Random Thoughts from Christmas and New Years

1. I always forget how sweet it is to be in a room filled with other believers singing "Silent Night" and shining candles in the dark. It's just too bad this only happens once a year.
2. Five Christmases (plus a baby shower) in three days makes for some very exhausted and cranky people...need I say more.
3. We are so blessed by family and friends, and not just because we received Christmas gifts from many of them. I don't know how anyone could ask for a bigger blessing in their lives than our family and friends. They simply are amazing. 
4. It was a joint effort at giving Christmas gifts this year. Aaron & I both stayed up late...painting, sanding, cutting, etc....as we prepared homemade gifts for a majority of our family this year. We decided it would be more meaningful if we gave homemade gifts. Great idea...except we figured out that even though we may work better under pressure, we still bicker at each other in the pressure. Needless to say...if we do homemade gifts again next year, we will be starting them 6 months in advance. 
5. Despite our bickering under the pressure of the holidays...we still love each other. He thinks I'm pretty cool (at least that's what he says), and I still think he's amazing. Well...maybe if there were a real Edward Cullen in the world, I might change my mind on that, but for now I'll stick to humans. (Just kidding, Aaron...you know I love you.)
6. I determined that I love new years resolutions. They're just awesome! Who wouldn't love being able to come up with ways to better themselves in any area of their lives and set goals to achieve them? Seriously...I love whoever came up with this idea! Sadly...I set several new years resolutions, and I'm already having a hard time sticking to them. But I'm sure there's supposed to be at least a week grace period in there, so I'm still okay, right? I WILL succeed in my resolutions. I promise.
7. We have the best small group ever! Our small group is going through a study of Crazy Love by Francis Chan, and God is doing some amazing things in each of our lives through the study. We recommend everyone to go through the book. The book is amazing. Our small group is amazing. And our God is pretty amazing too.
8. I've felt like I haven't had that much to blog about lately because it's pretty much the same old routine around here every week. For a while I thought that was pretty boring, but I came to the realization that as much as I hate to admit it...we are boring...and that's absolutely fine with me. I like boring. We're pretty simple people. What you see is what you get. 
9. The Lord has taught me A LOT over the past year, and I know I want Him teach me even more about how to be a better wife, daughter, sister, friend, co-worker, and woman in this next year.
10. I've determined 2012 is going to be a great year.