Another Year...

So the last of the Christmas decorations made their way to storage bliss last night. And all I can say is "HALLELUJAH"! Cause you know how I just LOVE me some Christmas! (gag) It was back to a "normal" routine today, whatever that means. Oh wait, I know, children roaming the house aimlessly fighting with each other and leaving piles of mess in their tracks while I walk behind them and clean it up. Totally normal! I'm kidding. Sort of.

So another year has come and gone. And what do I have to show for it, besides 10 more pounds, and the Aggies 7-6 record? Does anyone else just about want to gag over all the Christmas letters that come in the mail? I got a FOUR PAGER this year. If I'm lyin' I'm dyin'! FOUR PAGES! Seriously y'all. If you have to write a four page Christmas letter, SHAME ON YOU for not keeping in better touch with your friends all year! Four pages. And guess how far into the four pages I got??? About line 2! And then I said, "ohp, it's another story of child prodigies, expensive vacations, and look at what a great mom I am!" Are you kidding??? Nope, not me. Ain't no Christmas letters leavin' this house! You're lucky to get a Christmas card from me!

But if I were to write a Christmas letter, here's how it might go...

So if you're wondering why we haven't come to visit you this year, it's cause WE PO! Not poor...PO! We live pay check to pay check. That's why! Lexi and Ashton are such a handful these days. Lexi HATES to bathe. She's like the dirty boy from Charlie Brown, a trail of dirt follows that child everywhere she goes. If making messes were an Olympic sport, she'd have a gold medal! But she's just precious. The doctor said she was a tad bit overweight when she went in for her check up. I believe his exact words were, "She just carries more calories on her body, like you. It's genetic." But she's beautiful and so creative and TOUGH. In fact, my creative child could beat up your creative child. And Ashton LOVES her sister. Despite the torture she endures from her daily, battling over toys, old juice, and space in my lap. She has had a year full of medical testing related to her virus starting with an EEG, an MRI, a CT scan, a speech eval, a hearing eval, an occupational therapy eval, and a vision test. Everything has turned out great though. She's our miracle girl! And speaking of miracles, it's a miracle she didn't get kicked out of school this year! She had a rough start to the school year. Fortunately everything is fine now. I started walking 9 miles a week this past year. I started in April and I walk Mon/Wed/Fri mornings at 6 a.m. and despite the hundreds of hours of sleep deprivation that has caused and hundreds of miles that mounts to, I've managed to lose a WHOPPIN 2 pounds, and cause more damage to my back and feet in the process, I'm afraid! And I had my first ever cavity this year! Actually I had four. Cary is doing great. He started his new job last January and just loves it! We didn't see him much for the first 6 months of the year, but he LOVES his job! We live month to month, but he LOVES his job! Weekends are no longer weekends, they're work days. But he LOVES his job! And we took an awesome vacation to Europe this past fall...IN OUR DREAMS!

All in all, I'd say it's been a GREAT year!

Happy New Year!