Welcome Home

* Whoow, whoow.* Testing, testing. Is this thing on? Please don't mind me. I'm just blowing the dust off my blog. Please give me a second as I look at the new updated Blogger editor too. This is the first time I am using it. Have you updated your editor? If not, click on "Settings". Scroll down to where it says "Global Settings". Underneath that you will say "Select Post Editor". Click on "Update Editor". I'm really enjoying the new features. I hope you do too. And if you don't, you can always change it back.

Last night we pulled into our snow-filled driveway after Christmas vacation in Pennsylvania. We had such a wonderful time with my family. It truly was a special holiday. As much as I enjoy vacations, I find myself excited to come home. It's inevitable that at some point on the return drive I say "I can't wait to see my house. I missed it so much!" And that's how I feel about my blog. Hello friends! I missed you so much!

It's currently 6:45 in the morning. We arrived home around eleven o'clock last night. As we opened the door to our house, I smiled. Our home was warm. The floors were clean. There were a couple of dishes left in the dish drainer ready to be put away. I breathed in. It smelled like home. Our bed had fresh sheets on it and as I turned on the bedside light, I couldn't wait to fall into those crisp sheets. Things were familiar. And if my house could talk, it would say "Welcome Home".

Thanks for your patience as I found myself on an unexpected hiatus. December flew by as I spent three weeks babysitting two infants at our church. The days were long as I was gone from our house for over twelve hours. With the holidays and traveling, my little blog just got tucked away until I could pull it out and love it up again.

So as I sit here with one of our dogs sleeping at my feet, the house dark save for one lamp, the morning news keeping me company, I feel a sense of excitement for all that is to be done today. Taking down the Christmas decor, puting away laundry, unpacking suitcases, and finding new homes for our Christmas gifts. And I am excited to settle back into my blog writing. I'm anxious to finish up some things that I started in 2009 - the kitchen organization posts, the second part of my hospitality posts. I've got an awesome giveaway coming up soon too. So thank you for your patience. Thank you for your friendship. Welcome home!

And P.S.  I hoped in line at Walmart at 3:30 a.m. on Black Friday and bought myself a laptop! What an answer to prayer! My own computer! See ya later library computers!