Christmas has come and gone, and I must say despite my scrooginess...it was wonderful! Just having my whole family together was the best gift anyone could ever give me. Pure joy!

We have a family tradition every Christmas morning. It starts out like this-Jay and I usually get up around 7 and make a nice breakfast. Yes, I know most people are done opening presents and have climbed back in bed by that time but my children are kind to us. Most Christmases we end up waking THEM up! It's crazy and I don't really know why they are like that, but it's been that way since Jayson and Cecy were little. I used to get so anxious waiting for them to wake up Christmas morning and many times I've finally broken down and woke them up because I couldn't contain myself any longer! This year was no different. So, back to the tradition...we make a nice breakfast and everyone attempts to eat a little something before going downstairs to see what Santa brought. It's funny because the kids always have specific requests on what to fix and what not to fix for breakfast. This year's fare was muffins, eggs, sausages and hashbrowns along with a platter of orange slices. When everyone had finally satisfied their bellies, the kids all lined up on the stairs from the youngest to the oldest. They had to wait till Mom had taken the obligatory Christmas morning pictures and then the race was on! Janzyn, of course, made it into the room first. He didn't quite know where to find his Santa stash so he ran around in circles for a moment as he checked out everyones piles. Last Christmas was an entertaining one with him but this year he kind of "got it" and was so excited about everything. Each one of the kids seemed happy and content with their gifts, and even the big ones enjoyed the spirit of the day right along with the littles. It was great! By the time we finished unwrapping everything and gaining an upper hand on the mountains of boxes and wrapping paper, it was almost time for lunch! Jayson and Jordan Lee had spent Christmas morning with her family and we weren't expecting them till later in the day but they surprised us and showed up just after we finished opening the presents. The day was perfect then because we were all finally together.

The best part of Christmas, to me, is seeing the wonder and joy in my childrens eyes. The adult kids were just as cute as the younger ones and I couldn't help but feel so blessed to be the mom to these incredible kids. I really don't know how I got so lucky! Christmas, to me, isn't about the gifts and the parties, or even the treats. It's all about being with the people you love the most. We've spent the last few days just laying around, watching movies, eating leftover candy and just enjoying the time together and it's been perfect! At least, for this mom anyway. My kids are growing up and it won't be long before they start families of their own. For now, they're still mine and I treasure each and every moment I have with them.

From our family to yours

Merry Christmas!

Christmas time!

It's definitely Christmas time around here. Except without the snow..... The house has been decorated for weeks, ornaments are now missing or broken, lights on the tree have burned out, the gingerbread houses have been nibbled on and excitement is in the air. For the first time in my life, I think I'm ready! Just have some wrapping to do and a little grocery shopping and I'm set. Whew!!! Getting Christmas ready for such a big crew is exhausting.

Little man romp

Keep it up and your face will freeze like that!

Mom to many, master of none!

Being a mom brings a lot of challenges, trials, heartache and joy. Being the mom to adult kids and toddlers at the same time brings a whole new realm of reality! Sometimes I feel so inadequate to successfully deal with it all. Helping one son write college papers in the midst of dirty diapers is daunting! Discussing the paths of life with another child and explaining why it isn't polite to fart in someone's face to another is confusing. This much can be said, however. Each day dawns bright and new with endless possibilities.

This morning, after a night of little sleep, I woke with the Monday morning blues. All I could think of was the wish that I could go back to sleep. So, little man and I snuggled in my bed till the inevitable happened and I passed out again only to wake a few moments later with a dusting of dry pudding mix sprinkled in my face. I dragged my sleepy self out of bed and began my morning. The house was already destroyed and I decided it could wait to be cleaned up. After changing the dreaded poopy diaper, dressing two bodies and answering a few text messages, the bed kept calling my name. This time I waited till it was nap time for little man, settled him down with me once again in my bed and waited for him to fall asleep before closing my own eyes. He snuggled in tight with a leg thrown over my stomach and a fistfull of hair clenched in his hand. Finally! I could safely close my own eyes to slumber! An hour later, I wake to trampoline-like actions on my belly as he attempts a summersault to wake me up. I peel myself once again from the comforts of my bed only to find that my backside is stuck to the sheets with melted Sugar Babies that had mysteriously found their way under the sheets. Now, if this was all I had to deal with, I could handle it gracefully. Unfortunately, it's only the beginning to the day! Once the other children come home from school, a whole new set of adventures begin. Homework, chores, reading, dinner, and then the big kids step in with their requests for assistence with the bigger issues of college papers, bounced checking accounts, work challenges, emotional demands, etc. Somewhere in there is the house responsibilities, along with work, church jobs, and the extended family tasks. I'm exhausted just thinking about it all!

