Let's Raise Our Glasses and Toast the End of a Wonderful 2008 and the arrival of 2009!

We partied like it was...well...2009...last night, and rang in the new year with friends, and fun, and fireworks, and laughter, and sparkling grape juice, and champagne, and the promise of great things to come.

2008 was a wonderful year full of good things and I was so pleased to be able to share so much of it with you on my blog. I love all of my blogging friends and feel blessed to know all of you!

I'm looking forward to 2009 and sharing even more of my life with all of you! I'm praying that it will be a year full of love and grace and simple joys and gratitude and friendship. And I pray the same thing for you!

What are my plans for today, on New Year's Day? Well, I'm still recovering from being up so late last night and I've got a ton of dishes to wash...but I'm going to let all of that sit for a while and enjoy some football.

Do you know the old adage that whatever you're doing on New Year's Day you'll do for the rest of the year? Well, if that's true, I'm planning on doing a lot of watching football, and eating (in particular, left-over cupcakes from the party last night!), and being with my family, and relaxing in the year to come. (What are you going to be doing?)

At some point today--in between watching football--I will probably sit down and try and think of what my New Year's resolutions will be. I definitely have some habits that I want to encourage in my life, and some attitudes that probably need some adjusting. The new year is a wonderful time to start with a clean slate and get things in order. (Do you have any resolutions?)

Happy New Year to all of you! May 2009 be filled with wonderful things!

(Here are a few pictures of our New Year's bash last night. It was fun because it was one of those "Let's-get-together"s that turned into a full-blown party. We had a house full of teenagers--nine of them--and then Sydney and a few other younger kids. And then two of our best couple friends. It was an excellent time with great friends, and food, and fun...










At midnight (after toasting the new year with good wishes and giving a kiss to the ones we love), we opened fortune cookies. Mine said: "Proceed with confidence. Good fortune awaits." I can absolutely live with that for the new year! I'm going to be confident in what's in store for me, and have joy in the process!

And now...I'm off to watch some of that aformentioned football (Go South Carolina! Go Georgia! Go Penn State! Alabama won't be on until tomorrow night, but I will yell a few loud "Roll Tide"s today, I'm sure!). I hope you have a great day, and one more time for good measure...

Happy New Year!!