So long … farewell 2009

 

In 2009, we cooked up lots of great food …

Like mouthwatering brisket … spinach & mushroom chicken … blueberry buckle … Irish brown bread … mooncakes … and more!

 

We cooked up several kid projects, too …

My favorites?  Crayola cupcakes and wax fantasies.

 

We endured the thrill of deconstruction; the pleasure of reconstruction.

 

In March, we got to The Heart of the Matter. Whew! Am I ever glad that’s over.

 

In 2009 we endured lots of laundry …

 

… lots of orneriness …

 

… and I mean LOTS and LOTS of orneriness.

 

There were many unexpected surprises in 2009.

 

We used our thinking caps quite a bit.

 

We lost some very special, very beautiful people. And our hearts still hurt.

Like my Aunt Bernice … a neighbor and surrogate grandmother to everyone she met.

 

And who knew? A birthday party for my Grandma Sara turned out to be a celebration of her entrance to heaven.

 

 

 

FarmGuy’s grandpa — a quiet, jolly soul who shared great wisdom in simple tasks, followed soon after.

 

 

 

We feel their presence in everyday tasks. Memories of these beloved people warm our hearts, bring laughter to our lips and guide us in our choices, our work ethic and our love for family.

And I wouldn’t be surprised that they’re all up in heaven, rejoicing with those who have gone before and shaking their heads at the dilemmas that pop up in our daily lives. 

 

As is usually the case … life continues to overshadow death.

My little sister became a mommy.

 

And  no matter what happened in 2009, these wee folk made us smile. Oh, who am I kidding? Not only did we smile, we usually laughed uncontrollably.

 

To be honest, I’m happy to bid 2009 adieu.

A lot of stuff happened this year. It wasn’t all bad and it wasn’t all good. It was just … exhausting. And I’m hopeful that 2010 doesn’t leave me feeling so dramatic all the time. I’m tired of feeling dramatic.

 

I’m in the mood for comedy.

Hopefully I’ll be able to find it … somewhere!