looking back and forward

Tomorrow is a new year. Can you believe it? My mom and dad say that time flies the older you get and I am beginning to believe them. Really I am. By the end of the year days were flying by me and I was there but not really present and I didn't like that at all.

This year has been filled with many fun activities. We did tons of hiking and playing outside.... I think the frogs thought we were a permanent fixture at their pond this spring. We rode our bikes around town and had great fun. We went to the tree farm several times and on a trip to St. Louis that was loads of fun (minus the heat).

I created lots of "stuff", much of which I can't remember at this moment, but it was fun in the process.

For the next year....

I want:
- to be present more, not just occupying space. I want to be in the moment and enjoy the time that I have with my family and friends. Really listen and participate.
- to "be". I want to find time for me without feeling guilty for taking that time. Be it for reading or sewing or exercising or knitting or.....
- to travel.
- to keep going with karate.
- to finish a sweater for me that is wearable.
- laugh with family and friends.

oh the "I wants" could go on forever, I guess.

Take care. I'll see you in a few days.
kari

Coming into the home stretch

The first batch of Christmas cookies have been frosted AND eaten. The second (double batch) are un-frosted and half gone. The boys keep asking when we are going to frost the next ones, I figure if I keep putting them off I won't have to make more frosting.

The pre-holiday rush is really a rush this year. I finally have the cards done and in the mail (thanks to a 2 hour delay this morning) and have the gifts in the house (as opposed to the trunk of my car), so now all I have to do is wrap them.

I promised myself I would give ample time to the gifts that I wanted to make...hmmm..... maybe some will be Valentine's gifts. :)!

Saturday when I announced that I was going to the sewing room for a while Ian said,"That's great because I have an idea for something for Simon that I need your help with". Simon took that as a cue to start plans for a gift for Ian. They did a wonderful job designing stuffed animals for each other. They did all of the designing and stuffing. I did all of the cutting and sewing. Oh and the BEST part (according to them) was that they got to pick fabric from the "other" drawers, not just their drawer. I thought that the best part beside spending time creating with my kids was that they respected each others privacy during the whole process. There were knocks on the door, but no yelling or barging in. They wrapped them after they were finished and put them under the tree. I'll post pics after Christmas.

Now to finish a ____ and some_____.

sledding

We just got back from sledding. We had a good time UNTIL Ian hit a bump and got the wind knocked out of him. It was kind of down hill from there (hehehe).

For a while, I layed on a sled under some pine trees. The snow was nestled in the branched and around little pine cones. It was so peaceful and really a good picture (maybe I'll take the camera next time). Then some middle school boys came and the testosterone was flying. They were having so much fun and I tried not to be too much of a mom asking if they were ok when a crash occurred.