The holidays are over and we’re into the new year now…I’m not going to say how amazing it is how fast time flies, since we hear that so much and it’s pretty much a given. Every January, when you start having to write the next year’s number, like 2008 instead of 2007, you marvel at how it seems like last January was just yesterday.

Our family’s holidays were very enjoyable. We stayed on-island this year, unlike last year, when we spent the last weeks of the year in Southern California. It was kind of nice just hanging out at home. We put up our tree (a real one) the day after Thanksgiving. Yup, we were ready to get right into the holiday spirit. The kids started making their wish lists, and I started playing lots of Christmas CDs at home. It’s such a warm, cozy feeling at Christmastime with carols playing and the Christmas tree lights glowing. I just love it. Makes ya all warm and fuzzy inside. :0)

The kids were really busy at Christmas, though. Garrett performed in his piano recital and Elisa danced in 7 performances of the Hawaii State Ballet’s Nutcracker. They both did so well and I was sooooooo proud of them!

The kids’ dad came from Las Vegas for the last couple of weeks in December. He spent time with us in our Christmas activities, watched one of Elisa’s Nutcracker performances, and thoroughly enjoyed his visit.

So, the holidays were fun and busy for us. I think it’s like that for everyone. Now we are trying to make the best of our last week of break before we have to go back to school next Monday. Thank goodness we have a particularly long vacation this year. There are so many things I have wanted to get done…things that there is normally not enough time to do. I’ve just started to scratch the surface, but ever the optimist, I won’t give up. I’m working on updating my address book, scrapbooking old pictures–I’m literally a few years behind (except for the kids’ Christmas ’07 album which I just put together last night), helping the kids finish all of their Christmas thank you cards, re-doing German class materials, etc., etc., etc.

I get such pleasure from crossing things off of my endless “To Do” lists. So, I try to figure out how to squeeze more productivity out of each day. For a lot of people, TV sucks up the lion’s share of their time. Not so with us. I cancelled cable long ago. We do watch an occasional rented movie, but that’s it.

Despite the no TV thing, it’s STILL hard to find enough time to accomplish all I want to. There is hope, though. I’ve been reading this book that helps you re-do your mindset to get those items off your “To Do” list and into reality. And do you know what? It’s been working! I’ve gotten more accomplished lately than ever. I’ve been marking those really OLD items off my lists…you know, the kind that just gets recycled from one list to another cuz you never seem to get to it?

Well, for me, this is a good start to the new year. Very positive. This will be a year of good things! Productive and happy. We have so much to be thankful for. And on this upbeat note I’ll close, wishing all a happy, happy new year as well!