Jess and Michael's Window

Hi everyone!  Guess where I am writing this?  We are driving home after a visit with Mike’s family in Kentucky and I have the computer tethered into Mike’s cell phone!  Isn’t that neat?  I’m such a dork I know…but I just thought it was cool that my techie hubby knows how to do that stuff so I can be entertained on the long drive home.  Is it my reward for having to sit in the back and entertain a cranky toddler for the second half of the trip?  Probably.  Anyway, it is totally guilt free computer time… what else could I be doing but sit and be bored?

So I have some time to write!  Ah, New Year’s Eve… I LOVE NEW YEAR’S.  What is it about this two day holiday going from the old year to the new that is just SO completely and utterly satisfying?  It must have something to do with the fact that you could’ve had a totally rotten year and suddenly you have a chance to start over fresh… OR you could’ve had the best year ever, and here is your chance to reflect on it, celebrate it, and start over fresh again.  It just makes me so happy no matter what.

I have spent many a New Year’s Day relishing the bliss of a fresh new year.  For a while now, it has been my personal tradition to spend the day exploring a new place, usually hiking, and reflecting on the past year and looking forward to the new.  I usually spend a chunk of time writing my thoughts down in some way as well for the record.  That part of the tradition has lapsed for me in the past few years, but as you can see, I’m getting back into it through this blog.

Right now this tradition is morphing a little in the presence of my new family.  I want to include Mike and Evan in this tradition now…it is no longer just about me.  Last year we had a newborn so we couldn’t go hiking…looking forward to getting back to that this year.  We’re planning on staying close and exploring the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area, which for me has been sitting unexplored under our noses ever since I moved to ATL.  I am so excited…I just hope it doesn’t rain!

Well, I will write some more tomorrow after we’ve taken our hike and probably after Evan is tucked in for the night.

As for tonight, Mike and I will be spending it at home, relaxing!  Finally, all our holiday visiting is over!  Lots of fun, but so busy!  We already celebrated New Year’s on our own anyway.  This past Tuesday I spent my first night away from Evan in 21 months (if you count pregnancy ) and boy was I ready for it!!  Mike’s mom and dad kept him overnight for us while we spent the night in downtown Lexington.  We had a great dinner out, met some of Mike’s highschool friends after for drinks and then took off on our own to shoot some pool.  Playing pool with Mike is so fun, even if he almost always beats me, because we are always making up our own rules for slop and accusing each other of cheating.  It was a great time and the next morning we wanted it to last longer.  Mike promised it will not be another whole year before we get to do that again… and I don’t think it will be because Mike’s mom and dad volunteered to stay with Evan for a whole week this summer!! SWEET!  I’m just writing this down now, for the record, as proof.

Happy New Year everybody, I hope you are all celebrating your own special traditions and enjoying every moment!!