Happy New Year!

What a wonderful start to 2010!. . .  

2009 was filled with joy, pain, excitement, happiness, and sorrow - but through it ALL, the Lord was faithful and taught our family many important lessons about life and love.  We can't wait to see what He will reveal this year!

To celebrate New Year's Eve, we usually get together with friends to eat dinner, play games, etc.  This year, we decided to spend the evening at home. . . just the three of us :)  What a great time we had ringing in the new decade together.

Earlier in the day, Cole and I accompanied Michael on a drive-by appraisal in Brentwood (those houses are HUGE!).  We ate lunch at Vittles, a favorite lunch stop, and then headed home to get ready for the night's festivities :)  I cooked a special dinner of chicken/bacon roll-ups in cream sauce, white rice, green beans, and french baguette slices with tomato garlic pesto.  It was yummy! 

Love my new apron! 

Love his expression - Can't you see I'm praying Mom?!?!

After dinner, Cole helped me prepare our dessert - a banana toffee pizza.  He's quite the chef and loves to help in the kitchen :)

Muscles!  Michael's taught Cole to say 'Gun show!' and whip out the biceps. . . too funny!

We only put bananas on what we ate for the evening so the others wouldn't turn brown.  Such a delicious, easy recipe!

While our dessert cooled in the fridge, we all snuggled on the couch under comfy blankets and watched the movie UP.  We never saw it in the theatre, so it was a new one for all of us.  

After dessert it was time for Cole to hit the sack :)  He had been battling a cold/fever and needed his rest; so we resisted the urge to keep him awake as late as possible and instead stuck to the routine.  Michael and I however, DID make it to midnight - by way of a small miracle :) The before midnight celebrations on TV were pitiful (bad music, half-naked women, etc.) so instead we reminisced about 2009, thanking God for our many blessings and asked for His guidance and direction as 2010 made it's debut. 

As for New Year's resolutions - I have none this year.  Instead, I'm surrendering to the Lord daily to guard my heart, open my eyes, and use my words to uplift those in my path.  I am currently on the journey to read the Bible from beginning to end and am awed by what the Lord is revealing through His Word.  

Isaiah 43:18, 19 says "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."  Instead of aiming too high or too low, I encourage you to BELIEVE that there is a 'new thing' ahead with God this year for yourself and your family.

Blessings to you in 2010!

Adrian