Belated Holiday Wishes

I am a little late in saying this, but since I was not able to call everyone on the 25th as I may have wished, I just want to say MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY HOLIDAYS to anyone who may be reading this. I hope that you are enjoying the special spirit that this wonderful time of year brings about. We hope that your homes were filled with as much laughter, joy, and love as ours was! Here are some pictures of our holiday festivities...

Making gingerbread houses with the cousins on Christmas Eve (A)

More gingerbread fun (R)

Christmas morning...time to give and open presents! What FUN!!

Happy New Year, everyone! We wish you the best for 2008!

JOY

Tonight was a lot of fun. We got together with all of the cousins in Arizona and had a little family Christmas party. The kids had a blast together, as evidenced by the giggles and laughter that echoed throughout the home. During the festivities, I took a few moments to sit back and quietly watch the kids - their unfeigned excitement and glee helped to remind me of one of the most important parts of the holiday season - JOY.

The joy of giving, the joy of sharing, the joy of being with relatives and loved ones, the joy of hearing from friends and family who do not live near by, and the joy in celebrating the birth of Christ. We have all been blessed in so many ways, and I am thankful for the spirit of this holiday and for the JOY that it brings into my life and my home.

Happy holidays everyone!

Back up and running

So, after not having computer access for a few weeks, we finally have our laptop back up and running. We also found our camera, battery charger, and memory disc, so we can finally get some new pictures of the girls and get them posted for all those inquiring minds (hey, I am okay with the fact that most of you come to this blog page to see AK and Roo, not to read my random thoughts). It might take me a few days to get everything together and posted, but since punctuality has never been my strong point, I am sure that most of you are used to that by now. :0)