Happy New Year!

The last two weeks have been amazingly relaxing. I only turned on my laptop a  couple times. I've been back in CS, chilling with my family just like old times. The kids were out of school, and I had a couple weeks off, so we spent a lot of time hanging out and goofing off.

 I'm grateful that we've had so many Christmases together! As families grow up, I know Christmases change. Missions, marriage, and moves make it so not everyone can be there every year, and not for a full glorious two weeks without any other responsibilities to worry about. But we've had a long stretch of all of us together, just enjoying our family time.

Yeah... I've become the family midget! Everyone assumes I'm the youngest too... Sheesh!

This is the last Christmas like that, though. 2014 will bring a lot of transitions. Kristie will graduate from high school and head off to college. Mom and Dad will become Empty Nesters. Jason will leave on his mission. Shauna will graduate from BYU and head out to wherever her first job takes her.

I'm about the only one who isn't facing a major transition for sure... Although I am toying with the idea of finally leaving Provo when my housing contract runs out in August (!!!!). I've lived in the same place for four years, and I've LOVED it there. I'm glad I stayed as long as I did. But... it's time for a change. That change might just be moving to south Provo, a little bit out of the BYU student scene. Or, it might be more drastic. I'm considering fulfilling a childhood dream and moving out to Arizona. Yay for no more snow! :)

There's also a slight chance I'll be changing jobs... Our company is funded by a government grant that runs out in September. The grant will probably be renewed and we'll probably be fine... but we don't know that for sure yet. Even if the grant is renewed, we will need to reapply, and there's a chance we won't be accepted this time. My coworkers all seem optimistic rather than worried, so I try to be the same. But, the end of the summer could potentially bring a lot of changes for me.

All this to say... Christmas next year will probably be a lot different. Jason won't be there (although we'll get to Skype him--missionaries get to Skype their families on Mother's Day and Christmas!). Depending on Shauna's job, she may or may not be there, and probably for not as long.

But no matter what happens and how spread out we all get, we'll always love each other and we'll be together in spirit on Christmas day. :)

It will be interesting to see what this next year will bring!