Something

On Christmas Day I began to feel it creeping in on me though I hoped it was only due to lack of sufficient sleep, seeing as how a certain nine year old was still not asleep at half past midnight on Christmas Eve.  But no, I slept until eleven (yes ELEVEN) the next day and finally awoke with a head full of yuck. And that has pretty much been my entire week.  I have not left the house since Christmas Day, occasionally changing out my pajamas for sweat pants and doing nothing much more than reading, eating candy out of stockings and popping sinus and cold pills.
   
Though I did finally emerge from my funk yesterday afternoon and make sweet potato bread to send with Dracen on his hunting trip.   His big brother, who has done little aside from sleep and play XBox for the past ten days decided he'd stay home since they "never see a big buck anyway".  Listen.  I'm not even a fan of hunting but hanging back to play XBox after making a statement like that has me rooting for the hunters (Dracen, Popaw and Uncle K) this time. 

But I didn't come here to talk hunting.  I came because although I thought about just waiting it out for a couple of more days until the boys are back in school and we are forced back into a world created by morning people, I just couldn't let an entire year end without posting something...

January

Something unusual...

The Weather.

We barely had winter at all last year.  This photo was taken at the end of January.  It was 70 something degrees warm.

February

Something I did every day...

 Coffee.

In my favorite mug.

March

Something that made me smile...

The Pink Dogwoods.

This one grows alongside the driveway.

 

April
Something "fun" we did...
Gettysburg and Hershey.
I never thought I could have too much chocolate.  I was wrong.

May
Something Special...
Devin's Confirmation.
And he even smiled for a photo.

June
Something Big...
MawMaw Becky's 70th Birthday!
Please don't judge the appearance of my cake. The important thing is, it tasted good. 

And...
Shana's High School Graduation.
And Valedictorian Speech.

July
Something New...
A Squirrel-Watching Chair?
Apparently.

August

Something eye-opening.

A Canoe Trip with Grumpy and Grumpier.

I'm raising Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. Obviously.

September

Something Priceless...

Taking the boys to see my hometown.

And their first pro baseball game so close to perfect I couldn't have special ordered it any better.

October

Something Memorable...

A Fall Beach Trip.

"Run, Dracen, RUN!"

November

Something else that made me smile...

The Changing Leaves.

This Japanese Maple grows in my shade garden in the backyard.

December

Something that warmed my heart...

The excitement, joy and gratitude Dracen showed when he asked me to help him turn his desk into a concession stand with the popcorn popper, snowcone machine, and cotton candy maker Santa came through on.

He showed no disappointment in the fact that he did not get the Samurai sword ("sharp on both sides") the throwing knives or the exploding bullets. And when he thanked me and uttered the words, "This was the best Christmas ever!" my year was made.  

See you in 2013,