New Year, 2026

January 1, 2026

I have been very fortunate this past year. The family is healthy. I am healthy. We have enjoyed success and comfort, and those are not things I take for granted. For the year ahead, I humbly seek to continue the path of peace I'm on, to continue to grow in the relationships I am nurturing, and to continue to strive to release the past that no longer holds value or peace for my life today. I also continue to work to release myself from that which I have no control, and focus on what I can control. My word for 2026 is RELEASE. Cheers to 2026!

January-My Word for the Year

January 1, 2025

Each January I start the year by getting back into writing on this platform, sometimes with strong success, and some years (like last year), only managing to maintain consistency until February. Regardless of how often I post or how long through the year I keep up chronicling my life, I have come to reassess the idea of labeling resolutions of any kind as 'successess' or 'failures'. I think I managed 15 entries last year, and some years I have managed upwards of 200. However, I don't choose to see last year as a failure. I wrote 15 more times than I would have if I had not challenged myself to remember to set aside time. I count that as a win. Goals that we have are goals that we believe we want to prioritize. That being said, I also believe an important part of goal-setting is doing a periodic check-in with yourself. If you are not meeting a goal, are there obstacles in your way that you can in someway remove? Are there different ways you can try to reprioritize your time and energy to meet that goal? Or, if you truly reassess, is it possible that this goal is NOT now a priority for you at this moment or period in your life? Perhaps if you are not meeting a goal, you have consciously or unconsciously decided that your effort and energy are needed in a different area of your life right now. If that's the case, that's okay. That doesn't mean the goal isn't important or worthwhile; rather, it means that your focus is on something else that is also important. I have decided to give myself grace in this regard and recognize that I prioritized different things last year, and now I'd like to get back to this goal. A handful of years ago, I saw a post where the writer decided to focus on a particular word to carry with them through the year, rather than making a list of New Year's Resolutions. I adopted this tradition, and have felt the power of my chosen words each year since. In keeping with my musings about success and failure and goals and the like, I have decided my word for the year will be INTENTIONAL. I want to be intentional with my time, my resources, my energy, and my relationships, endeavoring to make sure that the way choose to operate in my life truly reflects my goals at any given time.

New Year, New Word

 January 1, 2022

Three years ago, as I found myself in a place where I was trying to regain my equilibrium from an unexpected end to a relationship, I chose a word to guide my year,  to manifest a an attitude that would guide my way of thinking- a talisman of sorts that I could return to when I needed to remind myself of my purpose. That word was RISE. Like a Phoenix from the ashes,  my focus was to rise and be strong.

The next year, having dragged myself out of the dust, my word was SHINE. One must, of course, rise when one has fallen into despair, but then? It's time to shake off the dust and step into the light of the new you and own it. Shine. That was sometimes difficult, but ultimately empowering. That was the goal, after all.

Then last year, a year of turmoil and uncertainty, I chose the word EXHALE. Politically and socially, the world was a wreck, with a little pandemic thrown in the mix. I had hoped that last January would usher in some much needed change. In some ways it did; in others, it merely magnified some pretty deep fissures in the facade. We are still trying to recover. In the meantime, although I had hoped that EXHALE in Janauary would mean an ability to relax, it turned out that it just meant to remind myself to breathe, in and out, one breath at a time, one step at a time. That's how I got through the year- how we all got through the year.

This year, once again, my word is hopeful, full of promise. The word is FOCUS. There are things I want to see happen, goals and plans I foresee for my future. This year, instead of hoping and just learning to breathe through the chaos, the goal is to focus on those proactive measures I can take to effect the kind of changes I want to make. Rise, shine, exhale, then focus. Seems like a good way to move forward.

Adapt

January 2, 2021

Rise.  Shine.  For the past two years I have adopted a word to guide me from January to December--a reminder, a goal, a mantra.  Two years ago I needed to remind myself that I was capable of rising up, like a phoenix from the ashes left behind in the wake of my divorce.  And rise I did.  Last year, I chose to focus on not just rising, but shining through both the good and bad circumstances life sends my way.  I'm not going to lie; this past year was a challenging year to shine and see the silver linings.  COVID has changed so many things about the way we operate as a society since last March.  Still, there were many shining moments with family members, friends, and students.  We made the most of social distancing, wearing masks, zooms, and periodic lockdowns and saw benefits of getting to spend more time at home reading, cooking, crafting, and bonding, and less time in hustling from school to soccer practice to the grocery store to meeting after meeting, and to all of the other myriad places we always felt we needed to be from minute to minute. Instead of constantly being on the move, we were able to be still and shine in the quiet moments. 

