Happy New Year! I don't think I'm alone in being glad that 2008 is at a close. I'm anxious to put it behind me and start over, in a couple of different ways.

We had a nice Christmas. My kids lacked for nothing. My siblings, led by my sister Kirstin, knew we wouldn't be going out too much to go shopping for gifts. So, the week before Christmas, two big boxes showed up at our house full of gifts and other Christmas items, such as this gingerbread house kit that we put together on Christmas Eve.

Now we're properly attired.
And of course, it must be sampled.
The masterpiece. It was tasty too.
Later that night, the kids opened their new pajamas.
Dorian and Faith loved their gifts on Christmas day. Faith's face here says it all.
We had a good Christmas, even when Quinn developed his first fever. It was nerve-wracking for me and miserable for him, but after 2 days, he was fine. We think it was something Kurt brought home from work, because the two of them had parallel symptoms.

Faith's quote of the week: This evening, after the sun went down, she and I were looking out the window at the moon and the evening star. She commented that the moon looked like a smile. Then I pointed out the star. She said "that's a planet." I told her she was right, that was Venus. Then she said "But where's Jupiter?" My budding astronomer remembers last month, when we were looking at this picture. Sometimes she frightens me with the things she comes up with to say.

Here's to a great and uneventful 2009.