Happy New Year!
Well I can't believe I've been gone so long. I guess it was the holidays and everyday stuff. All of my kids were on vacation. Two for two weeks and two for four weeks. It's very time consuming to entertain, feed, clean up after, listen to, and manage four personalities at one time. It can be quite draining actually. Not to mention the washing of dishes that follows feeding four people three times a day. I haven't been too productive during this time (professionally) nor have I been replying to wonderful holiday email greetings. As much as I needed the break from waking at 5:45 a.m. every morning to chauffeur my boys to school, I wasn't prepared for it. We did accomplish some things around the home. Without spending money, I had long wanted to re-design my home...and I did, simply by moving everything around, framing pictures, and artwork and hanging them up, moving plants and books around, etc. It's amazing how wonderful you can make your home look by mixing things up a bit. I've never been big on this, although I've known people who are. Now that I've tried it, I quite like the change.

Along with most of you, I've also been sucked into the horror of the tsunami. I received a call from a parent at my boys' school to inquire about my 5th grader's classmate and her family. She and her parents were to be in Thailand over the holiday break. Immediately I became panic stricken because she is a close friend of my son and they've been schoolmates since pre-school. Her father owns a couple of successful Thai restaurants here in Los Angeles, plus he owns an Asian Market. He is quite generous and faithfully donates food to school events. They are a wonderful family so I tried hard to find out about their status after the tsunami hit. Fortunately, they were not in Phuket, they were on another part of the island and were not harmed. Thank God. I pray for those that have lost or are missing loved ones. I mean, yes, it is devastating to lose your home and your belongings, but those things can be re-acquired over time, with the exception of family photos and heirlooms. Family members and friends on the other hand, cannot. Those losses are the ones I grieve for and pray for. I mourn the little ones especially. I relate to the mothers and fathers because I am one. I've been told there is no grief greater than losing a child. I pray those parents find the will to get up every morning. I pray they find strength in one another, and for those that were left alone, I pray they find strength within themselves.

Considering the tone of this post, I will continue with my joyful observations of the holidays at another time. To remind myself, I will also post my experience with my friend Nonnie today. We had a great time at her computer all day.

Be strong and of good courage.

- posted by Suzanne @ 11:01 PM