So how do I do it all and be successful? I don't really have the answers to that. Some days are better than others and I can hold my head up high knowing I did all I could do. Other days I just say "to heck with it" and laze around, accomplishing nothing more than snuggling my babies, big and small.

I really shouldn't complain. After all, I asked for it when we began the adventure of adoption. I know that I never really considered what it would mean to be closer to 50 than I care to admit while still raising little ones, but there is never a dull moment in my life. Sometimes I long for dull moments, but I know that day will eventually come and then I'll be looking back, wishing for the chaos. Until then, all I can really focus on is how to get the fingernail polish off the piano keys and how to correctly type a term paper on ancestoral history.

Ok, so I'm still here, for the time being! I can't promise timely posts, but I'll do my best to pop in now and then.

I'm finding that my life is running away with me! The weeks scream by and it's the weekend before I know it. This past week is no exception. I landed a nasty cold at the beginning of the week and thought yesterday was Wednesday. Much to my surprise I realized I'd spent the whole week in bed! Not good, not good at all. Now that my nose is starting to work again, I can smell the week's worth of mess waiting for me to clean up. Why is it that after a head cold, the house smells seem stronger and nastier? I swear the mold monster must be hiding somewhere 'cause I can smell him! And I think he's rooming with the garbage monster too. GAG!!!!! Time to get cleaning, I guess.

We had an eventful Halloween. Our little punkin, Maleia, celebrated her 9th birthday on Saturday and since that was designated as trick or treat day, we had a big bash for her on Friday night. Costumes, games, and fun ensued and we even had time to make bracelets! It was great and I think the little miss had just as much fun as I did.


I can't believe my Maleia is actually 9 years old now! It seems like just yesterday that I was bringing home my little Marshallese butterball. She's been such a sweet blessing in our family. Maleia came with a tender heart, a gentle laugh and the best smile in the world! She's mature for her age and has become Janzyn's second mama. He's the first thing she looks for when she comes home from school and he literally jumps into her arms the moment she walks through the door. She's artistic and loves anything creative. She has the sweetest voice and memorizes songs easily and quickly and is always serenading us. When I think of Maleia, the word Joy comes to mind. She is pure joy and I'm the lucky mom who gets to claim her as mine! Happy Birthday, Mina!

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

I've been going back and forth for months now whether I should quit the blogging world or trot along..... I know I have a few friends who check up on me through this blog, but as I stated in one of my last posts, I find myself getting stuck in the mire of unimportant things. So....where does that leave me now? Still not sure. Opinions anyone?

A little hoarse...

Yep, that's me. Just a little hoarse, or horse, or whatev... You see, I had a little throat surgery yesterday. Nothing major, just enough to leave me with a sore throat and groggy voice that can't yell at my chilluns.

I've had this throat thingy going on for years where food would get stuck and I'd have to quietly sneak away to the bathroom to regurgitate the offensive substance. (Sometimes not so sneaky during Sunday dinner when the baby monitor is on and everyone at the dinner table has to endure the retching.) Nasty, I know, and I finally decided to do something about it. That and I freaked myself out with reading about esophageal cancer. Let's not go there! Anyway, a quick jaunt to the outpatient surgery center and I'm good as new.

I spent yesterday sleeping off the anesthesia and I'm still in my lovely purple night dress. I think I'll milk this for all it's worth!

It's gonna be a GREAT weekend!

Things have been so stressful around the Anderson camp lately. Just too much to worry about, too much to do, and not nearly enough man power/brain power to get it all done. We decided to just take a chill and enjoy the weekend with some of our favorite people.
These people~



They are coming to hang out with us for a couple of days and we're all so excited! Maleia and Jake especially. You see, this is their birthmom and half sister and brother. We love them so much and haven't been able to see them as often as we'd like. Adoption is a really incredible thing because people like this have simply become a part of our family. I never would've imagined how great it would be to expand our family to include the mothers who gave my children birth. Now, I can't even consider what life would be like without them!

