Ring a Ding Ding

Well, another year has come and gone. It was quite interesting one at that. This is usually the time when I should look back with nostalgia and recount the highlights of 2008, however I am way too lazy today to do that...sooooo I will simply say it was a pretty good year overall with a few lowlights and some great highlights that helped me grow up in ways I never anticipated and made me cherish time with my family all the more.

Speaking of family, the kids and I drove to Bend after Christmas to see my parents and extended family. DH was on-call, so he couldn't make it. The pass wasn't too bad of a drive on the way over, but was terrible coming back. We almost got stuck in blizzard-like conditions and with literally zero visiblility at times. It made for a very long, very exhuasting trip home. The actual time we spent there was enjoyable though. I even got for an evening with my mom, nephew, and his girlfriend to see Four Christmases (great movie by the way!). The best part of the weekend was hanging out with my brothers and getting to know the newest additions to the family.

The rest of the week flew by as I struggled to regain my energy. I don't what's been wrong with me this week. I tire way too easily and seem to just want to read my book or sleep. The lethargy will hopefully go away soon as I have to return to work on Monday. The book I'm reading is very engrossing and will review it here after I have finished it, though I can tell you right now that it's a great read! This is a big deal for me to even be reading a book as I've had to read a lot of children's literature in recent months for my teaching. It feels good to read a grownup novel for pleasure again. That is, if I can keep myself awake long enough to get through it. Special note, don't take my sleepiness as a reflection on the book, I'm just full of fatigue for some reason.

Anyhow, we got together with some good friends for New Year's Eve. It was pretty wet out, so the rain kept us inside. We decided to forgo the big eats and have finger foods instead. Between the little smokies, meat and cheese, chips 'n dip, and mozzarella sticks, we were set. We never even got to the french bread and spinach dip. However, we made room for brownies and sparkling pomegranite spritzer. This is also when the kids get to give each other little gifts for Christmas. We keep a $5 cap, so it's not an expensive endeavor for anyone. The children look forward to it and extends their holiday just a bit. We also played games, watched some TV, and enjoyed the ball drop from Times Square. All it all, it was a relaxing way to ring in 2009.

We left soon after midnight as we were all sleepy. The next morning, we had to get going early as Grandma J asked if she could take the kids overnight and treat them to a movie. They had been wanting to see The Tale of Despereaux, so that was a fun thing for them to get to do. Hubby and I decided to take advantage of day alone and see a movie of our own. It was tough to agree on one, but we finally decided on Bedtime Stories. We both love Adam Sandler and Keri Russell, so it was an easy compromise. It turned out to be funny and well worth it. I can't say the same for the price of a popcorn and soda though...$12! This was a pretty cute film though and we will likely buy for the kids enjoy.

We then went to Lowe's to price a few home improvement items we're considering and then went to Shari's for dinner. It was a quiet day, but a very nice one that was sorely needed for DH and I (as alone time for us is rare). We both laughed when we were watching TV and were missing the kids already. I guess the kids are never really gone for us...=)

And on that note, Happy New Year!!!