Time Flies

I am not sure that anyone cares that I haven't written here since October, but I figure that there is no point in creating a blog if I am not going to use it. (And sorry about having no pictures. I'll get on the ball next time.) So, for one of my New Year's Resolutions I have decided to try and write at least once a week about some "adventure" that has taken place in my little family. Maybe I will then catch the blogging bug and be more consistent. I don't think anyone really reads this but it will be a good way for me to keep a small record of my family's lives through the years. However, I have resolved to do better in my journaling most every year and have yet to really make it happen. It is all about enduring and continuing to try though, right? So here goes my first blog for January of 2008.

I thought that this time I would just jot down the major happenings of our week this time.

Monday: New Year's Eve! Paul and I usually celebrate the New Year alone at home since it is hard to get a babysitter for that time and then we usually do not stay up until midnight even. This year our ward had a 9pm-1am party at the church and I was in charge of doing some things for the young Primary kids who might come. I was just going to go alone while Paul watched the kids and come home around 11 when we were done with the activities. My mom and dad, however, said that they would have the kids sleep over at their house that night and Paul and I could go to the party! I thought, "Yea!!! Our first date in about a month (maybe more). " However, I spent 2 hours helping kids make Fruit Loop necklaces and when we were finally done Paul was involved in a Risk game. Good-bye to an evening spent together. I spent another hour watching others dance and then asked Paul if he wanted to come celebrate the New Year with me and his reply was only, "I still have 5 minutes." So I left upset and went to watch the fireworks and twirl my noisemaker alone. He did come out and watched with me for a while and then gave me a dance before returning to his game. I spent the rest of the evening visiting with some friends and being drug out on the dance floor with all the girls to dance to "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" (not really my thing). He did come and dance the last dance with me, but overall, not the best New Year I ever spent.

Tuesday: Laid around and did nothing!

Wednesday: Laid around and did almost nothing. : ) In my defense, I was feeling rather queasy.

Thursday: Still queasy but spent the day in town shopping with the kids and spouse and then spent several late hours scrapbooking and visiting with good friends.

Friday: Tried to act like I was helping Paul get the house in order but really struggling to do anything due to the late hours kept the night before : ). We spent the afternoon and evening at my mom's and dad's visiting with my sister and her fiancee and playing games with some friends.

Saturday: A big and special day. My first child was baptized. It was a stress in my life for most of the week. I hadn't been able to focus on it before due to Christmas and all the family partying going on so I was feeling a little unprepared. However, when the day came I didn't feel very stressed at all. The spirit was helping me to not sweat the small stuff and really enjoy the experience, I think. We kept it very simple and the spirit filled in any blanks. It was a wonderful experience to watch my own child take this first step. He is such a sweet, gentle boy who loves to learn and plan things out. He loves animals and drawing, reading and music. He gets very nervous about new experiences and he was a little anxious about this (especially since he is rather scared to put his face in the water!) I am so proud of him for not making a fuss and just doing everything with poise and quietness. He had his Grandpa Hansen and his Uncle Art Hansen give the talks and his dad performed the baptism and confirmation. I was a little sad that all our family had come to visit last week for Christmas and so there wouldn't be very many for his baptism but the small group was very nice. It was just grandparents and great-grandparents and a few aunts and great aunts and uncles. He had a couple friends come with their families and you could really appreciate each person as they came to show their love and friendship for Hyrum. It was a great feeling. My bother, Danny, is serving a mission and was sad that he couldn't be there but he wrote us a letter to read to Hyrum as a surprise at his baptism. It was a surprise for everyone and brought a very special spirit into the room. Afterwards we had dessert at my parents house and had so much fun visiting and eating. It was a fantastic day!

Now today is Sunday and tomorrow I have to start living real life again and I am almost sure that I am ready. I will miss not having my husband around as much to help and support me and I am not looking forward to having most of the free time that I have enjoyed lately taken away or my opportunity to sleep in diminished. However, there is a great deal to be said for routine and orderliness and I am ready to get back to that. December has been a month of craziness and complete change from the normal. But I now have a new back door, a broken window replaced, a new dishwasher, a painted family room and master bath and was able to visit with so many family members on both sides (there were about 50 people gathered in my in-laws double wide after the holidays! That's what you get for having 9 children, I guess, and teaching them about multiplying and replenishing the earth ; ) ). Let normal life begin!