Happy New Year!

When I started this blog thing earlier in the month, I had a goal of 5 blog entries. I noticed that I was at 4 and so I am posting right now (1:09 am, Dec. 31, 2008). With less than 23 hours until 2009 I am just making my goal!

Goals are a good thing to have. When done correctly they provide a focal point for a course of action, that when taken will lead to improvement or accomplishment of some kind. (Call me Webster.) So, with less than a day to really think about it, what is my goal (resolution) for 2009?

Last year I became a Deacon for my church right before Christmas and the new year. Because it was something new to me, my resolution was focused on this position. 2008 was probably the only one I have ever kept. It was easy for me to set a goal of communicating and praying regularly with my care group. I am happy to say I believe I have accomplished this. Some of the people in my care group communicate with me on a weekly basis - sharing concerns, needs, praises, and joys. Others have yet to reply to my messages and letters. But, I still send them grab them to say hi at church and so on. So, what about 2009?

Hmmmmm. Why not stick with another God related resolution? I think that my resolution for this year will be to once again hook up with a small group from Grace. It's a scary thing for me, really, to sign up with a group again. After all, I left a group that I enjoyed a few years ago so I could fulfill a need that I saw in my church. The people who were my age weren't in small groups. I started the ball rolling and within 2 months nearly every person in my age range was in a small group! That was awesome. It was a God thing and I was used for a purpose of His! Pretty cool.

Anyway, some of those groups are still going strong. Mine, however, flopped. People started not attending. Group members got "busy" and the priority of the group was lacking. We all had kids so that threw a wrench into the mix, too. My parents would always watch our kiddos, but some of the families didn't have the network we had locally. So, we ended up bringing our kids several times so that we could help pay the babysitters. (Yippee!) It became so hit or miss that the reliability and the cohesion within the group failed. One by one couples started pulling out and I knew what was in store. It was plain to see. Since then I don't talk to the people from that group very much. This is in no way intentional on my part. I would even venture to say that some of our friendships from that group were weakened because of it. This isn't because any of the people in my group are bums. Quite the contrary. They're awesome people, but not such a good mix! So, you can see why I might be scared to jump in again.

But, I do know that small groups are a good thing - regardless of the last group we were in. I'm looking forward to the journey!

So, here we go! Maybe I can go 2 years in a row for meeting my resolution. I'm on a streak! I did the 5 posts for December after all!

Happy new year, everyone! What is your new year's resolution?



(For those of you out there reading this that don't know God, you probably think this whole blog sounds weird. I know - been there, done that. Well, too bad. Go write your own blog about how you evolved from frogs and how this life is the only one you'll ever have and you still spend it sitting in front of the TV or computers for hours on end. Friends, you are so completely missing out. If you want your resolution to get to know God this year, email me so I can help you on that journey!)

Christmas Fun

Do you ever feel like you are lying to your kids when you start talking about Santa and the elves? How about the Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny?

I go back and forth on the issue, to be honest with you. Lots of times, as I am sharing the story of how Santa has his toy shop at the North Pole or how the "elves" visit us regularly before Christmas Day, I feel guilty about sharing these stories with my kids. What's going to happen when the truth is revealed? Will the trust factor immediately diminish between Evan and Ella and myself? Or, will they understand that some of the Christmas magic that they experienced was from these stories?

I don't know.

What I do know is that I have been telling them - and it's fun! I do love to see the glimmer in my kids' eyes when they think of the magical way that the elves and Santa transport themselves. Evan tells the story even better than I do. He is so expressive in the way he tells it. His eyes are large with excitement and the slight lisp created from his missing and loose front teeth doesn't stop him one bit. Ella chirps in her high pitched voice, "Thank you, Elves!" It is exciting.

My parents and my wife's parents keep reminding us that we were told the same stories and we came out OK. In fact, I still get presents from my mom labeled "From: Santa" each year. It's still fun for her and it is for me, too.

So, the stories will keep coming until I get the please-give-me-the-honest-truth question from one of my kids - "Is Santa real?"

When that happens (and seemingly to some of my fifth graders it has yet to happen), I will set my child down and tell them in a very serious and loving way . . . "Go ask your mother."

Christmas Traditions

My family and I are looking for a great Christmas Eve tradition. We've got one that we've held on to every year since the kids were born. I open up our book of The Night Before Christmas and read it out loud with the whole family. It's nice. It's sweet.

We aren't satisfied.

It's not as if we haven't tried things in the past - we have! We've done the Christmas Eve church services in nice dress and have watched "It's A Wonderful Life" with pillows flooding the floor of our living room by the tree. We've opened Christmas presents because we couldn't wait 8 more hours and we've gone to bed early hoping the morning would arrive sooner than later. But what now?

We're tired of trying to think of something to do. We want something solid. We want something that is anticipated with excitement! We want . . . we want . . . we want your ideas!

Please?

A Big Thanks

Do you have a family? How about two? We do.

When Laura had surgery on Tuesday, a couple of our relatives (family #1) came to our side to help with watching the kids, feeding us, calling us on the phone to see how everything was going, and offering help if we needed any. Typical family stuff. Thanks MT, Barb, John, Bill, Kevin and Katie, Auntie Jo and Aunt J.

Our fellow members at Grace (family #2) also rose to the occasion. They came and prayed with us at the hospital before the surgery. They called us before and after to tell us they were thinking about us and praying for us. They brought over meal, after meal, after yummy meal. (That might be another blog altogether - the food was absolutely incredible!) They visited us at our home and set up a care group just for us. And then there was an entire group who was on call and ready to serve but we declined because the generosity was already so much! Thank you Pastor Tom, Pastor Brent, Dawn, Michelle and the Loutrels, Tichenors, Creels, Porters, Malaises, Joneses, Douglases, Mosers, Bices, etc. . . . you went the extra mile and we thank you so much.

We are so thankful for our two families! How many do you have?

I hope that you have a family #2. If you don't, maybe consider the possibility of finding one. You'll be glad that you did!

OF COURSE, many thanks also go to so many friends who called and posted on facebook or email / mail to give us their wishes of speedy recovery and good health. You're awesome and you know who you are!

My First Blog

Perhaps it's the season, but recently I have been asked multiple times how life was going for me and my family. Requests for pictures, updates, and happenings in the Herriott household have been frequent, especially this week.

Sunny, a friend and once colleague of mine, posts a regular blog. While viewing her facebook page last night I stumbled upon her blog and became motivated to write my own. Not that anyone out there is actually reading it. But this is a start. Perhaps this will serve as that source for family and friends who are interested in what's going on and who aren't around on a regular basis to see it for themselves.

So, thank you, Sunny, for once again being a source of inspiration!

Have a great weekend!