'08 '08 Feeling Great

The first Monday of the New Year. A new year. A new week. A new list. New pens. Don't you just love new beginnings, fresh starts - all the potential they hold? I'm excited.

We had a great weekend, focusing on our family. Sunday we worshipped again at a church we like fairly well. We've been there, oh, I guess, about 4 or 5 times now. We like it well enough but we're a little cautious about becoming members. We may go to their membership class next month and find out more... we'll see.

It is neat, though. Chris goes to a class for middle schoolers and they always have donuts, candy, or fondue ~ sure to win over any pre-teen. J goes with all the primary-aged kids and has a great time in there each week as well. The sermons have been decent and the worship has been pretty good. They meet in a high school, but they evidently have more $ behind them than we did at our former church and a LOT more workers.

Anyway, after the worship service we had lunch again at McGraff's (kids eat free on Sundays and we like free, for sure)... while Grace napped we finished our first family-read novel of the year, Book 1 of The Spiderwick Chronicles (movie coming out in February). Later we went to Old Town Fort Collins again and did some ice skating, and after dinner we played some more Catchphrase, a game I loved playing with my youth group and I purchased over the holidays.

Ro and I watched American Gladiators last night. How fun! It was fun to watch because we were fans of the original. In all - just one of those wonderful, fulfilling weekends.

Today, though... although I'm excited about it being Monday, and my to-do list, and my color-coded family calendar, and my goals list, and all that... this is the emptiest my home has been in weeks. It's just me and Grace. Kids are back at school, Ro at work, company's gone. I won't have many distractions to keep me from my tasks, but it sure is quiet around here.

Prayer Needs:

• W - job situation
• R - just found out he's been in the hospital! doing better now, though
• colds
• Renee
• J - roommate situation
• T - morning sickness all day

I Love You

It's warmer here right now than it is in Palmdale. The snow has completely melted off our front yard and most of our backyard.

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The other day Ro was putting Gracie to bed. I said, "I love you, Gracie." She smiled. I said, "Can you say, 'I love you'?" She answered, "Yes."

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Movies we've seen recently:

• August Rush - pretty good
• PS I Love You - great, original love story, but much sadder than I thought it would be!
• Mad Hot Ballroom (on TiVo) - Chris and I enjoyed this documentary together

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It’s weird to consider that the kids go back to school on Monday. It has been such a wonderful couple of weeks. I'm sad to see them go back, but I'm eager to return to my routines again. I've been working on my list of goals for 2008 and I'm excited to start putting them into action. We've got to spend a lot of time with friends and family, see movies, read a lot of books, play a lot of games, and more, and now it's time to get back to life, back to reality. :)

Ten weeks... and we'll be in CA for a friend's wedding and to visit our other friends and family. Ten weeks... it's the longest time we've had between visits. I'd sure love to do a quick trip down in February, but after the holidays and such I'm not sure about spending the $ on it. We'll have to see, I guess. Actually, I wish I could be in CA on the 12th for Kathy's shower, and I wish I could be in Vegas the next weekend with my sis! But, my great grandma used to say, you can wish in one hand and piss in the other and see which one fills up first! :)

Pray for Renee

I saw an eagle today, flying over us as we drove home from Longmont.

Later I saw a woman in a mini skirt and bare legs shoveling snow.

It's been a balmy 53 degrees here today. The ice that has been packed on the streets of our neighborhood since Thanksgiving quickly melted away, in just one day. No need for a jacket really, especially in the sun. The skies are clear and blue.

Still about a dozen ice fishermen on Lake Loveland, though.

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Before Thanksgiving, when Mom and Deb were out here before, we were driving home and I turned down the wrong county road (or failed to turn off it, whatever). No big deal ~ always neat to explore new areas, check out the lakes and the homes and such. As we passed one large home near a lake, a large sign made with a Sharpie marker and cardboard was duct taped over their mailbox. It read: PRAY FOR RENEE.

It honestly left quite an impression. I wondered about the people who made that sign, and how desperate their situation must be to scrawl a big sign like that for anyone and everyone to see, seeking the prayers of strangers on behalf of Renee. I couldn't help wondering about Renee: is she sick? lost? in rebellion? broken? desperate? So many heart-breaking reasons drive you to your knees in prayer for the people we love.

I don't know her story, Renee, but we prayed for her that night ~ all of us. And nearly every night since, my kids have remembered her in our family prayer time before bed.

When Deb and Mom came out again in December, we drove down that county road, and the sign is still there. We got a little card and signed it, letting them know we've been praying for Renee and her family, praying now for over six weeks... put it in the mail today. I just hope it brings them some encouragement, knowing that there are people praying as a result of that sign.

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Well I'm disappointed to report to you that although I bought the correct cocoa, used whole milk, did not boil, and followed the recipe to the tee... I didn't like the cocoa much. :( After all that, even. I guess I'll stick to the envelopes. Thank you, though, those of you who tried to help me.

I did make some most excellent butter cookies for my sister, mom, and grandpa, though, if I do say so myself. :) Easy recipe from The Pampered Chef. I should make some for my lovely new doctor next week ~ she has been really good to us.

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Grace won't nap. She slept yesterday twice for 30 minutes each. This morning she wouldn't sleep at all on her first nap, dozed about 20 minutes in the car, and then, when I put her down just before sitting here to blog, she's lain in there fussing. Guess I should go get her up, but she doesn't understand that I need her to nap as much as she needs it! :)

Prayer Needs:

• Renee
• Ro, Grace, and I have colds, as does Deb
• W's job
• J's roommate situation

Praises:

• Most wonderful visit w/my family for Christmas, and they all arrived home safely yesterday evening

Highlights in Pictures

Walking in a winter wonderland...

This is Deb walking on the frozen Lake Loveland. She walked all the way out to one of the fishermen and said, "Hi! I'm from California - can I watch?" :)

Gracie's first haircut - a trim of her bangs.


Let me tell you 'bout my best friend...

Ice skating in Old Town Fort Collins...

(Did you know if you double-click the picture, you can see it larger? I just found that out recently.)