Seclusion

We barely survived the week. With so much going on, I was craving simplicity. Over the holiday, we knew we needed a break and sought seclusion. Jason and I are so busy that Brynna and Nathan rarely get one on one time without the phone ringing, emails needing replies, or schedules being packed full. We found our newest oasis where we could laugh, be silly, and ignore the distractions. Brynna got a new camera for Christmas that she has been anxiously waiting to use. She is tired of taking photos of random things around the house. She loved being able to work on her newest hobby. Today reminded me of Megan's lesson she gave in Relief Society on the importance of renewal. It is amazing of what a day like today can do for the body and soul. Now, we take our breath of air and face the world again until it slowly starts chipping away, then rinse and repeat.

Welcoming a New Year

2008, overall, was a very good year. I am excited to see what the new year will bring. We will be hitting big milestones this year. Brynna will be entering Young Women's and Nathan will be baptized. New Year's Eve was full of events. First, we had visitors. The Ray family came from Utah. We love seeing them and their family grow. It doesn't seem that long ago that we would vacation together. We were grateful they had time to spare and always enjoy our time together.

Our next stop...the Mitton's. We weren't able to ring in the new year together, but it was wonderful to see friends from other wards that we don't get to see very often. As always, the food was delicious. Adriana made delicious tamales, while Chad built a smokin' fire! It's hard to believe we've known each other for seven years already.

Our final stop...except we ended up keeping the youth in line. I think they were there solely to give us a hard time. Between rockin it on Rock Band, blowing air horns, blowing things up in the fire pit, nerf gun attacks where someone's eye was ALMOST lost; they made sure the new year came with a bang and lasted well into the morning hours. We wouldn't have had it any other way. What's a loss of sleep when you get to make small moments into big memories?