December 20, 2007
Can you believe it? It's almost Christmas, and I think it should still be September, maybe October. But here it is almost the end of the year, so I may as well give up on catching up and try and do better in 2008.
2007 has been a year of amazing blessings for my family. It all began in January. Noelle and Chilly got married. Chilly fits in well with our family, but I'm not sure he always understands our wacky humor or the intense feelings that sometimes explode.
A week later we had the arrival of The Iz. She's ever so much fun, and thanks to her mommy and daddy, we've had lots and lots of pictures to look at. It's been fun to watch her own personality develop, and although she is very sweet, I think she's going to keep her parents on their toes. Having a baby has changed my daughter's life, but all for the better. She's still an amazingly strong woman, but her edges are softer now.
Another major change was the adoption of Rhayne. She is now Rhayne Elizabeth O'Neill Kitzman, but O'Neill is a middle name because she went to the judge and he gave her a new last name(just ask Rhayne, and she will tell you). I guess it's not a major change, because Chilly has always been there for Rhayne, and the father/daughter bond wasn't created by an order of the court but rather by the love he has given her along with the sense of security and belonging. The Kitzman family also bought their first home, and Jeff and I went down to help with a few things and to take them some of the furniture from Grandma O'Neill's house.
Travis is working hard, and is seeing his hard work pay off. The kitchen at The Pier is now his kitchen, and I think he will do well with the added responsibility. He's been home quite often to see Brianna, and she is fearless. If it has wheels, she wants to either have a ride or better yet, drive it! By the way, he makes the most awesome food, but he's not any good at cleaning the kitchen. But that's okay, when he cooks for me, I don't mind cleaning up after him. He's done a lot of growing up this year, and it shows so much in his attitude most of the time. He still has a temper like his mom, and it still gets him in trouble, but he's really learning to control it better.
Jeff got a beautiful pocket watch for his 25 years at the elevator. He's worked hard, but I think we are both beginning to look forward to the day he can retire. He is loving being a grandpa, and I sometimes wonder if the guys at work get tired of hearing about his grandbabies.
The biggest change for me has been taking the glass from hobby to business. It's been a change for all of us, and I think I have found a better balance between the glass and my family. I was maybe a bit intense about it, so I needed to find a way to make it work because there will never be anything more important to me than my family. Believe me, I am feeling a bit frazzled most days...so much to do, and never enough time. I wish Jeff knew how to type...he could do my online listings for me.
As the year ends, I think about New Year's resolutions, and I don't know if I will actually make any, but if I were they would go something like this....
1. To spend more time with my family...my kids and grandbabies, my mom and sisters and my husband.
2. Get organized so I am not always running around like a headless chicken.
3. Keep my blogs more up to date....I think that goes with organization though.
4. To remember to count my blessings....and there are a lot of them.
It really is time for me to get to work and accomplish "something" today!
So MERRY CHRISTMAS and I love you all.
Hey there, guess who!!
Posted by: Heidi Hakanson | 04/02/2008 at 12:15 PM