The holidays

Our holiday celebrations are now over. This year was the first year we celebrated Christmas in our home on the actual date. Every other year we've celebrated early in our own home so we could come up here for our family Christmases. It hasn't bothered me and I can't say I prefer one way to the other. We still have time with just our family and we still get to visit with our extended families and that's what is important to me. Really, the only thing that changed was the location of our Christmas eve church service.

The past few days have been busy but a good kind of busy. Friday we had our own family Christmas and then packed up to visit family for a few days. Saturday morning was my family Christmas. Sunday we went to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra in concert with Josh's sister and her husband. I absolutely love them. This is the 5th time I've seen them in concert and I don't think it will ever get old. It was also just fun to have a night out. Monday was Josh's family's Christmas.

The only negative in all these fun get-togethers is that Rachel has gotten a cold. She woke up early Sunday morning with a croupy cough. After running a hot shower to let her sit in the steam and then going outside for a minute, she was breathing easier. She seemed better on Sunday but had a rough day today. We were planning to go home on Wednesday but I suppose that may change if she appears to need to see the doctor. I hope she's feeling better for her sake but it'd also be nice to have nothing planned for tomorrow and just be able to sit around. I'm not ready to pack everything up and head home just yet.

The New Year will be here soon and I am thinking about some resolutions. I am NOT resolving to read any certain books. If I like a book, I will read it. If I don't, then reading it is absolute torture. Reading has always been an escape for me and one of the most enjoyable ways to spend my time. I don't want it to become work. At the same time, I do want to read more than fluff. I want to read things that challenge me and make me grow. I think I could resolve to read a certain number of non-fiction books. I like that idea. That way, I still have control over which ones but if something is boring me to tears, I have the freedom to drop it and pick another one and not feel like a failure.

I am off to spend a few minutes before bed reading. I doubt that I will be resolving to go to bed earlier this next year.