New Year New Experiences

Christmas was fun and the kids had a good time.  James did let me know Santa didn't do his job because he didn't get a pedal bike without training wheels.  Somehow he still doesn't understand (or maybe he doesn't want to understand) that the training wheels can be taken off of the pedal bike he already has.

All ready for Christmas!

Playing with the new train sets.

James's letter to Santa on the 26th letting him know he still needs a new pedal bike without training wheels...

Just our little family.

Becca using the new tube she got for Christmas.

The year started off well for me with a last minute invite to a party on New Year's Eve.  I had actually planned on going to bed early that night but when I saw the invite I decided it would be a fun way to unwind and ring in the new year.  I'm glad I went and had a lot of fun!

A few days into the new year I headed to St. George to attend a widows and widowers conference for the first time.  It was good to be around so many people that have gone through that experience.  No two stories were exactly alike, with many being drastically different and even more heart wrenching than my own, but we could all relate in a way that is difficult to explain.  It was also fun to find several people with mutual friends.

I ended up staying with the in-laws of one of my sisters-in-law.  We weren't able to catch up much but they were so helpful and gracious in allowing me to stay with them.  They even let me borrow a car while I was there.  There are so many little blessings and so much kindness in this world that we tend to overlook and forget about.  Little things really make this life great.  One such was on Sunday when I ran into the brother of a friend of mine from my time in Mount Pleasant.  It really is a small world!

It is humbling and amazing to look at all of the help I received from friends and family to make it possible for me to attend the conference.  There are a so many wonderful people with big hearts in this world and so little time to learn about and really get to know them.  Life is just too short so I will try to make the best use of the time I have with the people I am able to meet!

Happy New Year everyone!
Braden