I haven't posted in awhile and I figured that since it is the last day of 2008, now is the best time to recap, reflect, and reveal.
Cheney and I had planned on visiting my family in Louisiana for the Christmas holidays early in the month and things came up and we decided to spend a quiet Christmas here in South Carolina. To say the least, I was disappointed because I have 2 precious neices that I haven't seen in quite some time and I was dying to spend a little bit of time with them. Well, the Monday before Christmas, Cheney made a spur of the moment decision and decided to make a quick trip to Baton Rouge. I was thrilled to be headed south. We left on Christmas Eve, after a quick walk of the dogs, and headed out for our LONG 10 hour drive. This was to be the first Christmas that I would spend with my family in 10 years. It was a long time coming. On Monday, we let my mom know that we were coming, but swore her to secrecy. There were many secret phone calls while we were driving to make sure my dad would be at home - it was his birthday. We arrived in Denham Springs at about 7:30, parked on the road and snuck to the door. We knocked and knocked and knocked - dad would not be moved from his recliner - and finally were let in by mom. Needless to say, he didn't expect us to walk through the door. We unloaded and visited a bit, and then I headed off to surprise my brother, sister-in-law, and my neices. I drove up and parked and went to knock on the door. My brother peeked out of the blinds and his eyes were as big as saucers. When he opened the door, Sophie was there, my 4 year old neice, and she ran up and gave me the best hug and refused to let go. Meanwhile, my SIL was in the back putting Sadie to bed and she came flying around the corner in shock. Out of the 3 people that I surprised, she was the most expressive. It was time for the girls to go to bed so I tucked Sophie in and read her a Christmas book in anticipation for Santa. Best gift ever!!
After the visits, Cheney and I were able to participate in Santa Claus duty. While most people our age are setting out Santa Claus items and stuffing stockings, Cheney and I are sound asleep due to the fact that we are childfree. This was a neat experience for us. We helped set up a wooden play house (absolutely precious). Christmas morning I woke up early and headed out to see the girls first thing. I loved seeing their faces as they opened gifts. Sophie was so excited about everything she received. Sadie on the other hand, was still half asleep and needed lots of assistance in understanding what was happening. When both girls saw the playhouse, their eyes lit up and they were hopping up and down with excitement. It was worth the late night and early morning to see their little faces.
The rest of the week was split between family parties, coffee with friends, movies, and a trip to the Bass Pro Shop. We headed home on Sunday tired and ready for a return to our normal routine.
While we were there, we kept to our Christmas tradition and became parents of a beautiful yellow lab named Shelby. She was my parents' dog and she will be coming to our house soon. Each year, for the last 2 years, we have adopted a new dog. The 2 we have were given to us and lack some qualities that we would normally seek out in a pet, but this one, is perfect. Cheney is thrilled to be getting a dog that he can hunt with that is already trained and I am excited to be getting one that is obedient and doesn't bark. Woo Hoo!!
This year has been one of great accomplishment and growth for me. I finished my masters but I also grew as a professional in more ways than expected. My involvment in the Writing Project has allowed me to expand and take risks in my classroom with support behind the wings. It has been quite a journey, but I am glad that I've chosen to take it on. I look forward to what the new year holds.
Cheney and I had planned on visiting my family in Louisiana for the Christmas holidays early in the month and things came up and we decided to spend a quiet Christmas here in South Carolina. To say the least, I was disappointed because I have 2 precious neices that I haven't seen in quite some time and I was dying to spend a little bit of time with them. Well, the Monday before Christmas, Cheney made a spur of the moment decision and decided to make a quick trip to Baton Rouge. I was thrilled to be headed south. We left on Christmas Eve, after a quick walk of the dogs, and headed out for our LONG 10 hour drive. This was to be the first Christmas that I would spend with my family in 10 years. It was a long time coming. On Monday, we let my mom know that we were coming, but swore her to secrecy. There were many secret phone calls while we were driving to make sure my dad would be at home - it was his birthday. We arrived in Denham Springs at about 7:30, parked on the road and snuck to the door. We knocked and knocked and knocked - dad would not be moved from his recliner - and finally were let in by mom. Needless to say, he didn't expect us to walk through the door. We unloaded and visited a bit, and then I headed off to surprise my brother, sister-in-law, and my neices. I drove up and parked and went to knock on the door. My brother peeked out of the blinds and his eyes were as big as saucers. When he opened the door, Sophie was there, my 4 year old neice, and she ran up and gave me the best hug and refused to let go. Meanwhile, my SIL was in the back putting Sadie to bed and she came flying around the corner in shock. Out of the 3 people that I surprised, she was the most expressive. It was time for the girls to go to bed so I tucked Sophie in and read her a Christmas book in anticipation for Santa. Best gift ever!!
After the visits, Cheney and I were able to participate in Santa Claus duty. While most people our age are setting out Santa Claus items and stuffing stockings, Cheney and I are sound asleep due to the fact that we are childfree. This was a neat experience for us. We helped set up a wooden play house (absolutely precious). Christmas morning I woke up early and headed out to see the girls first thing. I loved seeing their faces as they opened gifts. Sophie was so excited about everything she received. Sadie on the other hand, was still half asleep and needed lots of assistance in understanding what was happening. When both girls saw the playhouse, their eyes lit up and they were hopping up and down with excitement. It was worth the late night and early morning to see their little faces.
The rest of the week was split between family parties, coffee with friends, movies, and a trip to the Bass Pro Shop. We headed home on Sunday tired and ready for a return to our normal routine.
While we were there, we kept to our Christmas tradition and became parents of a beautiful yellow lab named Shelby. She was my parents' dog and she will be coming to our house soon. Each year, for the last 2 years, we have adopted a new dog. The 2 we have were given to us and lack some qualities that we would normally seek out in a pet, but this one, is perfect. Cheney is thrilled to be getting a dog that he can hunt with that is already trained and I am excited to be getting one that is obedient and doesn't bark. Woo Hoo!!
This year has been one of great accomplishment and growth for me. I finished my masters but I also grew as a professional in more ways than expected. My involvment in the Writing Project has allowed me to expand and take risks in my classroom with support behind the wings. It has been quite a journey, but I am glad that I've chosen to take it on. I look forward to what the new year holds.
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Love,
Mom