New Years...fresh start

I'm up early on this second day of the year.  Lying in bed, my head was spinning of things I want to get done.

I am starting Erika back to kindergarten this morning.  We are halfway through, which also means we are STARTING the second half of her school year.  So, last night, we got everything out, all new stuff.  Almost like starting the year again.

I already have beans cooking for a soup I am making today.  I am constantly googling or Pinterest-ing new recipes these days, so last night, I decided to punch holes in all of them and sort them...the good ones.  We have had some flops, but I have also made some amazing new things these past few months.

It has rained all afternoon yesterday and all night.  This morning it has slowed to a drizzle.  So with a hopeful attitude, I just hung out a load of wash.  Maybe the sun will peek through later today.

I am fighting a cold.  Lots of vitamins and praying is how I fight.  I don't like to take any sorts of medicines except Advil.  So, hopefully this morning I am on an upswing.

I love the fresh start that a New Year brings.  Yesterday at church, it was an interactive sermon about what we want the Lord to do in us this next year.  It was a really neat service.  It is so interesting to me the people that God is bringing together at LifeNet.  And it is neat  how it is all HIM.  Just so neat.  We did not have an empty seat yesterday, even though many of our regulars were gone.  We just always seem to be growing with new people.  It is quite exciting.  Soon, we will outgrow the room we are in as well.  Hopefully not too soon, because there is not another room to move to:(

We have begun the rotation with Children's church, so Tori is not in there every week.  But she still helped set up, gave instructions to the teacher, and helped clean up.  I think she is a little Nursery Coordinator in the making:)

Mondays, I always start with this full list of things I want to get done.  Unfortunately, the errands will have to wait til Tuesday.  Everything is shut down today still.  Its not like America, where everything opens back up.  Here, they actually take a holiday.  Which is a good lesson to the American in me.  To really relax and enjoy my family.  But it is so quiet and so boring!!!  We did have a fun family night last night with Ice Cream Floats and a mean game of Monopoly.  Josh was proud at what a good businessman I am...slowly taking out each of the kids and then Lee.  I'm thinking we should play again today.  I normally hate to play, but winning sure was fun.  Lee would like me to note that he trained me well.  That is why Josh has beat him the last few times as well.  Poor guy.

Well, time to get going, get Erika up and start a fresh half-year of kindergarten:)

Have a great Monday.

Oh, just a few shots of our quiet New Years Eve.  We could have easily had a houseful, but it was nice to have just a few of the kids come hang out with our kids, play monopoly, snack, watch movies.  It was nice.  And then at midnight, we went outside into the warzone (jk) of fireworks.  Whew, it was pretty crazy and loud.  They were on top of their houses, shooting them off.  But it was a fun way to bring in the New Year, with new people God has blessed us with in our lives...