7 Weeks in 7 Seconds

I really meant to do something a little more involved than what this post will be (mostly pictures without commentary) but everytime I think of blogging I get overwhelmed with how far behind I am. So (except for the California trip, which I'll put in a separate post) here's the last couple of months, in brief.

Winter Sing:

(Love this picture of Grandma and Chris.)

Talking to Santa on the Train Tour (thanks to iheartmesa for the heads up on this fun activity!):

A random pic that makes me laugh:

The Cook family, together at last: (Eric, Ann, Logan and Taylor came from Texas, and Blake, Leeanne, and Jenna came all the way from Okinawa! All the Cooks were together for Christmas this year, and it was awesome. I wish I had pics of all the siblings at Speedway on New Year's Eve.)

So sweet. :)

(What's a cousin for if not to help you eat your food?)

Christmas Eve:

Christmas Day:

(Thanks for the idea for this gift Roccy!)

(And mommy got a WiiFit. Oh yeah.)

Pinewood Derby:

2008 by the Numbers

What did I accomplish in 2008, in terms of cold, hard numbers? I actually woke up thinking about the answer to that question. (I credit Anna for putting numbers in my brain. Hee hee.) Here's my year, in numerical review:

Number of blog posts: 202

Number of times I've posted a picture of my foot: 8 (the one inside the art museum is my favorite)

Number of vacations (family and otherwise): 4

Number of fiction books read: 37

Number of books read in the last 6 weeks of the year, as a stress release: 10

.

Pounds lost: 12 (for a total of 35)

Months I've kept the weight off: 8

Number of bushes, trees and vines that used to live in our yard until I killed them: 9

Percentage of shocking/cautionary/heartwarming/ironic emails which turned out to be false after a check on SNOPES.COM: 98%

Query letters for my novel which received a form rejection: 54 (sadly typical, for those of us determined/hopeful/sadistic enough to keep going after the first 10)

Agents who asked to read my book: 4 (yippee!!)

Agents who praised it with one hand, and rejected it with the other: 3 (sigh)

Number of art masterpiece presentations given: 24

Hours spent helping in the classroom: 37

Number of times I've driven to my kids' schools: 586 (I can't wait until Chris is in school all day!)

Number of school lunches packed: 226

Loads of laundry washed: 468

Hours spent cleaning my house: I refuse to calculate this necessary and unavoidable waste of my time.

Times I told my husband and children I love them: countless times.

Happy New Year!

This is one of my all-time favorite songs. This isn't a great video, but the song is fantastic so all is well. I tend to listen to the song without watching the video (one of these days I'll get an iPod like a normal person). Anyway, I found this article that tells more about the song. Somehow, it makes me happy to know this really happened. It's so touching.

Happy New Year everyone!