Happy New Year

Well... It's another year. I can't believe how fast 2008 went. So much has happened this past year, it makes my head spin just to think about it.

This Christmas was quite the whirlwind, too. After Santa arrived we made our way to the airport to head to Tennessee. We had so much planned I could hardly catch my breath. Rusty got an ear infection, and we all had a touch of some kind of virus. This, however, didn't slow us down much. Seeing all my friends and family was wonderful. It's amazing how much children can change in nine months. My nephew Joseph is practically grown. He towers over me. All of my nieces on both sides are blossoming into beautiful young ladies. Seeing everyone in person was just priceless. We laughed and hugged and celebrated Christmas together. What a wonderful blessing. I got to see many friends. It was so fun hanging out. Just like "old times". Visiting our old church was fantastic. I didn't know I could miss something so much. Even though we have finally found a church we like here....well, as the old saying goes "there's no place like home!"

What I wasn't counting on was how hard it was going to be to say goodbye. One week is just not long enough to visit and catch up. Nine months is just too long to be gone away from the one's you love. Although the time away made it that much sweeter to see everyone the bitterness of leaving was that much harder. I don't know. Maybe I'm too much of a "family girl" for this kind of life. I thought I could do it. The time away healed all those feelings of missing my family and friends for a while. I just didn't realize how hard it would be to visit and have to leave again. It was like ripping a scab off an old wound.

I know that God has put me here for a reason. There are so many wonderful things about being away with my little family. We are growing and expanding our horizons in so many ways. I often think that I have been given this wonderful gift and wonder what others in my family would do with such a present. What kind of person would they be? How would this experience have changed them? What would they have learned? How would they have grown?

Thinking of these things makes me realize how truly blessed I am. The greatest of these is having wonderful friends and family that miss me as much as I miss them.

So...Let's all reflect on all of our wonderful blessings this year. Let's all resolve to hold what's dearest to our hearts a little closer.

Here's to a wonderful 2009!