Happy 2009!!

It was time to get rid of the festive holiday background and try something new! I love those free backgrounds!

Last night, we didn't celebrate the New Year with a big she-bang. Tripp was at the station and really, when you have little kids, it's hard to ring in the year! Babysitters aren't really an option - I wouldn't ask the grandparents to babysit, it's just too late. And what teenager is going to want to babysit instead of hang out with their friends on New Years? So we have the option to go to friends' houses who have little kids too and just let them stay up and play. This works o.k. for kids over the age of 3, but not so much for 1 1/2 year olds.

Anyway, last night the kids and I at least had sparkling cider. After I put Emily to bed I told the boys they could stay up until midnight if they wanted. Casey fell asleep on the couch by 9:45. Good effort, Beebes! Ryan made it until midnight! I let him watch Noggin and we played Candyland, then about 10 minutes before midnight we tuned in to watch the ball drop in New York. Then, since Tripp was working, I let Ryan sleep in my bed. He thought that was pretty special. I hope he isn't crabby today from staying up so late...

So good-bye 2008 and welcome 2009. I'm not as happy to say good-bye to 2008 as I was to move past 2007. For me, 2007 will forever be remembered as a year of emotional chaos filled with great highs but also great lows. I'm tempted to pray that we never have a year like that again, but I won't - because it was a great time of growth for me. It drew me closer to my God. I learned to lean on Him more than I ever had to before. 2008 was much less emotional. More calm. I wonder what's in store for 2009...

This weekend, we are moving out of our master bedroom and into the guest room as Tripp begins to tear into our master bathroom. I'm not looking forward to going from our nice big king sized bed to our little queen nor am I excited about sharing a bathroom with the kids. But Tripp wants to get this done before summer. The end result will be worth it too! We will no longer have a vanity in our bedroom. Who actually thought that was a good design? I guess it's pretty common for houses built in the late '70s & early '80s.

On another subject, I'm not really into New Years resolutions, but I'm really excited about starting this year off right, financially. Tripp and I are 2 CDs in to Dave Ramsey's "Financial Peace University". We are going to learn how to get out of debt and live within our means. We'll have to cut way back and get rid of some luxuries and that will be hard. But I know it will be worth it. Trying to do a remodel on our house will complicate things, but we have a "remodel fund" and we will just have to stick to our budget! I want to be a good steward of what God has blessed us with, and that in itself, will be a blessing for us. I'm acutely aware of how much we really have. I'm soooo thankful for our house, that my kids have a safe neighborhood to grow up in, that we have food to eat, even that my husband has a job! So many people are not so blessed. I pray for them. I pray for my little girl I sponsor in India where they live in fear right now because of terrorists persecuting Christians and destroying anything even remotely associated with Christianity. Thank you Lord, that we can praise you and worship you here in America without the fear of being killed for it.

Well, that's all the insight I will share for now! Happy New Year!