January Musings

Already we are well into a new month of a new year - 2011! The past year was filled with many wonderful times and I look forward to more special times with family in the months to come. A new grandbaby will arrive in Alberta around the end of March, and we are so excited to welcome this new little one into our family. We will probably not hold it in our arms until May, but of course we have Facebook and Skype!

Amy and Rudi's house is progressing slowly, but they will surely spend next Christmas there. Robin has turned one and is walking most of the time now. He is quite steady on his feet, so will keep us all busy before long. I get to spend week-day mornings with him while Amy works in her Dad's office for a couple of weeks. What a sweetheart he is!

Josy had her first birthday in November, and was walking a few weeks before that, so she is definitely on the move!  The Woollins are really enjoying their farmhouse and Rich is always working on a new project. The girls' bedroom has been completely renovated and they are now settled there. We went to Maeve's Christmas concert and saw her perform with her Kindergarten class. There is something delightful about school concerts, especially when you see your own grand-daughter waving her little hand at you from the stage!

We had a wonderful Christmas, as always. We were a bit sad to not have Jonathan, Miranda and Julia here, but Christmas is always a difficult time for travelling, and for a six-month-pregnant Mum, it just didn't make sense. Anyway, when they do get home it just isn't a restful time for them, with so many people to see and places to be. Maybe next Christmas - we'll see. 

At dinner on Christmas Day we had seventeen people - my Mum, brother and sister and their families, as well as Kevin's Dad Byron and Ruth. Karen's son Mark surprised us all by arriving home from a year's stay in Australia in time for Christmas. It was great to see him again. 

Although Christmas Day was absolutely bare of snow, a nice amount fell on the following Monday, and that day we had our girls and their families plus Rich's sister Suzanne and her family for supper, snow fun and games. After the meal everyone went out for all kinds of snowy activities. The snowmobiles were going, of course, as well as cross-country skis, building snow men and forts - all kinds of fun. A couple of days later we visited the Lavers at Yoho Lake for a lovely meal and some crazy games.  

Unfortunately, that night I was hit with a stomach bug and never left the house again until yesterday, the 9th of January! Kevin was sick too, but his was of the coughing and sneezing variety, and he pretty much kept going through it. I really had trouble getting my strength back, but today I feel mostly back to normal. I was really disappointed to miss some special times over the holidays, such as a get-together at my sister Karen's house, and a New Year's Eve party that we always host. So I hope to reschedule a games night for sometime soon. I am still in the process of getting Christmas things put away, and am doing quite well considering I've been off my feet quite a bit!

I remember a verse that says:

"Your life lies ahead of you like a blanket of pure white snow -
Be careful how you walk on it, for every step will show."  

That is how the new year feels to me. All its days lie ahead, and at this point I don't know what they hold, but when the year is over, it will be covered with the tracks of all that I said and did. I pray that when 2011 is over I will know that I have walked with God, following where He has led and living in ways that brought honour to Him.

Wishing you all the Blessings of God's peace and purpose in this New Year!