2007

Ok a look back at 2007. For the most part, it was very good. The year started off well, we got some projects in the house done from my never ending list, we had lots of good times with friends, and shared many, many meals with people we love. Spring time rolled around and we started working on the garden. We were up to 9 Earthboxes this year. We had a bountiful harvest and ate lots and lots of fresh herbs and veggies.

In May our close friend Mitchell moved to Missouri. I was heartbroken. I was losing my buddy. The night he left the house for the last time was horrible. Oh my God the tears. I think we all cried for hours. It was hard, but we knew it was something he had to do, still we were sad.

We had a big 4th of July celebration and John got to try out his new smoker that he got for his birthday. We have had many delicious meals come outta that big ole bullet.

At the end of July we were off to Hershey Park. My in-laws and I secretly schemed together and made plans to have them surprise John when we got to Pennsylvania. It was hot in Hershey, really hot, with the exception of my Mom, who doesn't do so well in the heat, we had a wonderful time. John's Uncle Mark, Aunt Becky & cousin Vanessa came along too. We didn't get to spend as much time with them as we would have liked to, but it was a fun vacation. I liked Amish country best of all. The kids loved all the rides and the water park. Jesse & Evan even went on a little tour.

When we got back from vacation everything changed. We found out Mitchell had been in a very serious accident. I can't even begin to describe the torment that followed over that next month. We had absolutely no contact with him for almost a month. We were upset and very frustrated. He was hundreds of miles away from us and accurate information was hard to come by. I needed some way to communicate with him, so I wrote, and I wrote and I wrote. Almost every day I wrote him a letter. Just so he knew what was happening "while he was sleeping". At the end of August he awoke from his drug induced coma and called. I can't say that I have ever been as happy to hear someones voice on the phone then I was that night. He was back. Everyday he got better and stronger. Hell today, he's almost damn near perfect again. In '08 he will be moving back home, where he belongs and I am very thankful for that.

In October my in-laws came to stay for a week. We had beautiful Fall weather while they were here. They got to carve pumpkins with the boys, enjoy Evan's birthday party, and just hang with us, which was very nice indeed.

Christmas 2007 was relatively stress free. I had decided that I was wasn't going to make myself crazy and try to do "everything" this year. For the last 3 years I had literally made myself sick and didn't even get to enjoy the holidays. This year was different. I was healthy and productive and never even had a sniffle. So there.

I think we got the biggest tree ever this year. It was over 10 feet tall!! We had the whole family over for Christmas Eve, and as usual there was way too much food. Jesse got his iPod Nano and Guitar Hero that he wanted and Evan got a bunch of new games for the Wii and a cool flying dragonfly. There were loads of other presents which even lead Jesse to say "I got way too much this year". Wow! Nana came over Christmas Day. Physically she is well, but it's so hard to see her slip farther and farther into Alzheimer's. I'm thankful that she is still here and a part of our lives.

So I bid you adieu 2007. Here's to many much more good food, friends and family in 2008.