It wasn't until tonight that I decided on my word for the upcoming year.  I went to the Fresno Fairgrounds for their last weekend of Holiday Lights.  During most years, the fairgrounds would be hosting the annual Hmong New Year celebration during this week.  However, as COVID numbers continue to rise, getting together in big groups still poses a great risk of spreading the disease, so like so many other cherished events, it was canceled. Like many other businesses and event organizers,  the fair board worked hard to adapt to our current condition.  I've seen this again and again over the past several months--restaurants that created new opportunities for take-out and delivery services to stay afloat, gyms that created online content to support both physical and mental health, businesses that shifted to provide products that were suddenly in high demand such as hand sanitizer and face masks, and of course, schools that pivoted overnight to support continued education when bringing all the kids into the buildings together simply wasn't feasible.  The fair adapted its space this year to provide the community with holiday joy and happiness (and presumably, to help generate revenue) by sponsoring the Holiday Fantasy of  Lights Show.  It was a no-contact, drive through spectacular.  The grounds were transformed into beautiful displays that showed charm and character, and were a perfect reminder that if we are creative, open-minded, and adaptable, we can meet any challenge head-on and even create a reality we might not otherwise have been able to see.

ADAPT.  What a great reminder.  In the past several months, we have adapted on the fly, out of necessity. This year, adapting will be more mindful, more proactive, and will hopefully bring even more new unexpected and unforeseen positive experiences.

Looking Forward

 January 1, 2021

A great many of us are taking a little time today to reflect on the massive shift that has happened in our world since the last New Year's Day rolled around.  No one could possibly have predicted the ways in which our reality has changed due to Covid-19.  And yet some things remain the same--the annual taking of inventory and focused mindset of looking forward is still a good way to reset and mindfully, purposefully forge into the year ahead.  I do know, more this year than any other, that I don't know what the future holds, but I do know that I can create a vision that includes the possibility for positive growth and change, and yes, flexibility.

I have told my students before that a goal without a plan is just a wish.  Many New Year's resolutions become just that--and then we spend months beating ourselves up about failing to accomplish those things we wished for.  Another reason for 'failure'?  Sometimes, the goal should change, but we become fixed on the original plan.  This is where flexibility and reflection come into play.  My main plan, then, is to spend a little time at the beginning of each week checking in with myself and preparing for the upcoming week to set my sights on the things that will help me move closer to my goals, and to reflect on whether or not the road ahead is still the desired destination.  Setting a goal at the beginning of the year to be achieved by year's end is a large, looming mountain in the distance.  Setting my sights on the next marker along the path seems like a more manageable way to keep my feet on the road ahead.

I will likely still play a little bit of a numbers game--number of pounds I'd like to lose, or numbers of books I'd like to read, or numbers of miles I'd like to walk--but that won't be my guiding force.  They'll take a little bit of a backseat to the purposeful mindset of focusing on the journey, rather than the end destination.  Being kind to myself, appreciating who and where I am in the moment, fostering my love of reading and writing and all things creative, and continuing to build and maintain connections with people who are a meaningful part of my life--these are the elements of self-care that can sometimes fall victim to day-to-day mundane tasks and mindless routine.  Making a plan to check in with myself at least once a week to reflect, express gratitude, and right my sail or shift my path when necessary--this is the way I intend to hold myself accountable and look toward a better year in the months ahead, no matter what unexpected and unforeseen twists and turns those months may hold.

Rise and Shine

January 1, 2020

Last year a friend talked about the idea of choosing a meaningful word that would serve as a mantra and an ideal to which one could aspire all year long.  I love that idea.  Last year I chose the word RISE to guide me.  Many of you know that last year didn't start off well.  I was in utter turmoil, trying to figure out all of the hows, whys, and what-ifs of a relationship in crisis.  My self-esteem, not exactly my strong suit to begin with, took a complete nose-dive while I grappled with that 'not enough' feeling that many of us struggle with.  Crisis in a relationship only highlights and amplifies those voices in our heads that so many of us try to stifle on a daily basis.

