BEST QUOTE OF THE NEW YEAR

FROM QUYNH

"EVERYTHING'S BROKED!"

WE STARTED THE NEW YEAR WITH ME GETTING 'PERTUSSIS' (UGH), AND THEN PASSING IT TO ONE OF MY DEAREST FRIENDS. I'M STILL COUGHING, BUT MUCH BETTER THAN I WAS. I AM SO READY TO FINISH ENDURING MY "COUGH OF A HUNDRED DAYS" AS THE CHINESE CALL IT!...BUT I HAVE ABOUT 60 MORE TO GO...SIGH


FAITHFUL WASHING MACHINE HAS BROKEN TWICE SINCE THE NEW YEAR...AND EACH TIME THE REPAIRMEN CAME FOR EXPENSIVE REPAIRS ON OUR EXTENDED WARRANTY, WE THOUGHT HE WOULD SIGH AND SAY..."SEARS SAYS GO PICK OUT A NEW ONE...THIS ONE IS SHOT". ..I WAS SURE CROSSING MY FINGERS AND TOES!

BUT AFTER HOURS OF DISMANTLING AND WORKING ON IT, HE EMERGED WITH A SMILE AND WISHED US LUCK. EEKK . IT STILLLLL DOESN'T SOUND QUITE RIGHT, SO I'M NOT SURE THE STORY IS OVER...

BUT, SO FAR, SO GOOD. AND IT AIN'T A GOOD THING HERE TO BE WITHOUT A WASHING MACHINE!

MY CAMERA HAD AN ACCIDENTAL DROP BEFORE CHRISTMAS, AND THOUGH IT TOOK SOME PRETTY GOOD SHOTS AT CHRISTMAS, I SENSED SOMETHIN' WASN'T QUITE RIGHT. AFTER ITS CHECKUP, WE FOUND IT HAS A COUPLE OF VERY TROUBLESOME ISSUES. SO, IT'S IN THE HOSPITAL BEING REPAIRED.

I AM HOPEFUL TO HAVE IT BACK BY WEEK'S END, 'CAUSE I MISS MY ACCESSORY! IT HAS BEEN A YEAR IN FEBRUARY SINCE I STARTED MY QUEST TO LEARN ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY!

STUBBORN ME STILL HAS NOT READ THE MANUAL COVER TO COVER, BUT I HAVE TAKEN THOUSANDS OF PICTURES AND LOVE MY STYLE OF LEARNING BY DOING.

BUT THE KIDS ARE THRILLED TO HAVE A BREAK FROM HAVING THEIR PICTURES TAKEN.

I'M GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME TONIGHT TO POST SOME OF OUR YEAR'S HIGHLIGHTS IN PICTURES. I WISH I HAD TAKEN ONE OF THE WASHER IN 20 PIECES!!!

I added some new smile wrinkles over Christmas. There was laughter and sweetness, and fussin' and making up, and memory receptors were firing...everybody was home!

My brain so wants to remember exact moments. The kids laughing all together over goofy board games, ...and peaking in on "sister talks" , knowing that was priceless time.

Making mistakes and being forgiven. Giving from the heart and hearing "that was the best ever".

Trying hard to put unconditional love in action.

I want to remember the way my littlest gals' Christmas jammies snuggled their little bodies, and the intent look on Quynh's face as she placed the ornament " just right".

The smell of my favorite coffee that the big kids snuck in and awakened early to put a pot on...just cause they love us.

Those little things that make life good and rich. Love 'em.

We were crazy busy up to the last minute. And after putting kids to sleep and several more hours of preparations, we woke up the next morning to tickles and rolled over to see two soulful eyes in the dark and a little "Merry Christmas Mommy and Daddy ...did Santa come yet?"

It wasn't perfect. We were a houseful of flawed people doing imperfect things. But, we celebrated Jesus and what He means to us, we celebrated each other, and we made memories.

And I smile as I think of them....