Happy New Year

We have spent the last few days in calm quietness {if you can use those words to describe a family with three children under 5 1/2}.

For as long as I have known Frank, we have typically spent New Year's Eve at the lake ~ usually with friends and family, sometimes just family. After our escapade to Birmingham Sunday evening, we bailed on our friends. I hated to cancel because I was really looking forward to spending the weekend with Anne, Chris, and her boys. We felt that we were just too much of a wild card! In reality, we had no idea if we would even be at the lake for New Years, and I wanted Anne and her own young family to be able to go ahead and make plans for their weekend. I told her to mark her calendar for next year and to find a week for the summer.
They were missed, but we have enjoyed lots of good family time. I think our children have loved being here for almost two weeks, and I know that I have. I have loved having Frank around during the day, and it has been nice to be away from the hustle and bustle of life ~ all three children have napped almost every day, we've stayed up late, and slept late {even me}. We've played outside and in, cooked good meals, baked goodies, completed some projects {most notably Mary Frances' Super Star Poster}, read countless books, and had lots of fires {until the temperatures rose}.

Tomorrow it is back to reality and that will be good too though I am already a bit anxious about all I need/want to accomplish before the children go back to school.

While we have been away the cement truck has been busy at our house, and I am looking forward to seeing the progress. I'm very thankful that the ball is rolling on the progress for our house. I would be lying if I told you I wasn't a bit sad and nervous about bringing a baby into a home that is not our own. As the date gets closer, the reality sets in and I hope we can all handle it. Please say a little prayer for all of us! I am glad that school does not resume until Tuesday so that we have two days to get back into our normal routine. I think it will take every bit of that and then some.

I'll leave you with a picture of what proved to be a yummy new year's meal ~ a new take on the old tradition of pork, black eyed peas, and greens.