Whoa ... it's January?

Wow ... December just flew by. Not that it wasn't filled with activities overflowing ... it just went so fast.

NYC for the first time visit the first week. Awesome. Braved the cold to stand AROUND THE CORNER from the Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting ... at least I could see a big screen. And I can say that I was sorta there. Unfortunately, I heard the "F" word from folks around me to last a lifetime. Harry Connick, Jr. was on the screen. I heard, "Who the F--- is that? Is that Beyonce??" C'mon lady ... it's a graying white man. Do you honestly think it's Beyonce??

Mississippi for the DiRT Ministry trip the second week. Even more awesome than NYC. Sad, these folks are STILL not in homes over three years after Katrina. The folks whose house we worked on had been displaced 53 miles away, which the drove EVERY DAY to take their kids to school. But the celebration dinner with families that had been helped in the last 18 months by DiRT was incredibly uplifting, even though I didn't know any of them. And the drive down and back was a blast. I have a new appreciation addiction for The Office.

Third week brought Christmas celebrations left and right. We had 26 people in our home on the 19th, and it was truly a joy to have them all there. Veda's side of the family ... it was a feast, then a frenzy of Dirty Santa. Thank you Lord for the new addition on the house! Everyone had a seat ... all in the same room!

More Christmas ensued. I had to laugh when I truly listened to The Little Drummer Boy on the radio. "Mary nodded ..." Well of course she was nodding ... she was postpartum and probably lacking a little sleep from being in the stable. Could you imagine that today? I wouldn't be nodding ... I'd be out cold. Course, I'd be on network TV if I had just had a baby. Much less a Savior. Sheesh.

"The ox and lamb kept time ..." Vision of said animals standing on their hind legs, snapping their hooves to the beat as if they were in a jazz club. I laughed out loud. Twice.

Christmas Day hit. We were actually celebrating at home for a change. Santa. Jesus' birthday. What a day!

More family Christmas at the senior Bush household as we drove over to the Athens area to celebrate with my family the weekend after Christmas.

New Year's Eve was celebrated with our dear friends, the Meeks. Food. Fireworks. I was glad I wasn't standing in Times Square. Hearing the "F" word. And I don't mean "freezing."

And now here we are ... facing 2009 with excitement, uncertainty, but full of faith that we are in Good Hands. Here's to you ... all of you out there in blogdom ... for a prosperous and blessed 2009, wherever you are. Cheers!