Wow, it's already almost the new year. I had a very enjoyable Christmas and am wishing the Christmas break was just a little longer. It's been nice to be home trying to relax, although I've been sick with the flu, or something similar, for almost a week now. That part hasn't been much fun. Hopefully I'll feel better for the next couple of days because they'll be pretty busy. I haven't completely figured out what my plans for tomorrow are. Sarah is going to join me for a New Year's Eve celebration. My parents are having a bunch of people over, so we may end up joining them, for part of the night anyhow. On Sunday we are having a huge family New Year's dinner. One of those things we do every year. It should be fun, though I'm sure by the end of the night I'll be almost insane from the noise and the kids. lol It's nice to be able to see all of the family again though.

On Tuesday I head back to school. I don't really feel excited for it though. Perhaps it's just because I've been sick. Maybe as the day draws nearer I'll be more excited. I do miss everyone, and it will be good to find out how all of your Christmas' were! Tonight is going to be an early night for me, so I am going to go do some things before I head to bed. I hope the remainder of the break is enjoyable for you all. God bless! I love you all. :)

Home for the Holidays

I am now home for the holidays. The last few weeks of school were absolutely nuts and I am glad they are now over. Two weeks ago we had our Spiritual Life Emphasis Week. When I say "our" I am referring to the 2nd year students. For that entire week we read through the chapters of "Desiring God" by John Piper and discussed them. I absolutely enjoyed that book. For those of you who haven't read it I would definitely recommend it. It gives a different perspective on living our Christian lives, and what we should and shouldn't be seeking after. Some things caught me off guard, but it made me think about what he was saying. Oh, and that picture is from that week. We got to go out for breakfast with Dan. I really enjoyed it.

The Christmas banquet was fun. It's a lot of fun to get dressed up. I ended up not singing with Christian. He had to go home that afternoon and we weren't sure if he would be back in time, so we decided not to do it. Matt put together a fun slideshow as well. All in all it turned out well and everyone looked great. Oh, and Luke decided he wanted to come, but because of the slight problem of him being in Ecuador he wasn't able to make it in person. We did enjoy the pleasure of his "presence" though. Cole brought him along with her. Here is a picture of the three of us.

So I am home now for a couple of weeks before it's time to head back to school. I did my Christmas shopping all on Monday, which surprisingly enough didn't take as long as I thought it might. My mom and I did a ton of Christmas baking the other day. It's going to be difficult not to eat too much of it. lol We experimented and tried some new recipes. They turned out great! I'm excited about them. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve day...wow...so hard to believe!!! Time just doesn't go as slow as when I was a kid. I remember being so anxious for Christmas to come! And when it finally did it was the biggest thrill ever. Christmas day would last for forever. Now, before you know it, it's Christmas day. Presents get opened, turkey dinner is enjoyed, then next thing you know it's New Years and back to your normal routine again. I guess that's why it's so important to enjoy the things of life when they come, rather then rushing through them and pushing them aside. They only come once.

So tomorrow night my family was asked to sing a song or two at Northside for their Christmas Eve service. I'm excited to be able to do that. Last Sunday was the Christmas program at my church. I was able to play the bass for most of the musical things we did, as well as sing with Dawn, and then with my cousin Ben. The Sunday School did a skit, called "The Whipping Boy," which turned out well. I enjoyed it. Basically, since I arrived home on Saturday, I've been non-stop busy. But I wouldn't have it any other way. :)

It'll be good to go back to res again in January. Right now poor Andrew is there basically by himself, well, aside from Josh and Lori. I'm sure the peace and quiet is nice, but pretty soon it'll be a zoo there again. lol Something to look forward to. ;) Well, I'm off to go practice a song for tomorrow. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!! Enjoy your time at home, and remember the Reason for the season. :) "God bless us, everyone!"