January blahs

It's almost the end of January and I'm still not back in the swing of things.  School has started again and life is full of work and volunteering but my beginning of the year energy just isn't there yet. 

I've been trying to do 365 days of decluttering and have kept up fairly well so far.  My kitchen cupboards are a lot more organized and by the end of this week, my refrigerator should be cleaned out.  As much as I dislike cleaning, 15 minutes a day is manageable on most days. 

Now I'm off to do 200 pages of reading on panic disorder and social phobias.  Aren't you jealous :-)

Christmas in Iowa

How quickly our Christmas week in Iowa went by!  The weather was cool and misty.  With no snow on the ground this year we were able to go out and do a few things like a trip to the Amana Colonies and another to Prairie Light bookstore in downtown Iowa City.  The big people even got out for a special dinner together.

Two of the hits of Christmas morning were the rocking horse for Ash and the lighted mini ray guns the boys found in their stockings.  Rowan and Ash had a great time and didn't get bored until the next day LOL

Aunt Nicole was able to come for a couple of days before Christmas and we had a great time together as a family.  We were happy our daughter, Nicole, was there to be part of the fun, and our son, Dominic, and daughter-in-law, Alex, were both off for the week.  That rarely happens that everyone is off together!

It's always hard to leave, especially when the boys are telling us not to go, but the realities of life called us back to Arizona.  The cats still have barely left my side.

Soon school will start again and I'll be back in another round of reading and papers. I'm closing my nonprofit consulting business, to focus on geriatric care and my volunteer work with Creating the Future. Guitar Guy is moving to a different law firm starting January 2, so the new year will bring changes for both of us.

Hoping you and yours had a wonderful Christmas and have a healthy, happy 2015!