Wow. It has been a long time since I posted. Yikes.
We've survived another Christmas! Christmas Eve was spent with Mark's family. We always have a formal dinner, then open presents. It was fantastic to see everyone and have the chance to catch up. Christmas morning was... weird. It was Mattie's first Christmas morning as the only child. She woke us up and we let her open a few gifts, then went to my parents' house for our annual brunch. It was an epic fail, and the decision was made to just go to Ihop next year. We have a full year to break it to mom and dad. I hate to end the tradition, but it was just too much for them this year.
We also visited with Tess and Tracy, and Mattie got to spend a little time with her father. When we returned home, we had Christmas with McKelvie, Britain, Nicole and Jake. We're going to have to work on that plan, too. It is time for us to pick a time that will work for everyone once they have children of their own. I loved our Christmas morning traditions, but always hated making the girls leave their gifts Christmas morning to go see family.
New Year's Eve is just a few days away. I am really excited for 2014! We will be homeschooling Mattie, which means a whole new schedule and way of life for us. She will be having surgery next week, and will be in physical therapy for a few months, according to the surgeon. While I don't like the idea of her having surgery, she has been in pain for almost a year. It is well past time for this.
Speaking of Mattie, her gluten free diet is going wonderfully. I'm not sure she really misses it most of the time. We've gotten quite good at avoiding gluten. There are times that are pretty tough, but for the most part, it is easy. The taste and texture of gluten free isn't the same, but we are used to it, and some things actually taste better, in my opinion.
One of my goals for 2014 is to grow my Thirty-One business. Thanks to Thirty-One, we were able to give good gifts to the family this year, and it has helped greatly with every day expenses. Best of all, though, is that I have been able to hold a few fund raisers. It makes me so happy to be able to donate my commission to projects I believe in. This year, I was able to help a sick friend, donate to the building project at Martin Luther, and just recently held a fundraiser for Camp Mintahama. The best thing about Thirty-One, though, is the friendships I have made. I love my team. It is like having an extended family ready to cheer you on or pray for you no matter what you are facing.
So, there it is. My first post in ages. I promise to not be quite so random about posting in the future!! Happy New Year, everyone!!
