Last week of 2010

We spent the last week of 2010 in the deep south where the air is 50 degrees warmer than home, kudzu vines hang from trees, beautiful Annabella homes stand as tributes to a former grand time, and the muddy Mississippi River runs steady and strong.

Of course, the best part of the deep south is visiting Granddad and Nana. The kids enjoyed a boat ride on the lake behind their house.

We went down by the river and walked along the river murals. An old caboose was as inviting as a playground.


The kids climbed and imagined until we heard a distant train whistle. Thinking a train was on its way, we hurried to scrounge up some pennies to place on the tracks. However, the train never arrived, and the pennies were left un-flattened.
When we weren't exploring, we built puzzles with Nana, fed the birds in their backyard, played basketball, and snuggled upstairs to watch Silas Marner and Sense and Sensability.

If 2010 had a theme for me, it was "All About Family." The best moments of this year were times spent together...whether it was watching my children on a sports field or playing instruments, eating pizza with Poppy, exploring a museum with Mom and my sisters, or enjoying time with friends who are part of my family too. This final week was a fitting way to slow down and say farewell to a year that whizzed by at break-neck speed...and enjoy time with family...which is truly the best part of my life.