Ahhhh....Happy New Year!

I'm just getting back into the normal flow of life after a busy Christmas and New Year. We had a great time visiting all the family in California, and then we came home just in time for our GOZ Starting the Year Off Right conference over New Years. I enjoyed having a few weeks off from my usual routine, but then the routine is more welcome when it starts back up. Which really is today.

It was so nice to be all together with my and Will's sisters and parents. We were able to spend some good extended time together, so we didn't feel too rushed. And, thanks to big family gatherings, we were able to see lots of cousins and Aunts and Uncles, too. And of course my grandmas and grandpa! What a blessing to have so many relatives!

Being in California during the winter is kind of surreal, because I've become accustomed to the brown of dead grass and dormant trees in the winter. I'm always surprised by the green lawns and green trees when I visit. I realize what I took for granted all my life, growing up there. But I also like the changes of season I experience here in Texas. The phrase "spring has sprung" now has meaning for me, because it seems like all the leaves pop out of the trees overnight and suddenly everything is green.

I think that January is one of my favorite months. I love getting out a new calendar, and thinking about what the year holds. I also love the idea (notice I said idea) of getting everything cleaned out and organized. It feels good to do it, although I'm not sure how much I'll actually get to do. Work takes up time I could spend organizing my closets...But hey, a little here and there is good. I enjoy the January edition of the magazines I get, because they focus on cleaning too. I just feel good about the whole thing. I'd love to overhaul my whole house, and spend a bunch of money I don't have buying new furniture. But probably I'll feel just as good if I attack the file cabinet in my closet. So, before I tire myself out blogging about it, I think I'll see if I can do just that today. Now there's an ambitious project!