So, there I was, trying to figure out what my future was going to look like and how to let go of the promise of a life-long path we had envisioned together.  I spent a lot of time crying, and a lot more time feeling like if I acknowledged what was clearly going to end, I would be giving up.  Failing.  I was holding my breath on the far-off, remote possibility that the path would right itself, when in reality I knew it would not.  The future I had envisioned, the growing old together in laughter, love, and comfort of a soul I thought I knew so well, had dissipated.  It was a future I had trusted in, and that trust was gone.  I was clinging to a hazy myth, a story that had ended.

When I saw that one-word challenge, then, I decided I would choose a word I WANTED to be my mindset, even if I didn't feel it right then.  I wanted to rise above my current state; I wanted to rise above the very loud and insistent voices in my head that threatened--and often did in those early 2019 months--to drag me under and leave me gasping for breath.  I wanted to rise to a place where I could learn to see a different but still beautiful and positive road ahead of me.  I wanted to rise up to the challenge of putting one step in front of the other, one day at a time, knowing that if I could concentrate on moving forward, I'd be okay.  I wanted to be the Phoenix and RISE, brilliant and beautiful, regenerating a new life out of the ashes of the old.  And though it was a long process, and I didn't always feel like I was living up to my mantra, rise I did, closing out the year in a much stronger and healthier place.

I don't know if that word helped me, or just accompanied me on the road to reclaiming me, but I do know that sometimes when I was hiding in the dark spaces in my mind, I would hear a voice whisper "rise", quiet, but firm.  It's like I planted a little seed and it grew even when I forgot it was there.  Like a talisman, I'll take it on faith that it protected me and warmed me when I needed it.  So this year, I believe I'll take on another mantra to guide me into these next twelve months.  Last year I needed to rise, simply to regain my equilibrium--to not sink.  This year, however, I have decided my word is SHINE.  As I have risen to meet my new life already, the focus this year will be on making that new life one of joy and happiness.  Not just seeing a new road ahead, but embracing it fully, eager to see and experience all that lies ahead on the adventure.  Last year was about surviving; this year is about making that survival shine.

Rise

January 2, 2019

There are quite a few people I know who choose a focus word as a New Year resolution of sorts--one they can center in on as a priority in their life for the upcoming year.  I like the idea.  I've never done it before, but I'd like to think it could help direct my energy moving forward.  (I'm not going to lie; there's also a great likelihood that I'll forget it, in which case, no harm, no foul, right?)  Maybe I'll write it on my mirror to remember.  Anyway, I believe I shall claim the word "RISE" my word for 2019.  As in, "Rise above".  As in "Rise from the ashes like a phoenix".  As in, "Rise and look ahead to all the possibility before you." As in "Rise, Baby--I can't be kept down.  You wanna throw a wrench in the works and bring me to my knees?  Bring it! I'll rise higher than I ever thought I could soar, bigger and brighter and better-- a beacon in the night shining down."  That kind of rise.

RISE.

New Year, Looking Forward

January 1, 2019

The new year traditionally is marked by a pause for reflection, resolution, and recommitment to those things we feel represent growth and truth for us.  This year, more than most, I have been confronted with that reflection rather harshly.  Having seen one particular path for my future--one I was happy with and looking forward to the continued adventure --the path suddenly and violently veered off into the unknown.  To diverge from someone who is an intricate part of one's world, be it a lover, a friend, or even a family member, is a difficult, messy business.  To discover a betrayal of faith and trust requires deep soul searching in order to progress and to look forward, instead of being stuck looking back.