Thanks Almi for coming to hang with us this weekend! We love you!!!!

Short and Sweet

No, not me... actually I had a few thoughts running through my head that I decided to write down, more for my own sake than anyone elses.

I've been doing some blog stalking lately and have stumbled across a couple of blogs that have really got me thinking. You see, I have a slight obsession with death and tbe process of dying. Morbid, I know. I can't help it! The blogs I've been reading are from people who are or have dealt with mortality in one way or another. One, a young wife who recently lost her husband to cancer, another of a young mom watching her baby girl lose the fight after a drowning experience, another blog from a man who is dealing with the big C monster himself. There is a common thread, or message in each one. First, this life is so precious and it's incredibly easy to forget that. Second, there truly are angels among us every day, both mortal and spiritual. And lastly, when this life ends it doesn't mean the book is closed. It just means a chapter has finished and the next one will begin.

I've been reminded that I waste so much time on things that really don't matter.
I whittle away doing mundane tasks while missing out on the important little experiences of life. My head is buried in the sand of monotony and if I would just raise up and peek out I would see all the great things I'm missing. I have a tendency to wallow in self pity and it's time to kick it to the curb. I am SO blessed!!!! Why do I take my life for granted?

So, I have a plan. I am going to consciously make an effort to enjoy the moment. Hard to do with a house full of screaming meemies sometimes, but I can't waste another minute. My kids are growing up before my eyes and I'm missing out on all the fun because I'm too focused on the menial day to day responsibilities. Point in fact, Jake and Maleia are busy having fun at the pool while I sit here waiting to put another load of laundry in. I could be out with them, splashing away but no, I chose to sit at home.

Well not anymore! My house may be a disaster, my kids clothes may be rumpled, but we're jumping on the fun cruise! Care to join us?

10 Things I learned today...

1. I have the world's record for nasty, milk curdled sippy cups!
(Who needs to wash them! Just go buy new, that's my motto!)

2. Raspberry syrup can be substituted for jam on peanut butter and jam sandwiches!

3. Little man(or Mom!)did not learn the no-pulling-keys-off-the-computer lesson

4. Enjoyment can be found in giving a toddler double sided sticky tape!

5. Sunday dinner dishes are a beast to clean on Monday

6. 46 is too old to still have a diaper wearing baby to take care of

7. There is such a thing as too much diet coke, especially when wearing pants that are tied in a knot at the waist.

8. Glasses are not childproof!

9. Never use an old toothbrush to clean the jets of the bathtub. Someone might mistake it for their real toothbrush and end up with soapscum on their teeth.

10. It's ok to be lazy and not accomplish anything all day as long as you loved on your kids.

I'm alive!

This will be short and sweet. I'm still here, although I'm having a tough time typing. In fact, I have a decent excuse for not posting in ages. It's called Little Man! You see, he got a hold of my laptop way back in April and proceeded to pop off most of the keys. I diligently attempted to put them all back, but unfortunately half of them ended up in the wrong place or were beyond repair... Thus I've shied away from having to type more than just a few lines! This post has taken me forever to get through! So, I'll just leave you with a few pictures.

Happy Summer!

Easter weekend

Not sure anyone really reads this blog, but it's the only journal-type outlet I have so I guess I'll keep going. Besides, I took a nap today and now I can't sleep!

Easter weekend has been a nice, little vacation for me. Well, at least somewhat nice. I did end up with an annoying little cold that took full advantage of me. Jay actually had Thurs and Fri off for their spring break (the kids don't get a break for another couple of weeks) and we took a couple of hours and did a little shopping. I re-learned a couple of truths....1st- I'm really not a shopper. After a few minutes of jostling around pushy customers, I'd rather just grab whatever and run for the nearest exit. 2nd- Maybe it would be a little more appealing if there were more funds to spend on said shopping excursions. Maybe not, though. I'm turning into a scrooge and have a hard time wanting to spend money on things that aren't absolutely necessary. Comes from years of trying to be frugal, I guess. I mean, really, if it's just going in one end and out the other...what a waste!! (Pun intended.)

