This is so cool! We are in our new condo in Pasadena, sitting in our living room watching people walk up and down, setting up the floats for the Rose Parade in the morning. We are enjoying New Years Eve in an empty apartment, sitting on little chairs we found outside, preparing our air mattress to sleep on for the next few nights before our furniture arrives, all the while, so excited about seeing the parade. All my life, I have dreamed of coming to the parade, never imagining I would be living in the town where you can actually see it from my front living room. This has been the most unusual Christmas Season, and New Years Eve. We arrived yesterday from Texas to begin our new adventure here in California. We ate Thai food tonight for the first time, (actually because it was the only thing we could find this late at night that didn’t require a rsvp) but it was delicious. So this made us think that this will be the year to get out of our comfort zone. Try new dishes, experience things that we had always thought about. As I write this, the very first float of the parade is passing rt in front of our house. This is so exciting, I have tears in my eyes thinking of all the beautiful floats, flowers and bands that will be marching right here in front of us. What an exceptional NY Eve. Happy New Years to each of you as we are headed downstairs to get in the hustle bustle of the parade set up. Next year, I will be baking and handing out goodies to the float drivers. This is going to be a great 2011, I can already tell…..

We are packed and ready to go. The movers will be here in the morning, so we are down to our last night in our house. This will be my last blog for a couple of weeks because I won’t have the computer to write on until they reconnect us after the furniture is unpacked. I want you to know that I went to Costco and bought 30 lbs of butter in case they don’t have any in Calironia. I just couldn’t trust them to have our “golden rich substance” out in the land of sushi and salad. I also loaded my car with Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper, as I know that is almost impossible to find out there, have already tried to do that. Hobby Lobby was on my list of last places to go before we leave town as they are not present in California as of yet. It is hard to imagine living in a land without Hobby Lobby, Diet Dr Pepper or Whataburger, but guess I will be learning about new places. And what about Sam Moon’s, what am I going to do for earrings? Oh boy, as I think of all this, I am really having second thoughts about this move. We will be spending the first 4 nights on an air mattress at our new place, since the furniture won’t be there until the 4th, but we were determined to be out there for the Rose Bowl Parade and our new place is on the parade route where they line the floats up. So we are looking forward to that new experience. Will take lots of pics and post a couple on the blog when the computer is hooked back up. If any of you ever know where we can get our hands on Diet Dr Peppers or a great hamburger in our new home of Los Angeles, please let me know,otherwise, I’m going to have to just have Whataburger and Dr Pepper shipped in.

This time of year, it is just one of my most favorite things to get in the kitchen, bake and watch all the Christmas movies on Lifetime. I cannot help but tear up at each and every one of them. They seem to all have a story that is trying to show us that what is important is our relationships with our family and friends. This year, because we are moving, I am unable to have decorations out. We don’t have a tree for the second time in my life. The first time  was when we had sold our house at Thanksgiving and was living with relatives during the Christmas season and I promised myself I would never do that again. It was just too hard watching all the programs with decorations, friends houses putting up lights and sitting around their trees. But….once again, here I am, during the Christmas season, without all the “things” that normally help get us in the Christmas spirit. But for some reason, I am not sad. Randy and I said goodbye last week for a month, for him to go to California and me to head back here to pack up the house. God is growing me up and continually giving me gifts of His presence. In fact, this morning, it dawned on me that the 3 weeks I was out in California was just preparation for this month. When I was at the corporate apartment, unless I called someone or they called me, I was alone for about 12 hours a day. I realize now that God was getting me used to being by myself since He knew that I would be here in Dallas without Randy. It is those things that cause me to remember that Christmas isn’t really about the decorations, the trees or the shopping. Yes, those things make it pretty, bring back so many memories as we place ornaments on the trees and shop for those we love, but it is a time to reflect on what God gave us; His Son, to carry our burdens, to come along side us when we are lonely, to save us and to perfect us as He grows us up, both, spiritually and physically.  I heard an expression today on one of the movies while making a carrot cake. “Christmas reminds us that we should be grateful of Friends who are like Family, and Family who are our Friends” God has truly blessed our family with just that. We might have our little differences, but most everyday, we would pick them as friends, if they were not already our family. We are truly blessed. Merry Christmas to each of you and remember to make each day count for honoring the Christ Child, who is our reason for this most precious time of year.