change...

Yep....I changed this blog again...and it won't be the last time. I have got to learn how to do more on this computer. I read so many blogs now and they are all so cute......from the header to the sidelines to the actual posts. I know I could do that if I only had a personal computer geek.....wait! I do have a personal computer geek! His name is Chuck.

But Chuck has way better things to do with his time than help me with this blog....not to mention he's not that into "cute." He did help me with the picture above...and while it will do, it is not exactly what I was going for.

I took the Christmas down today and did a little cleaning and dusting. Good times. I love the way the house looks at Christmas...but I also love the way it looks after it is all gone for the next 11 months. And those 11 months will fly by quickly and it will be time to get it all out again.

I am giving serious thought to my resolutions for 2008. I always come up with some, but never keep them. I think it is just a time to think of things that need to be changed.......and maybe sometime soon, those changes will happen. Even if not on Jan. 1.

Chuck and I bought each other a treadmill for Christmas. (Okay, Chuck's money, my idea) It will be delivered on Saturday, Jan. 5. My goal is to walk 30-45 minutes a day. Surely, I can do that. I just read a quote from some Hollywood babe (can't remember who) that said she would rather have 6 hours of sleep and a one hour workout than 7 hours of sleep. That makes sense. I am going to repeat that to myself until I believe it.

I had a great 2007. Lots of good things happened: Jordan graduated from A&M, Cameron got into the Engineering College at A&M, Will survived jumping out of a car with just a few stitches and a chipped elbow, Chuck's project went smoothly, my job was fun. Hopefully 2008 will bring good things, too.

for Jordan.....

Dear Jordan,

Although we know you are happy, we still missed you around the house today....our first Christmas without you. It is now 11:00 p.m. and we are ALL still in our PJ's ...a very relaxing Christmas Day. We slept late, opened gifts, ate a big breakfast at noon, played with our new gifts, hung around, watched some new dvd's, ate some more, watch some more tv....and now it is almost time for bed. The good news is we all have on our pj's. Yipee! I love this lazy family. My kind of day.
You are a great gift giver and we all loved our gifts from you. Here are a few pictures of some of us opening them....I am behind the camera so I didn't make it in any of them. Thank goodness....bed head and all. It would have been a scary site.

It is hard to believe I have a daughter old enough to be away on Christmas day, but I can honestly say, that as long as you are happy, I am happy.





Will studying his gift from you....a season of Friends.



Cameron opening her Harry Potter coffee mug. Double score....Harry Potter and Coffee!



Daddy opening your present....the latest Clive Cussler.



Cameron's gift to Daddy... a replica of the "Lady's Leg Lamp" from the Christmas Story. Look at that laugh!







Christmas Eve at our house with the Ivy's.

Supercalifragilisticexpealadocious....or something like that.

The first weekend in December, my sister-in-law, Beth flew in to Houston to see us. No, not to see us. To see her hero, Julia. No, not Julia. Julie. She had called a few weeks earlier to see if I would go with her to see Julie Andrews who was coming to the Hobby Center. I said yes......and she purchased VIP tickets. With a VIP ticket, you got a signed book by Julie and a photo op. Although it may look like Julie and I are old friends.......in reality it was a split second. But what a wonderful split second. She is beautiful, elegant, gracious, intelligent, funny and real. Very real.

The evening was "a conversation" with Julie. She told her life story and of 3 very lucky breaks in her early career that led to her success. She did not talk about her botched vocal chord surgery in the late 90's that rendered her unable to sing the octaves that made her so famous. She talked about her 38 year marriage, her charities of choice and how she knew she was blessed. It was a wonderful evening. One I may have missed had Beth not found the ad and called me to see if I would tag along.

Thankfully there was a photo op, as Beth told me all she wanted for Christmas was a photo of her with Julie. Checked that one off the list early! And I got one of me with her, too....something I never thought would happen in this lifetime.