There is a strange sense in this aftermath of needing to look backward at the what-ifs and the whys of the situation.  The how-can-it-be-so-easy-for someone-to-do-this-to-me? kind of feeling.  The what-could-I-have-done-differently? And sometimes that answer to that is simply to be someone you're not, though that clearly can't be the right answer. But let me tell you, that's a difficult train of thought to escape.  Because after all, if one is loveable, how can someone treat them so unlovingly?  It's a trap, though, because although we all have flaws, and both people can contribute to the unraveling of what was once steadfast, in the end, we cannot and should not control each other's emotions or actions.  One person's betrayal is exactly that- that person's betrayal, and not a commentary on the loveability or unloveability of the other person.  That is their choice alone to own. I could say that they will regret it, I could even wish it.  But I don't know that to be true.  Perhaps it will lead to something even better, and if this is truly a person I love, wouldn't I wish happiness for them?  And if they regret it, do I want to 'earn' connection through regret?  No, I want connection with someone who chooses me in joy, not out of regret.  We all deserve to be chosen, to be with people who count themselves fortunate in our company.  One can be mired in the past, attempting to regain the path once traveled, but that path has been erased; it no longer exists in that form.  That does not mean that a new path can't be forged eventually, but it can't be found by looking back; only by looking forward.

So forward we go.  And in looking forward, the most important thing to remember is that if one's desire to remain connected changes, that is their reality.  And they are entitled to that reality.  It just doesn't get to define me and my reality.  I cannot be mad at them, and I can't fault them for their feelings.  However, I can't let it make me question my own worth, my own value, my own loveability.  I have said my mantra this year will be "I am enough" in response to being told that who I am isn't enough.  (And just because I was told this doesn't mean I have to wear it as a badge.)  In rethinking and reflecting, though, I have to say my mantra should be "Good enough isn't good enough".  I cannot be content to try to be "good enough" for others or myself; I need to find people who recognize my value and aren't settling for "good enough".  Certainly I am looking to better myself, as many of us do, especially at the time of year, but I deserve to surround myself with people who don't make me feel as if I need to prove that I am worthy.  And if that path leads me to new paths I never expected to travel, and if that path leads me so far away from my original path that the roads don't cross again, that will have to be good enough.  If I spend my time looking forward, instead of back, focusing on my own definition of self rather than seeing my worth through another's eyes, then perhaps my occasional glances looking back will be ones filled with fondness for a distant time that once was, rather than a path of loss and regret.

What To Do?

January 2, 2018

I think I've already encountered a problem with my New Year's Resolutions.  Some of them appear to be diametrically opposed.  It's almost like I'm a master of self-sabotage.  For example, one of my resolutions is to clean out an organize my cupboards (really, the whole house--the cupboards are just a start). In order to do that, obviously I need to cook the food that's in the cupboards to help clean them out.  Problem? There's stuff to make cookies up in there.  One of my other resolutions is eat better and get in better shape.  See?  Self-sabotage!  I'm diabolical like that. (Guess which resolution won out?  Ha!  They both did!  I don't have to EAT the cookies--that's what my children and husband are for!)

Happy New Year!

January 1, 2018

 Doug, Danielle, and I all ended 2017 battling nasty colds, so we celebrated by watching Ryan Seacrest counting down to the ball drop while we sat on the couch in our jammies.  Just because we didn't exactly end the year with a bang doesn't mean the year itself didn't hold quite a bit of accomplishment in our little household.

For me, I finished a goal set in motion 20 years ago.  I earned my Master's degree!  I got the ball rolling long ago, but life got in the way and I didn't finish, so having restarted a new Master's program (this time in reading, not literature) a couple of years ago was a little intimidating.  Even when life got in the way in a pretty significant way this time around too, I wasn't about to let the finish line get moved again.  Am I proud of myself?  You bet I am!

Doug spent the year on a job site where he is incredibly well-liked and respected, so it's pretty great that this project has some longevity ahead.  His band is getting better all the time, and they have been gigging a lot more regularly this past year, with more dates on the horizon in 2018.

Brianna said goodbye to a job that's been a wonderful learning experience for her at the Academy of Country Music.  They were thrilled for her when she was offered a new job at a beautiful boutique PR firm doing exactly what she went to school to do.  As a PR associate at the company, she has found encouraging mentors who will help her continue to grow professionally.

Nicholas continues to seek out his passions.  He found a job he enjoys at iTea, and has remained really involved in the Cafe that he's been working with for the past year.  With them, he has taken a few out of town trips and worked at a handful of conventions with people he really likes.  In addition, he's experimenting quite a bit with cooking, and thinks he might like to pursue it further as a potential career.

