Happy New Year!

We celebrated New Year's Eve at Chris and Cheryl's. It has become a tradition we look forward to every year. Cheryl and I make a couple of beef tenderloins, along with many scrumptious side dishes and desserts. (This year we had, along with the tenderloin, Alaskan Prawns sauteed in garlic, olive oil and butter, oven roasted potatoes, asparagus with Hollandaise, sauteed mushrooms, Caesar Salad, sour cream coffee cake, homemade apple crumb pie and a decadent chocolate cake with chocolate icing from Sam's Club.) We eat, stay up till midnight together and watch the ball drop in Times Square. Then we spend the night and hang out for a while on New Year's Day before heading home in the afternoon.

We have been planning to go to a resort in the Bahamas for six days to celebrate our anniversary (Jan. 4) this week. But we both started to have mixed feelings about going and we had bought travel insurance. So we decided to postpone the trip for a while. The up side to our change in plans was that I could eat whatever I wanted without even thinking about wearing a bathing suit any time soon.

I have done major damage yesterday and today. I got through Christmas and all the way to New Year's Eve only two pounds above my lowest weight since I started eating differently (and 7 1/2 pounds less than what I was three months ago). But I'm not sure I will have the courage to face the scale in the morning. Although I did work out yesterday morning and again when we got home this afternoon, I also had a craving for tacos and guacamole, which I decided I needed to get out of my system before getting back on the wagon tomorrow. Three tacos, beans, chips and guacamole and some chocolate cake later, I am miserable. But the splurge was worth it and tomorrow I will get back on track.

While at Chris and Cheryl's, we got to see my dad, Justin, Angelia and little Alexander. Alexander is so adorable. I can't resist sharing a couple of pictures. I wish I had taken a few more. Here is Alexander with my nieces, Karlie and Lexi...This is my dad, me and John...

I can't believe it's 2008. This past year has flown by. Those of you who are reading: thank you for being my friends. After I wrote my Christmas Day post about being thankful, I thought about the one glaring omission -- how thankful I am for my many wonderful, lasting friendships! In addition to those life long friends I cherish and share a long history with, God has blessed me with so many new friends in the last five years. It's hard to imagine my life had I never met and married John. Not only did God bless me with an amazing husband four years ago, many treasured friendships have come to my life as a result of marrying him, moving to Murfreesboro and attending World Outreach Church. Sometimes, when I am with these friends who have become so dear and so close to me, I find myself thinking about how hard it is to imagine my life without them. You know who you are! Thank you for your love!

Those of you who have been my friends from way back, I think you know very well how precious you are to me and how much I cherish the bond that has continued despite some of the major changes in our lives and paths these last few years. We share a history and an understanding of each other's journey that can never be duplicated or replaced! Thank you for your friendship, love, understanding and empathy along the way!