Over

Christmas has come and gone. Another year has arrived. It was a fairly quiet holiday. Lots of family stuff. Brad and Sue and the kids were around all week and Dwight and Lorna and the boys were here for part of it. We spent a few nights in a hotel, which gave the kids lots of opportunity to swim, etc. Both Nikki and Julie discovered they were brave enough to ride the waterslide. I didn't think Julie would do it, but once she realized she could, she got quite hooked on it. Maddie went a few times with grown-ups, but wasn't too fond of it.

A cute Maddie story... after she'd heard me talk about how much energy the kids had (Amy and Brodie were hanging out with Nikki and Julie at our place) and I'd sent them out to play in the snow a few times to burn it off, she was downstairs pulling stuff off the toy shelf.

Mom: "Maddie, don't make a mess."
Maddie: "But I HAVE to make a mess. It's my energy!"

Now it's only a month until I leave for Africa. I'm starting to get ready. This week I go for my shots. I went shopping for good walking shoes yesterday, but when I wore them around the house, my feet didn't like them, so I'll have to return them. It's not like I want to buy a bunch of new stuff for the trip - it would seem a little ironic to be decked out in new clothes for a trip like this - but I DO need a decent pair of shoes 'cause my feet will give out fairly quickly if I don't.