Instead of sending out a Christmas letter or cards this year, I'm going to try using my blog to share this past year.  I really do miss receiving Christmas cards and letters, we've only had a few this year, but I guess we're in a new era and some of the old ways are truly passing out of vogue.  I remember my Grandma Marie's book of antique greeting cards she had collected down through the years, from about 1930 to the '50's.  I loved to look through that book, read the notes people wrote, admire the quality and the simplicity, but we've moved into a technology age and so, for this year at least, I'm using it to my advantage.

If you've never been to my blog before....WELCOME!

Since there are 12 months in the year and 12 days to go to Christmas Eve, it seems fitting to start today!

January 2012!

Our darling granddaughter was born at the end of December.  What joy she has brought to our lives!  I spend 2 weeks with the kids in Springfield awaiting her birth and one week following it.  What fun we had and what a blessing it was to share in E's arrival into the world!  I missed hubby something awful, we'd never been apart for that amount of time, but it was so worth it!  

I came home just before New Year's.  It was so hard to say good-bye and I sobbed for about an hour on the trip home! However, on the trip home I received a phone call asking me to help with our caucuses that were coming up in just a few days, that helped to take my mind off of leaving.  I ended up running our precinct's caucus and we have the one of the biggest in our county.  It was quite an experience and one I'm not sure I want to repeat! 

In early January, they made a trip home to search for a job for L and a place to live, they had made the decision to return home for awhile!  

We were able to introduce E to all the family, including her 98-year-old Great-Great-Grandma!  She actually has two great-great grandmas and got to meet them both!

At the end of January, we trooped down to Springfield, MO and moved them back to Iowa.  They moved in with us!  How wonderful to get to spend so much time with our new grandbaby!

Almost time to head out.  What a fun, funky house they had down there!  

Saying "Good-bye" to E's first home.

We made it back to Iowa!