Happy New Year 2011

Happy New Year to all my dear friends! 

As this first day of the New Year begins, I have given much thought of how I would like to see it begin and end for me.

These last few years have been hard for my family with unemployment stress. We have learned to live a more simple life with teenagers. That is not easy, as the financial demands are many in this day of technology for them. School demands require more use of technology, which requires having computers that are in good working order. We have spent a lot of energy making sure the boys have the right tools to complete their education properly.Thus that part of simple living has had to go forward. SIGH!

The best part of this last year was seeing my sweet son Daniel graduate from high school. That was a major step in our life and his as well. Watching him become a working part of the community and become a better man has been amazing for us.

My sweet twin sons start out the new year for us with their birthday! This year they turn 17 on January 2nd. Its amazing that we have come so far in raising such amazing children. This is their Junior year in high school so they are beginning to think about how they may want to live their lives as independent adults. That has been fun to be in on those discussions.

My oldest sweet son has had his own challenges in becoming an adult at 22 years old. He goes back and forth trying to make the right decisions for his own direction in life. The biggest decision this year was to finally buy a car. He was tired of riding his bike in the cold drizzle of Eugene to work and back home in the dark. He had to make the decision of buying a car or moving out on his own. I know that was a tough one for him and he would have liked to have had both. I'm proud of him, he paid cash for his car and paid cash for his first 6 months of insurance! Now he can save to move out.

My husband still looks for work daily. Its been a long 2 1/2 years for him. I know God will open a door soon. Thats why I think this has got to be our year!

I continue to work a temp job in Veneta that may or may not be over with at the end of January.... Time will tell. I pray that I continue to work as long as they need me and more.

I intend to continue to do more of my knitting and spinning, thus my source of relaxation....

God has blessed my family in so many ways this past year. We have remained strong and maintained our dignity in the face of hard times. Our family has love and promise to be better people every day. 

My wish is to end 2011 better than how we started. As a family we can help others with kindness and compassion. We will make it happen!