New Year's Eve 2009

It's New Year's Eve, and we aren't planning any outings this year. We hardly ever go anywhere for New Year's Eve. People who know me well also know that I don't stay up too late. I do always try to see the clock strike midnight on New Year's Eve. It really has nothing to do with me, but my kids think it is special so I do my best for them. We also partake of communion as a family almost every New Year's Eve. I had a turkey in the basement freezer that I purchased on sale. I have had it thawing because I knew I wanted to have Michael smoke it on the smoker for our dinner. Smoking things at home is even better than going to a restaurant. We have an old apple tree that really needs to be cut down to the ground. Instead, we let it keep growing in order to provide wood for our smoking needs.

We will spend the evening playing card games, counting our blessings, and maybe working on our kids' table manners. From the look of the picture, they need some help to remember that they should not reach over other people's plates! I was going to purchase a new puzzle for this evening, but my husband caused me to change my mind. On Christmas Eve, we all started a puzzle. Oldest son's girlfriend worked long and hard. All together we worked on it for a couple of hours. (I use the word "we" rather affectionately because I really didn't do much. Puzzles don't really interest me). It was a 1,000 piece puzzle. Bedtime came and all the good people in the family went to bed so we would feel good on Christmas morning. My alarm went off at 6:00 a.m. and I thought Michael was in bed with me. I soon discovered it was the English Mastiff. I think Michael stuck her in bed with me to give me the illusion that he had come to bed. Instead I found him downstairs putting the last piece of puzzle into its place. I started asking questions. Come to find out Mr. Addictive Personality couldn't go to bed knowing there was a puzzle downstairs. He had spent the whole night finishing it. He took a picture of it and sent it to oldest son's girlfriend with a Merry Christmas greeting. He then took it back apart for our kids to work later. He was a bit tired on Christmas day, but he managed to stay awake. That is the reason that we didn't get another puzzle!

Hope you have a wonderful New Year's Eve celebration!!! If you would like, you can read more about our family's communion time here and our New Year's Eve celebration last year!! If you still want to know more about my resolutions or the lack there of, feel free to go here

grace and peace,

julie