Christmas Recap

We had a great Christmas this year! It was our first Christmas in our new city and new home. We were blessed to be able to renew some traditions and start some new ones. The biggest blessing of all was just being together after some hectic weeks before Christmas and some hectic weeks waiting for us.

We enjoyed Christmas Eve dinner at the Waffle house. It was a fun experience. Hudson charmed everyone and Aliyah was asking all kinds of questions about the people that had to work there all night long. She is very inquisitive. On Christmas Morning we enjoyed a homemade breakfast that was yummy, if I do say so myself. Gifts, more homemade food and lots of together time made Christmas 2010 one of my favorite ones ever.

A Broken Computer

Our computer, which happens to be the main one I use, has been broken for about a month. Our hard drive crashed, so I have been absent on the blog for that reason. Thankfully, we have a mac and actually used time machine to back up everything. Otherwise, I would be a total wreck about it, we would have lost everything. If you don't back up your computer I highly recommend it!

I rarely get to use Bill's computer only because he has it with him all day at work and if he is not using it in the evenings we are usually relating, so I don't want to blog then. Hopefully the end is in sight and the blogging shall recommence! See you soon!

My Love Language

I have read and enjoyed the books about the five love languages, however, I would like to add one. Books. I heard someone say recently that their love language was books. I LOVE it! I am a total book lover and avid reader. I love getting books, and hate parting with them. I always have at least one book going and with me at all times. If you get me a gift card to a book store or buy me a book you are speaking love to me.

Honestly, I haven't read every book that graces my shelves, but I aspire to the lofty goal of one day reading every book I own. Well, that may have to wait until my kids fly from the nest. I have always found books such a lovely companion. They challenge me and stretch my imagination. I remember during summer vacations just reading and reading. I even remember my favorite books from childhood that I read over and over.

I am trying to be transparent here so I will tell you that sometimes I just look at my bookshelves and dream about reading the books found there. Since our move my books are all packed up and we have yet to obtain suitable shelving for them. But I do day dream about all of our books gracing our new shelves in our new home. I think once the last book box is unpacked I will be able to breathe a sigh of relief and know that all my faithful friends are unpacked and where they belong. So, Gary Smalley, I am adding a sixth love language, books!!

Oh My, Look who is Five!

My precious little love bug turned five yesterday! It is so hard to believe. It seems just like yesterday we welcomed our not so little bundle into the world. She came into our lives and took them by storm.

I can see that we are entering into a new phase of life. Aliyah is becoming more independent. She likes to color and do things by herself. She still likes to play with us and have us read to her, but I can see the changing of the tide. Soon she will read by herself and want to play with her friends. I know to me she will always be my baby girl, but with each passing year and each change I have to change too! I have to let go a little more, more than I was hoping. But this is the way life goes and should go. I count it a huge blessing to walk along side this beautiful creation that God has seen fit to give to me. I pray that I am a good steward of the time I have with her. Here is to another year of good times!!

If I had One Day...

I remember very clearly several times when I was a teenager where I uttered the words, "I am so bored." I probably had a whine in my voice. No matter what wonderful things were suggested to ease my boredom I would scoff. I remember several times my mom telling me that one day I would want to have a day with nothing to do. In my teenage angst I would probably toss my hair and think, "Right, I KNOW that will never happen!"

Well, it has happened! Yesterday Aliyah told me she was bored. I could not believe the words were coming out of my daughter. She sounded just like me, except she is five! Yikes! It got me to thinking what would I do with a day with no diaper changes, cleaning, cooking, laundry, and all the other things.

This is what I have decided. I would get all my favorite foods, a good book, and probably some of my favorite movies. I would basically stay in bed in my pjs most of the day. I would read, sleep, eat and just do absolutely nothing! I wouldn't even leave the house. I would order Chinese for dinner and eat it with chopsticks.

I hope to help my kids enjoy and embrace the days where there isn't something going on. I know all to well that the day is coming when they won't be able to be carefree and just do whatever they want.

Subtle Message

If you have never been to our house than you won't know that yard care is not our main priority. I think our new neighborhood has figured it out. I think we go brown, instead of green. Oh well, maybe next year!

My Sweet Hearts

Fresh Start

I love fresh starts and new beginnings. They always are a great maker of a new chapter in my life. The usual suspects are: birthdays, anniversaries, a new year. This past summer has marked many fresh starts in my life. My family has moved to a new house, a new city, and a new church. It has been an exciting time filled with excitement and good stress. I decided with this move that some things in my life would be different. It would be a great time to work on things that I just felt overwhelmed with in our old place. For example, being more organized. Now I haven't done this as much as I want but I feel like my life is less cluttered and that brings a peace. This fresh start was much needed in my life. The past few years have been hard and stressful for several reasons, but here it's all new. It is so wonderful to be in this new place. I have a bit of wander lust in me anyway, so I am always up for a new adventure to new places. This has been a grand adventure for sure.

This blog is a fresh start as well. I had another blog that I haven't written on in a while, so I wanted to start fresh on a clean slate. What's up with the blog title you may ask. Well, I had thoughts of titles with nice sentiments that were even wistful at times, but I landed on this one. It is unique to me. Other titles with journeys, paths, and stuff like that can be had by lots of people. I want this blog to be able to be about all aspects of my life not just my kids and family. Certainly this will be a big part of the blog, but I want to have room to just write about whatever.

People call me a lot of things in my life (wife, mommy, Bill's wife, things like that), but other than my actual name, Hetty is the one I've been called the longest. My sister started calling me Hetty many years ago. I am not even sure when it started. It is a name that I really love and cherish.

So, here is the first post on the new blog. I hope to keep up with this, but as a mom to two small children I make no promises:)

The journey begins...