Skip to main content

New Year, New Beginnings, New Opportunities

I have missed blogging this past year. I miss having a spot to record our daily life and my {oftentimes random} thoughts about said life, post pics, etc. So I have decided that this year I will blog at least twice per week. Hence, post #1 of the new year.

A new year is always so refreshing to me--I love the hope that the new year brings, the ability to make a fresh start, the fact that the failures of the past year can be left behind, never again to burden our minds with guilt; I love that each new year brings a clean slate with a myriad of possibilities, and there's a sense of anticipation about how the slate will be filled as the year goes by. This year, like every year, will have it's share of joys and sorrows, and I find such comfort and peace knowing that my Maker will walk beside me every step of the way.

Blah, blah blah, you say. Just get to the good stuff. Ok. Wanna know how we spent New Year's? Carlito decided to rent a room at the Embassy Suites, and we stayed there New Year's Eve and Jan. 1st. It was very nice to be away from the daily routines and spend some leisure time--no cooking, no chores awaiting; it felt very pampering. We arrived at the hotel late Friday afternoon, walked to Chipotle's for dinner (YUM!), and played games at the hotel as we waited for the ball to drop at midnight. Here are a few pics:


This is us playing Taboo for Kids: --NOT Carlos' favorite!


Later Carlos and I played his new Lego game, Minotaur.



Then Ashley decided she needed to one-up her cousin and take some jump shots. They had a grand time jumping on the hotel bed (and I had a great time getting these shots!):
























Generic photo opp




It was so funny to hear the entire hotel erupt in shouts and various other celebratory noises at midnight. Then, shortly after midnight, much to Ashley's dismay, we hit the hay (I mean, our somewhat luxurious bed).


The next morning we splurged with a brunch at Mimi's Cafe :)
On a very random note, I read this Scripture the other day, and it ministered to me so powerfully; I just wanted to share it: He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. Psalm 147:3
Happy New Year, all!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Favorite Things

Things that make me smile and sometimes laugh: my family Starbucks with friends reading blogs :) parking the car in the driveway of our "new" house, lol! Oh, I guess I've forgotten to take a picture to show, huh? bantering with Ashley (the good kind of bantering--not the kind that gives me gray hairs!) My Missionettes girls (I think we've already been over the fact that even though they all have parents, they're still "my" girls!) breakfast with friends (Hi, Teena!) my new XTi :) Photoshop Elements (one of my best friends 'cause it makes me look like I take good pictures, lol!) scrapbooking (digital and regular) Crock Pot dinners (If I wasn't a Christian I would worship the person(s) who invented it) women friends in general the words Carlos mispronounces (washmouth instead of mouthwash, it's "between the rules" instead of "against the rules," and "overfloat" instead of overflow) I, of course encourag...

"Cool" Lunch

I usually make Ashley take her lunch three days out of the week (she "gets" to buy on the other two days, even though she doesn't actually eat the food--part of the whole "fit in with the crowd" issue) . I was having a SERIOUSLY hard time getting her to bring her lunch, and it occurred to me one day that if she took "fancier" sandwiches, she might not fight it so much. So ... I started making Chicken Salad and getting various toppings (she likes the jars of roasted peppers, pepperoncinis, alfalfa sprouts, tomato, etc.) as well as buying bolillos or other fancier sandwich breads. That went over well. It went over so well that her friends would ask for a taste, and rave about how yummy the sandwich was. They were actually jealous of Ashley's lunch (yeah! now she won't be the "geek" who brings her lunch; she'll be the girl who brings cool lunches--mission accomplished and then some!) . One of her friends I know rather well, because...

Nehemiah: Sheep Gate (Symbolism)

hubpages.com http://www.prayfordetroit.com/ As I mentioned in my Nehemiah  post, God has nudged me this summer to study Nehemiah in depth because He has some things He wants to show me.  I am just starting Chapter 5, and I must say it is so exciting and interesting. I have to admit, though, that when I got to Chapter 3, it just looked like one of those boring chapters: it gave all the boring details about each section of the wall of Jerusalem that was being rebuilt, and gave countless names of the people who rebuilt each section.  I was going to skip it and move on to Chapter 4 when I felt the Lord nudge me to look deeper--that there was something here that He wanted to show me.   So I dutifully sought the Lord (and a research book, and the internet!) , and was ASTOUNDED at the incredible layers of symbolism in the names of the gates!  It has turned out to be my favorite chapter so far.  :)  God is incredibly amazing, huh?   The big pi...