Happy New Year

Blessings to you and your families on this special day!!!

We spent a lovely evening together. We had an early dinner with some friends, went home and put the kids to bed, and then played cards and drank sparkling apple juice together in the quiet stillness of bedtime that only a parent of 3 small children knows (or their grandparents after they have babysat and then sent them home), We fell asleep to the sounds of firecrackers going off somewhere in the neighborhood, praying they wouldn't wake up the baby.

This morning we got up early and went to mass to celebrate the Feast of the Mother of God, and now we are home all together as a little family in our cozy house thinking about what sort of nice dinner we will have tonight to celebrate Mary's special feast day.

When I was a kid, I never thought that it would actually be fun to go to bed before midnight on new years, and relish the quiet of the house and the streets while everyone else is out partying.... Church was also very quiet this morning (well except for Heather's singing through mass).

Now as we get closer to the end of the Christmas season my thoughts turn to getting back to our routine of chores, school, work. It's been such a joy to have my husband home for these last two weeks. We have enjoyed having this family time so much...

What more could I ask from God than what I have? It turns out that growing up is fun after all. Being with my own family is the best place to be in the world. I cherish my vocation as wife and mother more than any gift I have ever received. All I could ask for is the grace to be able to be all that I am called to be: a gift to those around me.