reflections on 2006

It's hard to believe this year has come to an end. I'm a bit sorry to see it go, because overall, it's been a great year for Brian and I. I just counted (yes, I keep a list, of course) and I've read 68 books this year. That's a lot of reading, and I love it! I hope to read at least that many more in 2007!

I lost 40 pounds this year and got my health under control. I allowed myself some treats over Christmas, especially Giovanni's pizza, but I didn't gain a pound. :-D This week will be back to exercising full time! With it being 82 degrees here today, I don't think my walking outside will be a problem!

I scrapped over 140 pages and made over 150 cards this year! Whoa!

Brian had back surgery this year and is feeling great, despite many hours in the car over the holidays.

Brian got laid off from EA and now works for n-Space. It was a good move - he's in a job that he loves and there's nothing that can compare to that!

We paid off all of our credit card debt this year! YAAAYYYYY! I still can't believe it. I hated making payments on those cards - I couldn't even remember what most of that money had bought in the first place.

We're so happy in our church and in our home. We still miss NY. Maybe we'll get back there someday. But FL has definitely been good for us, especially health-wise. As we were driving home on Friday and crossed into Florida, it was the first time I really felt like Florida was home. :-D

Tonight we are spending some quality time together to ring in the new year. I'm already in my pajamas, we've ordered pizza, and Brian is gone to rent a movie. We're going to curl up on the couch together. I can't wait. Brian has to work tomorrow, can you believe it?? And we were so busy over Christmas, we didn't get much quality time together. So tonight we're quietly welcoming 2007 and bidding farewell to 2006.

January has a lot of things in store for us! Well, for me, anyway! Brian is working on a cool game for the Wii - he's been working on it since he started at n-Space in March, but it's nearing completion, so he's under deadline. I'm excited for Winter Scrapfest at Lifetime Moments! This time, I'm a points-counter and I'm SO EXCITED about that! I love love love Scrapfest and I was lucky enough to be one of the winners this past summer! I have like 400 pictures from Christmas and from my nephews and nieces to scrap, so I'm ready to go. Also in January, I'm hoping to get a few more piano students. Sometime this winter/spring I'm going to finish my Kindermusik training. And I still have 20 pounds to lose. :-D

As we say goodbye to 2006, I want to leave you with some lyrics from a song we sang at church this morning. We praise God for the work He has done in our lives this year, and we trust Him in the years to come.

We will remember, we will remember,
We will remember the work of Your hands.
We will stop and give You praise,
For great is Thy faithfulness!