Happy New Year

I didn't send a letter with our Christmas card this year. In fact, I don't think I've sent one since our youngest was a baby, which is almost 5 years ago.

We have things happen in our life that are worth writing about, I suppose. It's just that probably those happenings are more "worthy" to us than anyone else.

Like....

• Jack has made a fantastic transition into 4th grade - loves his teacher and is beginning to love books and reading, which puts a smile on John and my faces.
• Ruthie is overjoyed (and that's an understatement) to be in "school" this year. Preschool, actually, but that distinction is not important to her. Her preschool is held at the same school where she will attend Kindergarten next year.
• Our baby will start Kindergarten this fall. Heavens- to-betsy, where does that time go?
• We replaced the old falling-apart planter that had graced the front of our home with a new step that John designed and we discovered some mail from 1996, that had slipped from the mailbox and got tucked behind that planter during the rip-out phase. Interesting.
• We enjoyed a family vacation to Duluth this summer- a well-worn travel spot for us 4, but still fun.
• We discovered a not-so-new "resort" during that vacation and also that a cheap Best Western Hotel is luxurious when compared to a cabin that uses bath towels cut in half as hand towels and sports a 1950s refrigerator that struggles to accomodate a 2008 gallon of milk.....
• We learned that cheapo resorts can provide breathtaking views of Lake Superior, warm popcorn, cold beer, and live music around a campfire.
• John and I still plug away at the work-a-day world and wrestle like all people these days to keep up with the rise and fall of gas prices and everything else in the economy.

Some notable things happen too late for a Christmas letter. The holiday rush was crazy this year and not without its drama at our house. Of course, why should this year be any different than any other. But we endured and enjoyed; laughed and loved through it all. Last night, as I hugged Jack and said good night, he looked up at me with sincerity in those big blue eyes and said, "You smell good, mom." I related that beautiful moment to John later - cause it was one of those everyday moments that made me want to skip around smiling and singing and I wanted to share it with him. Predictably, he didn't seem to grasp how happy that moment made me, smiled and then turned back to arguing with the tv reporters on the 10:00 news, (one of his favorite past-times).

This morning, as I said good bye to him and headed out the door, he dreamily said to me, "you smell good, hon." Ah....he heard. He understands.

All in all, it's just the normal minutes of life that are the same or similar to what happens for all of us. So, is it Christmas card note worthy?

Probably - but unless you're reading this now, we'll just savor it all for ourselves again this year.