Happy New Year and a look back at 2016

2016 was quite the year!  When I left you last (in August, oh my word did I have a major blogging fail!), I was in a temporary position at work, having just filed an application which would hopefully make the position permanent, Vic and I had some decisions to make about our plans concerning his new orders to Virginia, and Sophia was moving into her new apartment and planning for the fall quarter.

In a nutshell, I got the job but resigned so that I could join Vic in Virginia.  A tough decision but the right one.  We were really so over being separated.  The seven-month deployment seemed so much longer and we just weren't ready to do it all again for two years.  Tomorrow I'll take you on our journey across the United States.

Sophia and MudLynn are settled in her new apartment and loving life in Washington.  We asked her if she wanted to come with us but she said no, she was good, bye Mom and Dad, have fun.  She's so grown up, I almost can't bear it.  Some of my friends ask how I can handle being so far away from her but I reached a point about six months ago where I was able to let go.  I told Vic that having a child gave me a lifetime of worry (my Mum was the world's best worrier and I seem to have the knack too) but something just happened that enabled me to Let It Go (sorry, I know we are all so fed up of hearing that!).  Anyway, I guess it's in part because I feel that she makes good choices and decisions, and has a great support system in the form of a responsible boyfriend and a good group of friends.  They don't drink, smoke, do drugs, gamble, or party wildly, rather they enjoy activities as a group mostly in the outdoors and have a lot of good, clean fun together.  Sophia works part-time with children, devotes (adequate) time to her studies, takes care of MudLynn, and keeps in touch regularly.  Would I prefer that she was with us?  Of course, but she's an adult now and will soon be a college graduate and ready to take on the world on her own.  It's so funny, she's been working over the winter break full-time in a holiday camp program and she says working 9 to 5 is SO hard!  Welcome to adulting, darling!

As far as Christmas, it was a quiet one for Vic and me.  We went out to brunch on Christmas Eve, stopped at Barnes and Noble for our traditional Christmas Eve shopping, headed home to relax, and then after the Christmas Eve church service, we splurged on a fondue dinner at the Melting Pot.  We slept on Christmas morning later than I have ever slept - 8:30am before we woke up - and then enjoyed a day of watching new DVDs, reading the books and magazines we picked up at Barnes and Noble, playing with our new toys (a planner for me and an Avegant Glyph for Vic) and eating afternoon tea-type foods throughout the day.  Sophia and MudLynn went to her boyfriend's house for the day and then went back to Bellingham to continue celebrating with friends.

I didn't do any Christmas planning this year.  Being on the road and moving into our new house (which turned out to be the same one we moved from two years ago) meant that we were busy unpacking boxes and getting organized, then putting up a tree and a few decorations.  I missed all of the craft fairs on both coasts, as well as Black Friday so it's my goal to get myself organized (on my blog and in my planner) for Christmas 2017.

Happy New Year everyone, may 2017 bring you and your family blessings in abundance.