Happy New Year

I'm glad the hoopla of the holidays is over. I enjoyed it, but today the decorations come down. Well, all but the outdoor stuff since our temperatures are a bit too cold today. I haven't even decided whether I am going to walk the beasts today. Katy rang in the new year with a new 'do. She had it cut and then dyed it black again. She is wanting teal tips, but it would be mighty pricey to do it, so I told her not at this point. I do think the new cut is great, though. My dad hates it, which I told her is a good sign that it's hip and fresh. Trust me. The man has had the same hairdo since Elvis was alive and I am not exaggerating.

Christmas was good and very low key. We drove up to my hometown on Christmas Eve to distribute gifts and tell everyone hi. My stepmother was just out of the hospital after almost dying, so there was no big family gathering. That suited me fine. We didn't invite anyone over, we just fixed a meal, opened gifts and played the new games the girls got. I think Katy was disappointed not to get a "big ticket" item this year, but times are tough, girl! I think the dogs are finally glad to be past the excitement of the season. Poor things don't know what to think with the shiny tree and the music, the cookies, the people coming over all the time, and just the chaos of it all.

I'm a little sad because Shona started questioning Santa this year. She kept asking everyone she knew if he was real and I just kept asking her what she thought. She claimed to still believe, but I think this Christmas signifies the end of Santa at our house. There's some melancholy, but then I won't have to worry about keeping that big secret anymore, either. I guess it has to happen eventually. Why can't they just stay little?

We also had some unexpected company this week. John's sister, her daughter and grandsom decided to drive in to see us. Now John and I have been together for 17 1/2 years, and the only time they have ever come to visit was when we were stationed in the same state as them. It was a bit odd to have about 12 hours' notice that they were headed our way and....they could have mentioned that they were bringing a dog with them. It was quite interesting keeping the dogs apart for two days, but we managed. Shona had a blast because her cousin is only a year older than her. They played nonstop for the entire time of the visit and they are already plotting how to get together again. Ah, kids.

As for my New Year's resolutions...I just want to lose the last five pounds I've been putting off to officially reach my goal and I want to keep my grades up. I won't be hopeful enough to maintain my 4.0, but I'll give it my all. Hope 2008 is good for you.