Ending the Year on a Happy Note

A note to you of course. I am so excited about going to California that I woke up at 4:30 in the morning. That should say something to you, I am not a morning person. I have no cattle, I milk no cows, and my name is not Pioneer Woman, 4:30am I am usually sawing some zzzzzz's, I snore. That's for all the poor ribbed husbands who get bounced and elbowed, my husband says I can make a racket with the best of them. Oh dear, should I have really told THAT secret?

2008 is over tonight, and it is the custom to reflect on the old year and think on the new one.
It has been a very blessed year for us. Piglet graduated and has finished her first semester of college with 2 A's and 3 B's, not to shabby. Tigger is thriving with her tutor. I am trying to quit job hopping and settle down somewhere to build a new retirement fund, shoot it's all on sale these days.

One of the biggest highlights of the year was going to Colombia for the second time. I am praying already because there are more places to go. I would like to go to Western Asia and India. I cannot think of India, and not think of Amy Carmichael. I would love to go there. Hopefully my new position which starts on the 19th will have 3 weeks a year vacation days. I've never really taken big vacations as a nurse but with God all things are possible!

2008 was the year of the blog, that's when I started this obsession and met a lot of you! People I feel like I am getting to know and like! The kids have me on Facebook. I am trying not to get hooked on another computer gig or my life will turn into a keyboard. There is more to living than writing. Isn't there? Food! Laundry! Cleaning! Taking pictures for the blog!

We had visits with lots of friends, Coffee Bean came. Debbie in CA, came with her two girls, and I'm going there today!!!!! Which is why I am awake at this incredible hour. I think I have packed enough stuff not to need anything. We are going to be making almost daily changes in order to visit everyone we can. I'm flying in tonight to Sacramento to see Debbie. I will be with her until the 2nd, when I will go into San Jose and meet up with my Big Daddy who will get in about 7pm. Then we will pick up a rented car and head over our beloved mountain and into Santa Cruz. We will stay with another Debbie for 2 nights, Sat morning is the memorial for our friend. An old pastor we have loved for many years is doing the service. It will be at the church where we met and we have a lot of old friends there, should be quite a day! The next day we will take Norma home, back up to Paradise. We will get a nice visit in the car it's a 5 hour trip and spend a night with her. The next day we will spend in Elk Grove, with Papa's middle son, his family, and new baby girl that we haven't got to snuggle with yet. This poison oak had better be gone by then!

The day after that we travel out of Sacramento to Livermore and see my lovely Auntie Mum, one day there. From there down to San Jose and spend another night with the #1 firstborn son, his wife and family. It's really hard to visit a place where you lived most of your life, there are probably another 10 to 20 people we could really enjoy getting to see, it's just impossible!

It's not over yet. From San Jose we go back over the mountain and UP the mountain to see the youngest son, wife and the 2 year old baby. Pa has seen her once, it'll be my first time. They are expecting another! Pa has a cousin who lives a couple of doors down so we'll have to stop by and say howdy since we are driving right by their house! They live in a cabin with a million dollar view of the mounatins and ocean, you can see Montery Bay in their front yard, it is spectacular, I am hoping for a clear day and sun that day so we can see it!

After all this whirlwind of family and moving about we will go down into Santa Cruz actually still in the mountains, off Branciforte Rd into a serene little cabin setting. We will spend the last leg of our journey with two couples who are some of our closest friends. A three day weekend. By then we will be ready to consume some California wine and take a load off. There will be laughter lots of it and wonderful food. My friend is a fabulous cook! We love to stay with them. They actually came out to see us once, we'd love to have them back, and repay the hospitality!

Now you can understand why I am awake. That's a lot to pack for. It's going to be cold. We are probably going to be "camping out" at the kids houses, no guest rooms. I packed my pillow, my down jacket, my Ugg boots, sweats, and about 6 pairs of pajamas. Not to mention everything else I might want, including a new book for the plane. I'm considering taking my crocheting so I have something to busy myself with. I'm serious, sitting still isn't easy to do! Even though we will be very busy I won't actually have anything to work on. I guess I'll take it. I'm making a baby blanket for the baby, maybe I'll finish it there.

It's almost 6:30, wonder if I can go back to sleep? I doubt it. I probably won't be able to post until I get home unless we post together at Wisteria and Roses, who knows what great fun we'll have together. I just wish I could peruse the gardens but they will be snow covered. Instead we will have pots of hot tea and talk a million miles per hour. Debbie can talk very fast, she's passionate about life and so interesting to have conversations with. If we're not gabbing theirs something to see or somewhere to go. Too little time, but oh what a way to bring in the New Year! Can we celebrate or what?