So, shopping wasn't a highlight, but the rest of the weekend was. Saturday was busy with last minute Easter preps and a quick run to do Mom's hair. The past year and a half, since her heart surgery, I've treasured each and every moment I've had with her. I try really hard to make it over to Logan once a week to shampoo and fix her hair for her and I look forward each week to that opportunity to be with her. She's still pretty weak and kind of frail, and it's hard to watch, but she's still here with all her spunk and that's a huge blessing. I took Maleia with me this time and it was fun to have a little girl time with her. What a cutie! We talked about silly things, serious things, and everything in between. That is, until she fell asleep on the way home!

After my quick jaunt to Logan, I came home to do a little kitchen cleaning before the egg decorating could commence. Of course, Jake and Maleia were the only ones that wanted to dye the eggs but we had fun anyway! 2 dozen eggs later and we were ready for Easter.

The other really great part about this weekend was spending time listening to General Conference. I look forward to each conference session and always feel a bit sad when it ends. It's a time for me to reflect on those important truths that the gospel brings and having Easter fall on the same weekend makes it even more special. It's the time that I can re-evaluate the goals and blessings of my life, as well as renew my personal relationship with the Savior. Oh how I love Him! I want to live a more Christ-like life to honor His sacrifice for me. I came away feeling that I need to work harder to love, forgive, and serve others as He would do. I'll be honest, there are those in life who have hurt me in ways I never could've imagined and I'm struggling with the forgiveness part. I can blame and hold a grudge with the best of them, but ultimately I'm the one that's hurt. Somehow I've got to get past the pain and anger and learn to love and accept. It's a hard challenge that I will continue to fight until I can honestly say in my heart that forgiveness has replaced the dark anguish, pain and fear. I'm human, with mortal weaknesses. What can I say? I'm a work in progress.

I've thought a lot about the challenges life gives each and every one of us. It's almost as if once one hurdle is crossed, another one crops up to test and try us, be it simple or almost insurmountable. The lessons learned can either hinder us or lift us, depending on how we deal with them. Over the last few years, I've relied heavily on a certain hymn to give me the comfort and strength I've needed to overcome those hurdles-

Where can I turn for peace? Where is my solace
When other sources cease to make me whole?

When with a wounded heart, anger, or malice,
I draw myself apart, searching my soul?

Where, when my aching grows, where, when I languish,
Where, in my need to know, where can I run?

Where is the quiet hand to calm my anguish?
Who, who can understand? He, only One.

He answers privately, reaches my reaching
In my Gethsemane, Savior and Friend.

Gentle the peace he finds for my beseeching.
Constant he is and kind, Love without end.

That's what I'm looking for. Love without end.

Dillusions

I was disillusioned to believe, for many years mind you, that once my kids were grown and gone that life would be easier. No worries on my part!
No panic attack because they weren't home before midnight, no stresses over homework or whether they were making it to class.
No concerns about what teacher they would get next year, or if their friends would make fun of the outfit I bought.

No worries!

WRONG!!!!

I find myself stressing more about my adult kids than the rest of them combined. It's not fair! I've paid my dues, haven't I? They shouldn't be my worry anymore, right? Not so, I tell you!

Now the concerns are bigger, tougher, harder.
Will they be able to support themselves?
Will they be able to find jobs after college?
Will they make wise decisions?
What if they run out of money? How will they eat?

And don't even ask me about what happens when babies start coming! I'm sure I'll have a nervous breakdown then!

Ahhh motherhood.....

WHAT WAS I THINKING?!

My new mantra~

Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels!

Do it anyway!

Sad, sad, sad...

So, I love Sundays. Especially love the afternoon naps! But today...not so much. You see, I'm on the diet rollercoaster AGAIN and when I laid down to take a nap all I could think about was chocolate. I imagined myself biting into a big, creamy chocolate bar and then I imagined downing a gallon of chocolate brownie ice cream. After that, it was handfuls of Cadbury chocolate eggs. Needless to say by the time I finally fell asleep I was salivating on my pillow. After a couple of hours of dreamland, J and I headed over to visit his mom across the street for a few minutes and when we came home, my nostrils were assaulted with waves of heavenly bliss. Jaxon had decided to make brownies for a Sunday night treat and he was just taking them out of the oven. I almost cried!

Why can't chocolate be a part of the diet?! How can anything so good be so bad? I mean, really!!!! Chocolate has always been more than just a treat to me. It's my best friend when I'm feeling low, or even when I'm happy and excited. It never lets me down and always, always, always brings me joy. So what's the deal? Never mind the fact that it's probably the cause of why I need to forever diet.

