A New Year is Here

Happy New Year to one and all. Wow, it is hard to believe the holidays are officially over and that school starts anew tomorrow. Given life and breath, the holidays will be back in about 10 months! I have truly enjoyed the season, although our family saw a lot of sickness which made things seem rather out of the ordinary.
We enjoyed going with the teens to Exposure. This is just a great opportunity. It is called a "camp" but it is not a "camp" in the way that we think of "camp". First, the accomodations are great- the Embasy Suites! Also, the kids spend the majority of the day in Bible classes and assemblies with a variety of teachers and speakers. The entire day is spent going from one class to another and at night they have a period where they meet as teams for another devotional and then to play games or get to know the people in their groups. On one afternoon they have about 3 hours of free time to go to the mall or just "chill out". What a great way to end a year and to start the new year.
I am so thankful for the blessings of this year. Mary's transplant has to be one of the highlights, for certain. We are so thankful that she is feeling better and that her energy seems to be returning every day. On the other side of life, we saw sadness with the loss of Josh and Katie's unborn baby and we still think of this little soul and the broken hearts that he left behind. As with all things, we know that while we do not always understand the workings of life, we know that God does, and He holds us in His hands. That is a comforting thought at times when our hearts are hurting.
Again, may 2009 find health, happiness, and contentment for all of my friends and family. I love you all!