I’m not the most consistent blogger out there, nor the most organized.  But I love to write these posts and connect with whoever reads them!  So this is my first hello for 2010. 

I was dusting my house (NOT my favourite thing to do!) and as the dust disappeared, so did the fogginess from my head.  I feel like I’ve been in a daze since just before Christmas.  We were able to see many of our family members this Christmas season, and I’m so grateful for that.  It also meant putting about 3000 kms on the van!  And after almost a week of being back in our house, getting back into a routine, and settling the boys back into school and activities, I feel pretty close to normal again.

What were the highlights of the holidays for me?  Memories.  Lots of them, with lots of different people, each one such a blessing.  I loved watching the boys with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.  I loved being in the homes of people I love, hearing their laughter, talking with them about life.  I loved giving presents (and getting them is never a bad thing either!  This year was the year of socks for me, but I love socks, and I got some funky ones!  Loving the mukluks Karen – I wear them all the time!) and seeing the delight on the faces of those receiving the presents.  I loved the snow falling, cozy rides in the van, sharing a room with my sons and hearing their sleepy breathing.  I loved the unexpected moments like seeing my aunt, uncle and cousin at a birthday party for three of us with December birthdays, and playing piano with my 2-year-old nephew, and braiding my neice’s hair, and tea with my sister-in-law in a cool cafe.  I loved experiencing new traditions like the Jesse tree and the Jotham’s Journey book.  I loved all the Christmas movies, I loved each cup of tea my mum made for me and served to me as I sat for a minute in her recliner and gathered strength, patience and enthusiasm for my two rambunctious boys.  I loved the winter hike with my sons and my dad, and discovering the frozen beaver dam across the river in their backyard.  I loved spending time with my brother and my sister – she can make me laugh like no one else can!

I absolutely loved the night away with just my husband.  I loved dinner out with my brother and sister-in-law and catching up on life with them.  I loved HGTV for 2 hours on my birthday morning.  I loved wrapping until 2 am so that I could just relax for the rest of the holidays.

I loved all of it, tired though I was by the end.  And the icing on the cake was stopping to see the Dead Sea Scrolls at the ROM on the way back home.  What a wonderful conclusion to a wonderful season.  I can’t explain what was the greatest thing about seeing the pieces of parchment under the dim lights behind a black curtain that kept the ever-so-fragile words intact for all to see.  I loved being able to show them to my sons, though the 4-year-old may not remember, I’ll tell him of the time when… and the 8-year-old will always remember the magic of the moments in that room.  The awe, the mystery, the sacredness of the exhibit.  I have a picture stored away for my memories of the beautiful penmanship on the parchment, and my son peeking into the thick glass, stepping back in time for a brief while, seeing them writing the “Words that changed the world”.  And that blesses me to overflowing.

I hope your Christmas season was full of good memories too, though I know sometimes they are hard to see…

Looking forward to another year of connecting with you…