Chocolate, oh sweet chocolate. I long for your sweet tender mercies to my taste buds. I dream of your sensual creaminess and the euphoria you bring to my senses. Please come back into my life!

25 years ago

So, yesterday was a weird day. All day long I kept thinking something was off. Then I figured it out! As I was changing poopy diapers, wiping a boogie nose and chasing my little man around, I thought about the day my mommy life began. 25 years ago! You see, our oldest son turned 25 yesterday. I thought about the new mommy dreams I had. I was going to be the best mom ever! My kids were always going to happy, healthy and clean! I was going to do all the cool mom stuff with them and I would be the mom all the kids in the neighborhood loved! Unfortunately, reality sometimes isn't quite what our dreams are made of.

25 years ago, I held this tiny, wrinkly baby in my arms and cried. He hadn't quite cooked long enough in me and as he struggled to breath, so did I. I watched helplessly as his chest sunk in to his backbone with each breath. Everything had been a nightmare from the moment we walked into the hospital. After more than 24 hours of trying to stop the contractions, our baby was born. I will never forget those tense moments of his birth as the doctors and nurses tried valiantly to get him to take his first breath. The room was silent except for the doctor's fervent "breath baby!". I didn't even know I had been blessed with a boy until they rushed him off to the nursery and the nurse leaned over to tell me it was a boy. For a moment, I was left alone in the room as everyone else worked frantically on my baby in the nursery. Jay had even gone to be by his son's side. I lay there in confusion and shock, crying and pleading with my Heavenly Father to help my baby. In those moments, I remember bargaining with God that if He would save our son, I would do everything in my power to be His servant. I promised Him that I would be the best mom I could possibly be if I could just have the chance. I had no idea what it really meant to be a mom but my heart was already cemented in love for this child. When I was finally taken in to see him after he had been stabilized, I saw this tiny shriveled baby. He was bruised all over from his head to his toes. His eyes were swollen and purple, his head had a big swollen hematoma and had marks from the forceps. He lay there limp and lifeless as he exerted all his strength to simply breathe. I couldn't even hold him. I wanted to wake up from this nightmare. He was given a special blessing by his father and grandfather that he would be well and strong. Eventually the decision was made to transport him down to a bigger hospital that could take better care of him. I felt as if I hadn't had a baby afterall. It had only been a short year before that we had lost our first baby and it felt eerily similar. Once again, I had gone into the hospital and came out without a baby in my arms.

Obviously, everything turned out great and that tiny little baby grew into a big old man. I learned a lot from that peanut. Sometimes I feel sorry for him because, as all firstborn know, he was my trial run. I learned how to be a mom with him and more importantly, I learned I wasn't the perfect mom who always did all of the coolest things. I made mistakes. Lots of them! And despite all of that, he loves me. He's my miracle for surviving not only those first few weeks of life but surviving my pitiful attempts to be a mom.

With each child since, I have learned more about myself. I've learned it's ok to not be perfect. Kids are resilient, thank goodness, and even forgiving. I have a houseful of forgiving souls! That new mom, so many years ago, had no idea what was ahead of her but this mom, today, is so incredibly thankful for all those mom experiences. Even the poopy diapers and boogie noses!

Sick

I'm sick! Spent the whole weekend in bed. Thank goodness I didn't have to work, or I would've been in trouble. I slept ALOT. I still feel sick.

As I was laying around, it gave me some time to think. I thought about where my life was going, what I want to accomplish, what my mission is. I'm so lucky to have the life I have and yet I find myself struggling. It's been a reoccurring theme for the last few years, trying to find my niche. For so long I focussed all my time and attention on other people and I've come to the conclusion it's time I focussed on myself for once. So, in that vein, here's what I came up with (in no particular order)~

Goals for 2010!
1. Lose 20 pounds (yeah, those ellusive 20 that don't want to go away!)
2. Read at least one book a month
3. Learn a new hobby
4. Start running
5. Read the scriptures every day

Ok I really have a much longer list but those are the first 5 I want to focus on for now. We'll see how it goes!

