Happy New Year!

Wow, are the holidays really over? Whew! What a whirlwind of utter and complete chaos. I love all the fun and joy of the Christmas season but hate the leftovers. Like a messy house, neglected stacks of mail, piles and piles of laundry, an empty refrigerator and a sinus infection that leaves me wondering where all that junk really comes from in my head! AAAGGGGHHH!

Our family enjoyed a wonderful holiday and we hope you all did too. We were blessed to all be together at one point or another over the last week and a half. What a gift to have our Arkansas family "home for Chrismas." Everyone had grown and changed so much and the cousins have quite a crew to play with when we all gather! But like so many families, our hearts were tinged with sadness as we missed our loved ones that are no longer with us. We continue to miss Aaron with each passing holiday. In addition we experienced our first Christmas without our grandmas. Joel's Nana died just before New Years last year and my Grandma Charlotte died in February. It's a reminder that our lives are but a vapor - here for a little while and then gone. Despite this sadness there is great joy in knowing they are with the Lord and as believers we will be too, oh what a day that will be.

The beautiful events of this past season continue to warm our hearts as we are looking forward to a brand new year that is full of possibility and opportunity. We find hope, not fear, in the unknown and know that the Lord has it all under control.