thanks for the giving

So, yes...its been a while since I last blogged. A week in fact. But, it was a BUSY and FUN week that included a lot of family and food goodness and therefore I had not a second-even to myself in which I could have legistically spent blogging. So you shouldnt feel bad about me neglecting you. ;-)

I currently feel very blessed...After all the whirlwind of visitors and holidays ( thanksgiving and my birthday) I am left with a definite sense of contentment. I think it started with Louise leaving our Sunday night Bible Study a few weeks back and exclaiming how much she liked it, the people, the fellowship, the depth of study....and then, having my family come visit for a few days helped me continue to look at my life through a larger perspective to stop and say, "why yes! I DO have really nice friends and new family to share life with! And, hey, Washington's actually gorgeous when its not raining!!"-and to see that while there are some difficult things to contend with, ultimately these last four months of marriage/moving/life-changing have been truly helped along by the Almighty. Lots to be thankful for.

So, lets just go ahead and jump right on in to the Christmas season shall we?! Gosh, it seems like even though the media has been trying its best to push christmas on me sense early October I was still not prepared for the general outpouring of Christmas-hysteria on Friday....every time I drive past the Tacoma Mall I start to hyperventilate from all the cars! Buuut, even with all that I am actually really happy its almost December. Its going to be a trying month I can tell-you see, for the first two weeks I will be all by my lonesome ( brett's out on the field again) and then he'll come home and we'll have three christmas parties in a row and then we'll head off to Texas for two weeks ( !!)....which pretty much brings us to January. WHOA! Time is going to rush by!!!

At least for now, however, I am back in the swing of "normal" life...and shall try not to have TOO much of an 'after guests' depression occur. It helps that since the family left on Saturday night we've had three seperate "parties" at our house to 'help' eat up our leftovers...so that's kept me busy. :-)