Danielle graduated high school in 2017 with an impressive array of accolades.  She finished her first semester of California Baptist with straight As and three on-campus jobs (two of which employ her skills as a photographer).  She absolutely loves her school, and we have no doubt that 2018 will bring even more success for her there.

2017 wasn't a great year in a lot of ways--socially, politically.  But for us, in our little household, there was a lot to celebrate.  Here's looking toward a 2018 that brings even more positivity and success on our collective journey.

Resolution

January 1, 2017

My default setting is optimism.  I’m a silver-lining kind of gal.  2016 tested that outlook in a number of ways.  Within my family and within my group of friends, there was personal, financial, and emotional upheaval.  With each new challenge, each new obstacle, I tried to remain hopeful.  I am practiced at seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  And for the most part, I have retained that ability.

The end of this year, however, nearly had me at my breaking point.  The election was disheartening, depressing, maddening—something that found me in new territory.  It’s hard for me to see the silver lining here, to be honest.  The divisiveness and ugliness I’ve seen speaks to a dissatisfaction that has been given voice in an environment that is designed to nurture and grow that ugliness.  It’s a vicious weed that threatens to overtake and choke out anything else if we turn our back on it for even a moment.

Does this sound alarmist?  Perhaps. But what I have realized is that as difficult as it may seem on any given day, we just can’t give up.  We can’t turn our backs and hope for the best.  In a world where hate is being cultivated by the man who will soon take the helm of our country, passive hope is simply not enough.  The only way we can combat the ugliness we see is to actively seek out opportunities to create positivity and unity.  Speak where you see injustice.  Give voice to the voiceless.  Give time, money, and energy to organizations that promote social and financial benefit to the underserved in your communities.  Make sure your local, state, and national representatives know your mind and hold them accountable to vote your conscious as your representative.  Encourage everyone you know to do the same.

This is our new year, and the beginning of a new reality in the United States.  This is the time of year it is customary to make trite and predictable resolutions that generally end in broken diet promises to the self by mid-January.  I am proposing this year that we need to make a different kind of resolution, and be vigilant about keeping this promise to ourselves.  Hope is nice; hope is a lovely sentiment.  But now, more than ever before, we need to resolve to make that hope action, and not rely on passive good feelings.  We tried that in November; it didn’t work.  If we reframe what hope looks like, we have a chance at change—a chance to right the ship.  We have the ability to find the light at the end of the tunnel.  I have a very strong feeling that the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t going to come to us; we’ve got to diligently pursue it.  I’m not ready to give up my optimism.  I’m just going to have to resolve to work harder make it an active movement.  Perhaps that will result in a silver-lining after all.

New Year's Resolutions Are Not the Biggest Things on My Mind

January 1, 2016

As always, I will start out the new year by continuing to write and erase '2015' on every date I scribe for at least the next month.  That's okay--old habits die hard.  And speaking of old habits, December was an interruption of a lifestyle habit I picked up two years ago--walking 10,000 steps per day faithfully (give or take a handful of days). I am finally feeling well and enough recovered to resume that old habit without feeling like I'm pushing myself beyond reason.  Today is as good a day as any to resume.  As can sometimes happen because I'm one who does her walking late at night, my timing was a little off and I didn't quite hit the mark.  I managed to only hit 9,500.  Still, I'm going to count it a victory after relatively little movement, walking-wise, in the month of December.  I'll see how I feel tomorrow to determine if I've overtaxed myself, but I don't think so.  I am enjoying the idea of getting back in gear to regain that part of my fitness routine.

Those of you who know about my December (and November, truth be told), know that the breast cancer diagnosis that sidelined my walking routine is a story I've yet to fully tell, but it's coming.  For now, suffice it to say that my New Year's Resolutions, though they will come, have simply taken a back seat to the gratitude I want to revel in just now for having weathered what could have been a frighteningly tumultuous ride. I know many who fight a much tougher battle than I did--some who won the battle, and some who did not.  I do not for a second take for granted how fortunate I am.  That is really where my thoughts are today.

