Happy New Year!

 My high school friend Terri sent this to me last week.  I really like it!  I feel like like it totally applies to me.  I had to laugh at the "go to bed early and wake up early" part - Terri likes to sleep in.  Back in the day, she would sleep until NOON.  Me being a farm girl - that was unheard of!!!  Last summer when I stayed with Terri I was curious if she still slept late - yep she does!  (not noon, but later than what I'm used to!  Love you Terri!!!)  I have found that this message is true - I have to get up and go out.  It would be easy to keep my butt on the couch!  AND I am trying to clean up some clutter.  My boys helped a Saturday in December and we got a good start in the garage.

The day after New Years Day I got off the couch and went snow shoeing.  It would have been easy to say no - it was cold and windy.  A group of us went up the mountain and the day was stunning.  When we left the trucks, it was 18 degrees.  As long as we kept moving we stayed warm.  The skies were SO BLUE.  A great day.

A lot of you ask how my holidays were, and I appreciate that!   Christmas has not been a super difficult time for me.  I think that since Les was a UPS driver, I was used to him not being around the whole month of December.  We didn't have lots of "traditions" for the season because he was working so much and we don't have extended family here.  I HAVE found that the week after Christmas is more difficult.  Everything slows down, it's winter, and it's a lot lonelier.

Now it's January, and my busiest work month.  That's a good thing - it keeps me very busy.  It also stresses me out a bit - my office is a disaster.  It's time to change all the files - out with the old, in with the new for 2017.  This weather we have had doesn't help the mood - I'm over the wind and the ice.  I miss walking my dog every day.

My son, my son-in-law and my niece recently went on a mission trip to Guatemala.  I was super excited for them.  Brett and Emily have gone before, Kris has not.  It's warm where they went and they were in a beautiful area.  They were doing some work at an orphanage.  I was cleaning some cupboards the other day (see - I am un-cluttering!!!) and I found a book with pictures from my first mission trip to Tijuana with our church youth group.  This was 20 or so years ago, and I went on several trips after that.  I loved being a part of the YWAM program and seeing God work in the kids' lives.  Those trips were an important part of my life.  I made several life long friends!!

So......Happy New Year.  Let's all get up and go out!!!