I'm hoping 2008 goes a little slower though I know with all my goals for the year and everything that I can already see on the horizon, I had better have my big girl panties on and pay close attention!!
How did we celebrate the coming of 2008? Well, we stayed home! My sisters had a party and I would liked to have went. But it wasn't a kid party and I really wanted to be with mine. I know a lot of people don't understand that and my little angels aren't, well, exactly angels. They definitely have their moments and I don't mind getting away from them once in a while. But I'm deeply proud of my children and very much in love with them, too! I enjoy spending time with them and I'm all too aware of how precious that time is. In just three short years, my oldest will be heading off to college and if the next three years go by anything like the last fifteen, I've GOT to make the most of absolutely EVERY moment.
So we went and got lots of yummy munchies--sausage balls, chicken fingers, cocktail weinnies, pizza rolls, chip & dip, etc. Yes, we had quite a spread!!! And we gorged! We also got an assortment of fireworks and the kids enjoyed doing them under our close supervision of course!
Although this one got blown over by the wind and shot underneath the van! Fortunately, nothing ignited! But for a moment there, I saw Merc's (my van) life pass before his very eyes!
The girls LOVE their sparklers!
The girls LOVE throwing those little whippersnapper things!
We also watched quite a bit of football!
Alabama won, Auburn won, Mississippi State won, Kentucky won, Tennessee won...so far I think only Arkansas and Florida have lost for the SEC! Woohoo!!
Playing outdoors at night was fun, too. It's not often we do that in the winter time.
The next day, we marinated some steaks, watched even MORE football and went on a hike. Jeff and Dylan often go fishing at Lower Shadow Lake (you can't see this one from the road) and sometimes they like to walk through the woods near there. Jeff told me once about finding the fireplace of an old homestead deep in the woods and I asked him to show it to me.
I'm going to try and find out who used to live here. I think it would be interesting to know a little local history.
Some other interesting finds from our hike:
This is some kind of cave. Not sure what lives in it and didn't really want to find out.
An old, rusty trailer that someone once lived in. There are shelves in it but it's obviously been empty for awhile.
Just one of many watersheds that gets its start in Clay.
Not sure who or where this barbed wire came from but it is growing right throught the trees so it's obviously been there awhile!
Wow! What a view!
The hike back was NOT fun! Yes, we climbed this steep, steep hill and then could not find a way down like Jeff thought he could! I was irritated, to put it mildly. But I got over it!
I ended up sliding down the hill about 10 feet on my behind in the wet, muddy leaves with the kids laughing at me! Fortunately, no one got a picture of THAT!!
Then we went home, had a nice, hot cup of cocoa and cooked dinner.
Have I made any New Years resolutions? Well, sort of. I always want to exercise more, eat better, save more money and pay down our debt. I guess I'll carry those over into 2008. But our number one priority as a family is to find a new church home. I know God has a church for us and I'm praying that He will lead us to it. We really miss being involved like we used to be and I know God led us away for a reason. I have no problem trusting Him. I do, sometimes, get impatient with His timing! But I'm getting better. With his grace and patience I will get there. I'll just have to keep praying for discernment in these matters.
Hope your New Year is blessed, too!
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