Renew With the New Year

I love the Holidays and November and December are my favorite months, BUT --- I'm glad it's over!  I enjoy the decorations, the songs, the snow, the food, all my family, the house filled with five grandchildren,

travelling to Cincinnati to visit the relatives living there, sitting by the blazing fireplace with the Christmas tree lights on in the evenings, the whole nine yards!  BUT --- I'm glad it's over!  When it's over, I'm done.  I don't want to hear one more Christmas carol or look at the big Christmas tree and stockings over the fireplace for one more minute.

I made my favorite New Year's meal of pork, sauerkraut, corn and applesauce on New Year's Eve instead of the customary New Year's Day since Brandon and Dee would be leaving on New Year's Day.

 I just love that meal.  Dee made the best desert, too.  It was an ice cream cake with layers of vanilla ice cream, crushed Oreos and Butterfingers, with caramel sauce.  Oh My! It was so good!

  Once the New Year hits, I'm ready to clean, organize and start new.  I was so tired on Saturday after all the family had left and Hubby was gone for the day to take Brandon and family to Pittsburgh.  Brandon was catching  the plane back to Spokane and Diana and the kids are staying the week with her family in Pittsburgh.  She and the kids will be back here next week.   I was tired and the house was quiet so you would think I would rest or nap all day, but I just couldn't bring myself  to do that.  I could not look at that tree any longer and if I would have tried to take a nap I wouldn't have been able to sleep knowing that tree was still standing.

Here's the before and after.

Awww!  That feels better!  I loved the "before" up until December 31.  Now I sit at night in my big comfy chair and knit.  

I spent Sunday getting out my new calendars and making sure I had all the birthdays written in.

 This last calendar was a Christmas gift from my kids.  My DIL Melissa put it together.  Each month features different pictures of my grandchildren and highlights the grandchild whose birthday it may be for that particular month.  I just love it.  I've requested that she do this each year for me with the current pictures of the kids each year.  Won't this be so fun to look back on in 20 years?

We were so fortunate this year to have all my kids home for Christmas.  I know that it's not going to happen every year, so I will treasure these memories in pictures.  2010 was a very emotional roller coaster year for us.  I lost my mother-in-law, my grandmother and my grandfather all within six months.  I gained two new beautiful grandchildren; Leanna, now 6 months old and Heath, now 4 months old.  No one can predict what 2011 will present, but I think I could go for a  little smoother ride this year.  

Happy and Good New Year to all!!