Well, first and foremost, I hope to keep up with my blog for my following of two this year.  Hopefully 2008 will bring much inspiration and funny stories to share.

January is always a time for reflection, renewal, and preparation for the time ahead.  I spent New Year’s Eve catching up for a while with an old friend from college, who now lives in Oklahoma, and with Emily and Daniel Doss.  (Tony and my first option was to have a nice evening at the Melting Pot, but one call for a reservation and thinking about the extreme New Years cost, ended any hope of that.  Some other time, maybe.)  It was a wonderful night and I wouldn’t have spent it any other way.  We grabbed some dinner, went to Target and Kroger (What else would you do on one of the year’s top party nights?), and then home to play the wii, make chocolate covered strawberries, and dream of this coming summer’s vacation.  We go so wrapped up in doing different things, we almost missed the ball dropping celebration.  As I thought over all that had happend in 2007 (I bought a house, took on a new position at work, fell in love, got engaged, proceeded to then get married 6 months later, cheered on my dad as he began a new job, congratulated my brother as he graduated from UT Knoxville… and that’s only the big stuff), I was happy and content with how the year went… it was by far one of my favorites, and in many moments, very overwhelming. 

And now, on the horizon of 2008, I’m wondering all that it will bring.  I will continue to learn how to be a good wife, I hope to grow in my relationship with Christ (I will take my first trip out of the country to Brazil with our juniors and seniors for a mission trip, so that’s bound to require some stretching and growing), and be the best daughter, teacher, encourager, and friend I can.  I’ve heard it said that you’re always in rotation through three stages of life:  you’re in the middle of some sort of storm, you’re getting out of a major storm, or you’re about to enter one.  Well, with how 2007 took care of me, I am a little leary of what’s next.  But, not in a pessimistic way.  I’m looking forward to each new day, I just want to be ready for whatever comes.  As ready as I can, anyway.