Poopmeister

How can such a cute little boy be such a challenge?! This little man keeps me on my toes, that's for sure. And he has now been dubbed the poopmeister because it seems every single diaper is a poopy one. Oh, how I hate poopy diapers! I mean, really...the mess, the smells, the expense. It's become the bane of my existence. Jay and I usually odd or even who gets to change the offensive mess when he's home and we can't get one of the kiddos to do it for us, but when I'm home alone it falls to me. I swear we go through a bazillion diapers before the day even gets going! And why is it that immediately after changing an innocent wet diaper, a poopy one follows within minutes? Oh, the drudgery! My older sister just laughs. I'm not laughing.

The only thing worse than poopy diapers is potty training...

A friend comes to visit

Charlotte she's not! Look what we found lurking in the corner of the shop! Eeeekkk! It's the middle of winter, for crying out loud in disgust! A big old black widow spider is not my idea of a friendly visitor and I just want to ask one question....why the heck didn't you die in the fall like other good spiders?!

Help!

Caution: This could get very long here!
Help! I've fallen off the face of the earth and I can't get back up! Actually, I've fallen off the face of the blogging earth. Every time I go to blog, I get distracted, or run out of time to actually put type to anything. I can't believe it's been so long since I posted last! So... let's backtrack a bit and get caught back up, shall we?

November ended with warm, fuzzy feelings and wonderful memories of family dinners and time spent together. We had our big Thanksgiving dinner with my side of the family and it was so great to see everyone again. We actually decided to combine it with our Christmas party as well since we normally have that the first weekend in Dec. Anyway, we always have a white elephant gift exchange, which is the highlight of the party if you ask the kids, both big and small. Everyone came home with some little trinket, whether they wanted it or not! I just have to say that I adore my extended family! We are large and loud, and sometimes go for months without seeing each other. That being said, I love each of them and feel so lucky to be a part of the Reese's Pieces.




I decided this year to start a new tradition with my own little (ahem!) family. Since we've moved into the married kids/in-laws stage of life I decided that instead of demanding their time for each holiday, that we would have our own family Thanksgiving dinner on the Friday after the holiday. That way they could enjoy time with both sides and hopefully no one will feel left out. So, Friday was another big turkey cooking, pie making, mashed potatoes and gravy kind of day. It was GREAT! We played and ate and played and then ate some more! I love my kids and I am so lucky to have a son and daughter-in-law that fit so perfectly into our clan. There really is nothing better than spending time with my kids and I really couldn't ask for more. Then on Saturday we decided to have a girls night out so I took everyone of the female kind to dinner and a chick flick. Another tradition I hope to continue. It was fun to have girl time and we giggled till our giggler was sore. What a great way to end the month of November!

December came with a bang as we threw ourselves into the holiday chaos. Jayson's football team played in the Top of the Mountains Bowl and came out victorious! It was a snowy, blustery day but we enjoyed every minute of it. (I praise the person who invented hand warmers and long johns!) Again, spending time with some of the fam was great!




December also brought a new adventure for me. J and I decided that to help with the finances of a large family it was time for me to find an outside job. Thus began my employment with Flying J! I work at the convenience store a few nights a week and although I wasn't too excited about it at first, it's become a nice little out for me. Gives me time for some adult convo and time to concentrate on other things besides responsibilities at home. I must say, I have the most incredible husband and he solidified that once I began working out of the home. I come home every time to a spotless house, dishes done, kids in bed and often times dinner waiting for me. I love that man!

Of course, Christmas was another wonderful holiday that brought more warm, fuzzies. Jayson and Jordan Lee spent the week leading up to Christmas with us and unfortunately we all ended up with a stomach bug. I hate getting sick at Christmas time and it inevitably happens every stinkin' year! Luckily no one was actually sick ON Christmas day but we were kind of quarantined the week of Christmas. Because of that we didn't get to do too much leading up to the holiday but we still enjoyed the time together, even if it was just taking turns in the bathroom!



In December we also opened our house to Cecy and Andy. Due to financial issues (insurance and the exorbitant cost of such) we decided to help them out for a bit with letting them move into one of the bedrooms in the basement. Jordan gave up his room since he was going to be moving down to Snow College at the first of the year and we've had a big sleepover ever since. I love having them here and all the kids love having someone else to pick on. Andy entertains them all and it's been a blessing to have Cecy here to help out. I know it won't be for too long, but I'm enjoying it in the mean time.

And thus ended the year 2009! I have high hopes for 2010!