Welcome to 2015!

January 1, 2015

2014 was a pretty good year for me personally and professionally, and it's been a great year for Doug and all the kids, too.  This coming year, with a couple of graduations on the horizon, we are looking forward to even more celebrations.  Doug and I spent our New Year's Eve at Capo's with friends, having great conversation over dinner and then listening to Max Headroom play 80's music until midnight ushered in 2015.  It was a beautiful night!

Happy 2014!

January 1, 2014

The New Year--January 1st, specifically--is the time of year we all tend to make promises to ourselves that we ultimately fail to keep.  So why do we keep doing it?  Why set ourselves up to fail?  Well, because it's hard to get somewhere if you don't have an idea of where you want to go.  Now, if I don't make it all the way to my goal, or even if my goal changes in the course of the next year, that's okay.  I can't beat myself up about it if I don't reach the end of the line, so to speak, or if my road takes me down a different path.  As long as I get started in the right direction, I can feel good about the progress I've made.

So here we go. 

Yes, I'm going to make the obligatory resolution to lose weight/eat better/become more fit.  I've got some tools in place to help me track what I'm doing via Fitbit, and some plans in place for Lisa and me to encourage each other on this path.

I've used this blog in the past as a means to express my philosophies and observations, but also as a place where I can record family events and memories for posterity, including photos of family and friends.  I've gotten away from that purpose somewhat, so I not only want to keep up with that here for this year, but I want to back up and post previous events and photos that I've missed this year.  Every six months prior to this year I have had Blog2Print create a hardback copy of all of my entries as a permanent record--I want to update and then have those published from 2013.

I want to continue to pursue photography in new ways, as well as explore other artistic formats.  In 2013, I did some photography work for a friend of mine, and I dabbled in painting (in oil and acrylics) and even sold my first painting.  There's definitely more in those fields I want to explore.

I intend to continue to be mindful in how and why I teach, so that I can continue to grow and guide my students to the best of my ability.

Most importantly, I want to continue to work at being fully present with my family and friends, and be the best wife, mom, sister, and friend I know how to be.  The traditions and memories we are building now are the times my kids will look back on in their future, and I hope they are memories of love that they cherish.

To that end, our first pictures in the new year are of our traditional pizza night with my family, Lisa's family, and some good friends.  We've also got pictures from the Lutjens-Smith/Gaetje family Christmas gift exchange.  I'm so thankful Lisa was able to bring her kids (and a couple of their friends--Tia and Kimberly) up on the train today to spend the first few days of the new year with us.

New Year's Eve, 2012

January 5, 2012

Five...Four...Three...Two....One!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

My good friend Julieann joined us for a very family-friendly celebration including cousins, Scattergories, sparkling apple cider, and homestyle version of karaoke!
This is the guy I want to spend all of my New Year's Eves with, til we're very old and gray.
As always, two peas in a pod--Devin and Danielle
Miss Bailey
Lisa and Laura
It's the Mayes girls!

Hello 2012

January 1, 2012

Some people think that New Year's resolutions are trite, cliched. They think they're doomed to fail by virute of the fact, I presume, that folks feel they have to make 'em even if they're not committed to them. Something of a fantasy wishlist, rather than real, true goals one has to work at in order to see come to fruition. The way I see it, though, is that a resolution is a marker--a starting point. Sometimes the course of the race changes along the way, and sometimes a flood wipes out the path in front of me and I have to find an alternate route, or even an alternate destination. I'm okay with that. If I set a goal, at least I have an initial map--I know where I want to go. And I'm certainly not going to beat myself up if I decide at a later point to turn left instead of right--it just means I'm open-minded and flexible (which are fine traits, if you ask me). When I don't even have a starting point, though, I haven't even gotten up from the couch to join the race. THAT certainly isn't going to get me anywhere.

A Toast to 2011

January 5, 2011

A toast to the New Year: Here's to throwing out resolutions. My goal is to spend even more time this year with the people I love--my family. My family by blood, and my family by choice. So, yeah, I guess that is a resolution of sorts, but I'm not calling it anything. I'm just going to do it.

