Did you REALLY miss me?

You would not believe how difficult is has been for me to NOT blog. Seriously, the minute I took myself off the hook, I was filled with all sorts of inspiration for things to write about. I even started keeping a file titled Slow Blog Days. So the bonus of my hiatus is that I have enough material in reserve to keep myself going for a little while.

What else have I managed these past few months?

I wrapped up some big year-end projects. Among the most rewarding, I put together yearbooks for the two homeschool groups we are involved in. I just love those kids and the things they come up with. It was amazing to sort through pictures from a year’s worth of activities and see just how much they’ve all grown and changed in such short time. As a parent, you spend a lot of time pondering that mystery with your own children, but it’s a lot of fun witnessing the transformations in other families, as well as a bit of a comfort… knowing you aren’t the only one whose kids are growing up so speedily.

I also spent countless hours working on the yearbook for the Kansas Authors Club. I have to say, I enjoy the process of collecting, formatting, organizing… probably more than any sane person ought to. The completed book was 136 pages, but the work was soothing, for the most part, and I was continually looking forward to holding the finished product in my hands. Even when it’s just a little spiral-bound book printed at CopyMax, there’s something very satisfying in knowing you played such a role in preserving a little bit of history.

Another focus was catching up on my personal photo albums. Lagging behind since February, I worked my way, month by month, through hundreds of photos. I do all my scrapbooking digitally, and print the pages on high-quality photo paper to be archived in notebooks. It serves the double purpose of keeping me fresh on the graphics and layout programs, and leaving us with an attractive (albeit sometimes experimental) record of our family history.

Activities with the kids, of course, continue to fill the majority of my time. I try to give them the best hours of my days when I am most full of energy and ready to explore with them. I am forever amazed and intrigued by the directions they lead us, forever awed by their abilities, and forever thankful that, of all the choices I’ve made in my life, I’ve made this one – to be a Mom.

Anyway, I am glad to be back and more than tickled at the notes I've received. Maybe ya'll are just being nice… but you sure brought smiles to my face. 'Tis the time of year for my head to bubble over with ideas and nonsense. Serious writing is on the agenda for 2007, but here's a toast and a pledge to entertain my blog buddies, as well.

2007! It is the journey that counts.