What New Years Looks Like

Our entire Christmas season was pretty quiet and peace-loving, and New Year's definitely didn't deviate from that theme. When you don't have tons of family close-by, or an abundance of friends, I suppose that tends to be the case. That's fine with us, we enjoyed the day regardless.  I took some snapshots of what each of us was up to on the first day of 2013.  Enjoy!

I made our traditional lunch of Hoppin' John, which for those of you who maybe aren't familiar is scrumptious!  It's a savory concoction of bacon, rice, and black-eyed peas.  It is simple, but flavorful and filling.  Along with that I made homemade chicken strips with different dipping sauces. It was yummy.

Parker took a nap for one of the first times in her 3 year old life. It must have been the hangover she had from our Ward New Year's Eve party the night before. She didn't get to bed until 11:30, so I knew it was either going to be a heck of a day, or that she would crash. Thankfully, the latter occurred.

Mark and Maryn had a little bonfire in the backyard.  Mark had spent some time earlier in the break to go through our monstrous file cabinet, and since we don't have a shredder, and our neighbor has banned us from his burn pit (another story for another day), they made a bonfire of it. Maryn has a bit of a pyro streak in her, so she was happy to feed the fire as Dad poked and prodded the ashes.  It smelled wonderful.

Avery read Gone with the Wind.  When I think back to Christmas 2012, this is what I'll remember most.  Avery reading 1500 pages of a classic American novel.  Ha ha!!  She was bound and determined to maintain her lead for the school and class title in AR this year, and knowing that Gone with the Wind was worth 72 points, she figured that would give her plenty of wiggle room.  Day after day, she would retreat to her bedroom, or the basement and command us to give her some privacy because she was "READING!!"  I think at times it made her miserable, but she was so determined to do it that she persevered.  One of the first things she said when she finished (a few days after the new year) was, "I need to call Grandma!" and "I can't wait to tell Brian (the classmate that was a narrow margin away from her)."  I'm actually really impressed with her diligence and willful spirit.  I would've given up eons ago, but she stuck with it.  Every now and then Mark and I would ask her what was going on in the story or give her little quizzes, and she passed them every time, so we knew she was being legit.  Later, when we rented the movie from the library, she was whooping and hollering over how many things were different, and how the movie just didn't do the story justice!!  Once again, she cracks me up.  Ya just gotta love that girl.  

I made Mark go out to the Tonica Methodist Church, and take this picture of their Nativity.  This has become a holiday icon for me that just represents our time here.  In an odd way, I sort of love it.  (Even though I'm secretly hoping this is the last year we will see it. Ha ha!)  It's worn by weather and time, eclectic, vintage-y, simple, and homemade looking.  I love how the pieces don't match, and how the stable is just some old boards nailed together.  Don't ask me why, but that's Tonica right there. 

I have a good feeling about 2013.  Call it intuition, or whatever I just feel like big changes are in store for us.  I feel like we're ready for it too. 

I wish all of you the best that 2013 has to offer: health, happiness, and joy in all that you do.