Christmas Part 2, New Year's Eve, and Softball Saturday

January 8, 2010

We had a wonderfully prolonged Christmas this year, since we had our family celebration on Christmas with Doug's side of the family, and then a week later with my side of the family.

Lisa and her girls came up to visit on New Year's eve, and arrived at around six. I gathered up my kids and my hubby, and we all went over to Jim's house for the festivities. We had a taco/burrito bar set up for dinner--nothing formal, but tasty and filling. We also had a few close friends come join our little family gathering. It was great having Bill and Pat and Michele hanging out with us. Naturally, the evening turned toward karaoke after everyone had let their dinner settle a bit, and almost everyone took a turn at the microphone. After awhile, we broke out the board games and settled into competitive rounds of Scattergories and Sorry.

Just before midnight, we broke out the champagne and sparking apple cider to get ready to toast the New Year. There was Carson Daly, the on-screen countdown,the Ball dropping in Times Square, and then, of course, much clinking of glasses, hugs and kisses, and well-wishes for the year to come. There aren't a lot of people I would rather be with ushering in a New Year.

The next day was our Christmas part 2--the celebration of the cousins. Lisa's family and mine (along with Jim and Kathryn) got to exchange gifts among ourselves. The kids were all pretty excited that they had more presents to open a week after Christmas was over. Afterwards, the discarded paper and ribbons and bows decorated the floor of the living room while the kids all checked out their new toys. We grown-ups got in a little bit of an afternoon nap, which is a bit of a Christmas gift in and of itself.

Earlier in the day, my sister Laura had called to let us know that she would, in fact, be able to come up for the holidays for a quick two day visit, which was a welcome but unexpected surprise. She was traveling with her boyfriend and expected to arrive in the early evening. In the meantime, my kids' dad had plans to have dinner with not just our kids, but all of Lisa's as well. As it turns out, he was brave enough to take all of them (six of 'em) on for an overnight visit. That left us a little time to hang out as adults with Laura and her boyfriend before subjecting him to the firehose that can be our children in full force at Christmas-time.

Laura and her boyfriend Jonathan, Jim and Lisa, and Doug and I all went out to eat dinner at Applebee's. When we were done, we decided to walk across the parking lot to the bowling alley, where we all bowled pitifully but had a grand time doing so. (In all fairness, perhaps you couldn't call Jim's bowling pitiful, but I'm fairly certain that the rest of us fall pretty safely into that category.) Even Doug and Jim, who can be notoriously competitive, managed to scale it back a little and just enjoy the evening, even when it meant laughing at ourselves. Not ready yet to call it a night, we all came back to my place to play a little more Scattegories. We had a lot of fun, but realized the moratorium on competitive spirit only lasts just so long. For some people, playing the game is the fun; for some people, winning the game is the fun. It's probably a good thing we stopped when we did!

The next day was the real highlight of vacation. We decided to have a softball rematch (our first one was after Thanksgiving), and once again, we sent out the word to all of our friends who were in town. We welcomed anyone who wanted to show up, and we had quite a good turn-out. I believe it was close to thirty people, including Grandma, who came out to watch. Lisa and I were team captains again, this time heading up Team Danger and Team A Dingo Ate My Baby (Team Dingo, for short). Lots of strikes (Seven strikes? That's okay, let's try it again.), wild over-throwing to basemen (who were sometimes of the three-feet-tall variety), an abundance of good-natured heckling, and one super collision between Sister Captains later, Team Danger emerged victorious. The game wrapped up with team pictures and then a little jaunt to the adjacent playground for some swinging, monkey bars, and a rousing game of tag.

Later that evening, we dropped in our favorite local pizza place in full force. We had other friends who joined us there, so we definitely filled the house. As always, the pizza at Me 'n Ed's was great, but the time with family and friends was priceless. Thanks to our Facebook posts, we even had people join us we hadn't seen in years--it was so great catching up with every one! Afterwards, my darling daughter Brianna agreed to babysit some of the kids who were in attendance, and the adults went out for a little while to sing karaoke. Bree adores the kids she was watching, and all of the adults had a fabulous time. (We were especially excited that Lisa, David, and Carrie were all in town--that doesn't happen nearly enough!)

Incredible family, incredible friends, incredible couple of days.