Christmas is officially over, even though the tree and all the decorations are still up and shining. The youngest daughter and her family left today. It is always hard for visits because we know it will be several months (if we are lucky) before we see them again. The oldest daughter and her family were here for Thanksgiving but the visit kicked off the season and although we were sad to see them leave we knew that within 3 weeks we would have another visit. Now we have another birthday to look forward to, I know I am lucky to still be having birthdays as this year I lost several friends plus mom turns 93 in a week or so.

I still think about some of the Christmas times at the farm, without cable tv just family and much friends and family. The dinners with Grandmom Kidney reading stories to the girls and dad teasing them at the table with "Piggy Bites", aunt Bernice and Uncle John and the neat gifts they brought from KC, Aunt Thurley and Uncle Emil, cousin Sandra and their visits, the pictures in front of the fireplace (Heather and Laura had to sleep with their hair in curlers so they looked good), the times before the family even existed and we made trips to St. Joseph to the Christian Brothers Holiday tournament or basketball practice on New Years day-at 7:00 in the morning! Guess those times were much simpler and I couldn't wait to grow up and get things going in my own life. I remember when I was a kid that we went to town for Christmas with Grandmom and Grandpa Richter, then home for Christmas morning then drive to McFall for Christmas with the Kidney side then home to do the chores-and finally get to play with my toys that Santa brought!

The daughter has filled the holidays with traditions some started by the family but some by her. She doesn't strip the beds after we leave because she can go in and take naps and still be close because the sheets still have "us" on them. She didn't strip the sheets today when she left today and I expect that the WOFTH will take her afternoon naps there.

I have picked up all the cups with left over juice and milk in them, I have picked up the cookie crumbs and found all the stuffed animals that Molly has a tendency to store in various secret places. The fairy house was a big success as the fairy family started to move in and kept leaving new "toys" each day, much to the fascination of Molly and Harry-I expect that within a few weeks they will be moved in.
The house is too quiet, the play station is not running and we are not making any emergency trips to Sonic! They will be in Kansas City for a few days and I hope that their visit with that side of the state is good, but it is hard not to be selfish! The TV is mine again, movies and news, back to the regular routine however boring it can become-guess that is my choice!

Don't get me wrong the Christmas week was truly wonderful, from tracking their plane this time last week as they traveled through a snow storm, to the trips to Bouches and Shakespeares, the trip to see all the big fish at Bass Pro, the Fat Tires enjoyed by all and mornings of Amie's pancakes and bacon to the basketball game and of course Christmas morning after Santa had stopped by. School resumes on the 3rd (as it has done for 60 years in my life) and January and February are not my favorite times unless there is enough snow that we can get out an play.

There will be New Year's resolutions made and broken-another depression moment. I know that I will recover and workout with the object of climbing Mt. Washington, this time all the way to the top, then it will be June and another trip to New Hampshire, but it sure seems far away right now. So will get busy doing something and take this moment to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Peace