Happy New Year!

"Mom, can we all stay up till midnight?  Please!"

Two of my guys didn't quite make it, but the rest of us toasted 2014 together at the stroke of 12!

Austin had prepared himself to stay up by taking a good nap.  I was still surprised that he made it, but he is a little bundle of energy, so maybe I shouldn't have been.

I love New Year's.  New beginnings, new goals- it's one of my favorite holidays.  There's something so exciting about a fresh start.  It doesn't even matter if this year's resolutions are just dusted off versions of last year's abandoned ones.  It's a new year- anything's possible!

New Year's also gives me some time to reflect on the last year.  And what a year 2013 was for our household! New house, new city, new church, new job, new school.  It's been a year of starting again and settling into our new lives.  As the kids and I talked about all that had changed, we all agreed that the changes have been good ones.  There are things that we miss, but we feel established and we're all happy.

I don't think I would have believed last New Year's that we'd be doing so well and have come so far in only 12 months.  The Lord has truly been good to us.  Trials don't last forever, and though the road is still steep, we're getting better at hiking it every day.

Happy New Year, everyone!  And may God's grace cover you as you walk through 2014.