The Holidays

It's 10:30 pm and I'm a little sad that my vacation is over. I rarely have time to slow down during the year, and the week between Christmas and New Year's tends to be the time of moving a little slower, getting a little reflective, and thinking about what blessings I have.

This year, we had a busy Christmas and New Year's, but we really made some good memories. We went to Paducah, Kentucky for a solid three days and four nights. We laughed, spent time with the Hancock grandparents and extended family, and enjoyed the outdoors. Specifically, we went out for a family run with the whole family in tow (excluding Uncle Fil). Seeing Joe and Phyllis run around the neighborhood in Reidland was so much fun. Phyllis, Melanie, Joe and I all had a night of wine-and-alchohol-drinking which was then followed by Phyllis driving me and Melanie around in the golf cart, narrowly missing fences but enjoying the stars in our homemade planet-arium. Joe had plenty of wisdom to impart that night, which included making sure that I know that women love to hear a lot of BS. LOL. Of course, there were presents galore.

When we got home, we spent time ice skating, watching movies (Dragon Tattoo and Sherlock Holmes at the movies, and plenty at home), doing littles/bigs Christmas parties which of course included Just Dance 3, having our own family exercise at Sokol with the model airplaners, arguing, and of course, taking down Christmas ornaments. I cooked a few of the nights, too, which can be relaxing when I force M to get the groceries. We also spent New Years' at different locations - me and K at our friends' in Bham and M here at the house - but we rejoined and actually went to church the next day. No drunk texts from me this year!

As far as being reflective, I know that this is the time of year that I tend to be down. I haven't been, so far, but we're really only two days into January. So we'll see how this goes. And I'll get to see how tightly God clings to me, despite my wandering and my unfortunate worship of things that are not Him.