WOW! 2009 is HERE!

Ashlinn and Makenah - wearing their candy necklaces from Jenni and all the "string" on Makenah is from the poppers, etc. they shot off after our walk out into the neighborhood.

Ashlinn, Makenah, Annikah, Reagan, Brittyen, Chase, and Lily - who kept covering her face with her hair on purpose - having fun! Rye didn't get in the photo - and Trevor was sleeping - so we're missing two of them. It was just fun.

I haven't written for some time. But, the New Year is here and it's a wonderful One. I just know it.

New Year's Eve was my traditional one - having grandkids to my house to spend the night and bring in the New Year. It was fun this year when midnight came and we took off out the door and down the street tooting horns and shouting, "Happy New Year," they were also saying "Cheers to the New Year!" which came from last year when Kyle was here and stayed to bring in the new year, then left to go back to L.A. It was his saying, "Cheers to the New Year!" and the kids remembered and were yelling it again. It was very fun.

Tyler wasn't here because she was in Pennyslvania with her mother, Sarah, seeing family back there. And Tyson and Merick were in Colorado with family also. We still had fun, the ones of us that were here. Rye had this great idea of scaring everyone and he did a GREAT job of it. He hid out back for at least a hour until everyone had arrived. I sat them at the table and announced Rye didn't get to come because he was sick, and then we started planning what kind of pizzas we were getting (Jason and Wendi gave me pizza money - so NICE they are to me) when there was a scratching on the window screen - scary sound - and it kept happening - with a weird figure out there in my backyard - until at last Rye came in with his cool sweatshirt that has a hoodie part that covers his face. It was quite exciting!

The night went fast! Two years ago I set the clocks up one hour and we celebrated the New Year one hour early - cuz I was so tired. Last year I tried it again and got CAUGHT dead on! Cell phones - no getting around the correct time with that one. This year, the time went so fast I couldn't believe it. We could've used an extra hour before midnight - but oh well. It was very fun.

The next morning I got up early to make them all crepes, their favorite thing, then we left to drive to Mesa to see Twilight. Some of us had seen it already, including myself and Jenni.

Jenni went to another movie, but I opted to re-see Twilight and be there with Annette and the kids. Interesting to me that I loved it even more the second time and the characters I didn't think were very well cast this time I loved - thought they were great. What a wonderful imagination and beautiful story Stephanie Meyers created with this. LOVE IT.

After the movie, I drove to the Franciscan Renewal Center in Paradise Valley for a New Year's Day meeting with a group of people led by Rev. Mitzi Lynton, with a walk through a labyrinth, which is something I'd done when I was in upper New York about five years ago. It was a nice enough event, over fifty people there.

New Year's Day and Night were wonderful in every way. Really.