Time Marches On...

Well, it's been a while. Let's just say that this new year has been full of life, which has left little time for writing. We've been realizing just how old our children are getting! And, to be honest, that has left me feeling a bit panicky. As a result, we have approached school and family life with a new vigor, and that takes more time. We are being much more deliberate with our days, and that is a good thing.

We are proud to see our children becoming godly young men and women (woman?). We are trying now to encourage them in the habits and ways of thinking that are harder to develop in adulthood. And we are praying for them a lot, trusting God to keep them close while realizing we have to let them go (some) in a few short years.

Looking around, it is amazing to me just how much is going on in the life of almost everyone we know. There is much to pray for and much to be thankful for. I am thankful that the month of January is behind us, and that the January weather was relatively mild. Once February begins I can start to feel the hope of spring - not because it is any different outside, but just because next month is March, and that has to be better. April is guaranteed to be better. So it's out there, somewhere.

But for now I will stick to the indoor winter life for the most part, which does make getting all that school work done a bit easier. I will continue to enjoy watching the kids play hockey on the pond from the warm windows of the house most days. I will run on the treadmill with a view of deep snow out the basement windows, and wonder if I'll ever run outside. And I will brave the ski lessons coming up, praying all the while that no one will "break his neck," as my mom would have said! Who said winter couldn't be fun?

**P.S. - I just had to come back and add to this. No one broke his neck, but Daniel did break his collarbone while skiing after the second lesson. It was a spectacular fall, if I must say so. And he handled it like a trooper. We are so thankful it wasn't worse!