Happy New Year!

...or "Happy New HER!" as Maia likes to say.

We spent New Year's morning outside in picture perfect snow. After a family hike in a nearby forest (so picturesque today!) and before building a snowman, we built a bobsled track for the sled we just bought. With a little engineering from mom and dad, we can now send Maia from the fence right to the road. Every run ends with a simple request: "Again!"



Our vegetable drawer is without carrots at the moment, so our snowman got a zucchini past its prime for his eyes and mouth. That didn't seem to deter Maia from giving him some of her sweet kisses.









I just spent a little time journaling and goal setting for the year. My simple prayer that I hope to guide all of my decisions on how to invest my time this year comes from the phrase that God reminded me of today: "Live a life of love."

Such a high value is put on happiness, but since there's so much more to this life than just making ourselves happy, I can't simply wish you a "Happy New Year". I also hope that your 2008 also be a year of giving yourself away, investing your time and gifts in the causes and the people He has in mind for you to bless. And so while I risk sounding a wee churchy in saying it, I guess I'd really rather wish you a "Blessed New Year"! (Is there a better way of saying that? It's what I really mean!)

Love, Monica