoff game!!!  Ahhh.....

It's a Cold Day...but it's Friday!

(January 8, 2010)

It's been really cold here....not as cold as some places, but cold! Today was a stay-at-home day with Tater, and we played games....board games, computer games....put together a shelf for the closet in the grandkid room and just had a really neat day together! All of a sudden he is beginning to pick up new concepts like spelling and adding and strategy!  He's so funny....the other day I didn't quite understand what he said, and asked him "What?" So he started spelling it for me! Of course, he just rattled off some letters, then repeated what he had said, then "Understand, Nana?"  I didn't, but I couldn't tell him that! 

It's also Friday! Kerry came home early and played a round or two of Connect Four with Tater.  Then he got in the kitchen and started cooking supper....Chicken Alfredo....mmmmm. Just been a great lazy day altogether....well, not totally lazy....I did the laundry AND folded it AND put it away!!

January 7, 2010

Venezuela!!

I'm not sure why God placed in our hearts a passion for the people of Venezuela, but He has, and although we have not been down there in two years, we are still very involved. We are beginning three big endeavors in this area.  First of all, we are forming a board to administer and oversee the mission that Buck and Ila Mae Smith began in Venezuela over 30 years ago. This will assure that this work will continue long after Buck is no longer able to be involved. We will have our first board meeting next week. Secondly, Kerry has been approached by several of the men in the Venezuela Baptist Convention about setting up a foundation to help fund the work there. Several of the big conventions who currently help support them are suffering from the economy just like the rest of our country, and there is just not enough to go around. Kerry will be heading to North Carolina at the end of this month to attend a conference on major fundraising and setting up foundations. The third thing we are beginning to work on is the upcoming Evangelistic Mission Trip in August! This is a part of the Baptist General Convention of Texas partnership with Venezuela, so they are helping fund everyone's way. Kerry and I will be in charge of making all the arrangements....it's a big job, but so worth it to see people come to know Christ!!

January 6, 2010

The OCD side of my personality got to play today....my recent purchases of organizers have been put to use in the pantry....AND both refrigerators got cleaned after all the holiday dinners and parties.

January 5, 2010

I was definitely the fashion queen today....NOT!  And definitely no pictures today!

I have been having an awful time with my knees, so I had made an appointment with my orthopedic PA to get cortizone shots today.  It was a work day, and Tater's first day back to MDO...my appointment was 8:40am, Tater had to be dropped off around 9:00, and I was due at the office by 9:15.

Surprise! The PA decided she wanted new x-rays. Not only did this mean it would take considerably more time, but it also meant Tater was going to have a fun adventure in the X-Ray Dept! (Thanks, Lucas and Nolen for entertaining the three-year-old full of questions!)

Now, because I was going to work today, I was wearing my gray dress slacks with a white blouse and brick-red blazer with black boots....quite nice for the office.  However.....knee x-rays require you to wear these very chic paper shorts. So here I am strolling around in my white blouse, red jacket, bright blue size XXXXXX paper shorts, gray knee socks.......nice....at least I had taken off the back ankle boots!  Seriously, I could have put my WHOLE BODY in one of the legs in these shorts!

So Tater was late for school, and I was late for work....but that's okay....it was a fun and educational morning for a three-year-old!  And I'm sure I brightened someone's day just by seeing me walking down the hallway in my fashion crime attire!!

January 4, 2010

YES! I've been waiting for this Monday to arrive! Love Christmas, love the holiday decor & parties & food, love having family together, love having houseguests, love our New Year's Day party...BUT...I really love routine.

And today starts the routine...Jenni is back at work which means Tater is back at Nana's, getting the rest of the Christmas decor packed away and put in the shed and getting the 'regular' decor back in its place!

One of my favorite times with Tater....nap time....he gets a cuddly animal from the basket (unless he's brought his own), a couple of books, we read and laugh and snuggle and maybe sing 'Jesus Loves Me'...then I give him a kiss and turn on his music CD.

"Nap, Nap.....I love you!"

January 3, 2010

First Lord's Day of the New Year!  Spent the morning in Bible Study with friends and in worship with our Lord.  Dinner guests of Buck Smith and his fiancee, Mary, in celebration of her New Year's Day Birthday! They are to be married on Saturday, January 23!

Spent the afternoon getting the rest of the Christmas decor down and packed away. By early evening, I was pretty wiped out, so I parked myself on the couch and read a book...actually my Kindle....how did I ever get along without my Kindle? Never again without a book to read!

January 2, 2010

Party's over....Christmas is over....New Year's is over....time to get the house back in pre-Christmas order! Got the lights down off the house and the two Christmas trees down and packed away. The rest will wait for tomorrow. Finished the evening off with dinner at The Wharf and going to a movie....Blind Side....awesome movie! Awesome day with my favorite guy!!

Speaking of my favorite guy.....this is what he gave me for Christmas! A carousel of Disney Princesses!!

This is how it looks on the piano with some of my other carousels....including the picture on the wall!

My gift to him....a set of Capholon cookware and a mixer stick....he calls it his motor boat....he got to try it out making creme brulee for New Year's Day!

Our gift to each other....Elfa Closet Systems to organize our closets! Don't have them yet...just went on sale Dec. 26....but I'll be ordering them this week....pictures will soon follow!

January 1, 2010

Our annual New Year's Day Open House/Game Day! We have had this annual gathering of friends for about 9 years now!  What an awesome way to start off a new year! This year's gathering was about 42....and there were about 10 of our friends who were not here who have been here almost every year.  Much sickness and one of our dear friends had a stroke early that morning...she is home now and expected full recovery with therapy and a little pill every day...praise the Lord!

I didn't do so well taking pictures after a while...I didn't even get pics of the food tables which were overflowing! But we had a great time! In past years, we've always played Chicken Foot....anywhere from 10 to 13 people playing around this table!! But this year, we got a new game for Christmas....Apples to Apples....and everyone loved playing it! We may have a new tradition!

Another 'new' thing this year, our dear friends Rick & Ann came over New Year's Eve to help us cook and get stuff ready, then stayed late on New Year's to help clean up! We love you, Rick & Ann!!

Daily???

OK, so my niece has started this awesome 365 Project where she takes....and posts....a picture of each of her two girls....every day! What an awesome idea! What an awesome undertaking with two little ones!!

But I have decided, that even though I am already six days late in starting, I am going to try to post at least something every day...some days there will be pictures and some days there will not. Some days may be exciting, most decidely other days will not!  And I admit, this is a little selfish....it will help my memory immensely, especially when it comes time to write next year's Christmas letter!!

So, I'm going to play catch-up and briefly blog on each day of this new decade, 2010....and until I figure out how to change the dates on the posts, they will all read Jan. 6, 2010!