New Years

We toasted the New Year in style, enjoying a buffet of many foods cooked by yours truly. The children had their friends over and they filled our home with laughter and warmth. We haven't made any resolutions yet, but I'm sure those will be forthcoming. We are expecting fine things out of 2010.

Blessings,

Elizabeth

New Years

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That is sparkling cider in those glasses up there! We will be drinking plenty of that tonight, while toasting the New Year.

I am wishing everyone in Blogland a wonderful, blessed New Year. May you have loved ones around you and the peace of God to grace your homes and your hearts tonight and always!

Some New Years Fun and A Sweet Boy's Poetry

Dear Friends,

It is frigid cold where we are. It takes my breath away when I step outside. There is much snow on the ground, too, and clumsy me has almost fallen a number of times on the ice. Ahh, the winter months. They are snow-laden and pretty, but, boy, getting around in them is an experience!

I was going to share a recipe today of the menu we had last night. But, instead, we had a lovely surprise...A friend gifted us with a meal of sweet & sour chicken (it was delicious!) and so I didn't cook. Imagine that?

After our wonderful meal, last night, we had a special family time, where we sat around the table and wrote on gold, paper stars I had cut out, some of our wishes for the New Year...My husband is wishing for his own guitar, this year, and to write and sing his music (he goes to open-mike nights at a place in Salt Lake City); Sarah is wishing to make a CD of the songs she's written and to move downstairs to a bigger bedroom; Robert is wishing for a trip to Disneyland (my girlfriend, an employee there, gets us in for free); I am wishing for a trip home to NC and VA (I still have my tickets from last year). All fun, do-able goals.

After our family time, Robert gave me a late Christmas gift - a calendar he put together at school with original poems he wrote, one for each month. Here are a few of my favorites:

There once was a little Kitten.
He loved to wear his mittens.
But one day he saw one
of his pretty mittens was gone.
Then he cried where he was sittin'.

Isn't that cute???? Here's another one, my favorite:

My mom is really cool,
And she likes to play "Life" with me.
She is the best cooker ever,
And she always likes to read with me.

Every night we read
to each other
And tell something we like
About the page or chapter.

Sometimes we play "Monopoly";
We go out and swing.
She loves to right (sic) on her blog,
And she loves telling.

Sometimes she tells stories
About her cats that she used to have
And her childhood
And all her life keys.

Sometimes I tell her what I like.
She enjoys going on a walk
And with people
She likes to talk.

Awwww! What a sweet boy!!

I promise some recipes tonight and more!

Love,
Elizabeth

Looking Backward and Forward!

Ruth over at Visions and Revisions has a wonderful post about Looking Backward and Forward at the New Year. I thought that I would join her with a similar post...

Goals for 2008

Well, I'm ashamed to admit it, but I didn't really write any out last year...I can't remember what was on my mind a year ago...I know that I really wanted to make a trip out to NC/VA and even had tickets for it, but having me out at that time became very inconvenient (l.o.n.g. story) for my family and so we had to cancel plans...Then, my beautiful friend, Melissa, passed away and I never got to visit with her. That was terribly disappointing. On the other hand, I feel like I grew a lot spiritually last year. There are things that had disturbed me in my early life about which I feel the Lord helped me to have a better understanding. I am grateful for these insights, because they have brought me greater peace.

Goals for 2009

Physically
Ugh! I need to start getting regular exercise. I need to start getting regular exercise. I need to start getting regular exercise!!!

My strong goal is to get one hour of aerobic exercise five times a week, with upper body strengthening every other day! I use to be sooo good at doing that and in the recent last two to three years, it's been awful and, believe me, I'm not nearly in as good condition.

This past year I gave up drinking soda...Ugh, that took me FOREVER to do that. Now, I want to go back to eating only healthy foods: more whole grains, fruits and veggies!

I also want to be treated by my friend, Kathy, who practices plant/spirit medicine. It is alternative medicine and I know someone who has been helped greatly by this technique and so I'd like to give it a try.

Financially
Well, we are still out of work, with some possibilities for the first of the year. However, this year, I am determined to re-build a financial cushion underneath us, begin paying off debt (it is all health-related for us), and re-build my food storage. In these troubled times, I cannot stress enough how important I think it is to be as self-sufficient as possible. For me, that means storing food, health-related items, and even water, in case of emergencies. In case this may sound extreme, I must say that we have lived off of a great deal of our storage during our period of unemployment. How wonderful to have personal items, like contact lens solution, moisturizer, etc., already on hand, when money is tight. That's not to mention having some favorite foods that we wouldn't normally be able to afford now. Also, I live in an earthquake zone - and we are overdue for a major one...I have lived through natural disasters before and that taught me to always be prepared for them.

Gifts/Talents
I would like to expand on my blog. Do more writing and also add video about various topics I'm contemplating or...making. I would like to craft more. Make more gifts by hand. Beautify my home.

Read even more.

Personal
I pray to be able to make my long-awaited trip to NC/VA. I want to visit Melissa's family. Spend time with my sister. Go to White Lake, the area of NC that my family settled and all my local relatives. See my "NC mother", Holly Holland and her family. Visit my god-daughter, Rebecca.

Another trip to CA to visit my mother-in-law and husband's siblings would be great. I also have an adopted "Dad", Robert Braithewaite (my son Robert is named after him), whom I would like to see.

I need to write more letters to loved ones. Connect more...

Spiritually
I would like to grow my relationship with the Lord more, through more focused prayer, contemplative time and much more concentrated study of the scriptures. My spiritual habits have become a little distracted and sloppy. I am feeling the need to do better.
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Well, these are just some of the areas in which I'd like to make an improvements.

What are some of your goals as you look forward to this New Year? If you post about them, leave me a comment and I would love to come read them.

Love,
Elizabeth